#how much do you know about welsh kings?

[mudgemill]

what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall at one of their Nino’s debriefs haha

slowly deciding how I wanna draw the gangsey >:-)

[queer-ragnelle]

can you tell us more about gingalain? he seems intriguing but i don't know much about him

I sure can! Here are the texts that center his story.

Le Bel Inconnu (French)

Gilglois (French)

Wigalois: Knight of Fortune’s Wheel by Wirnt von Grafenberg (German)

Carduino (Italian)

Sir Libeaus Desconus (Middle English)

Vidvilt (Yiddish)

His name differs depending on the text (as shown with the titles) but in Le Bel Iconnu [The Fair Unknown] his baptismal name is revealed to be Guinglain; varied spellings of that name appear in other texts so, I'll adjust my spelling accordingly.

Anyway the gist of his origin [most of the time] is that Gawain meets and falls in love with a mysterious woman but has to leave her to return to his duties at King Arthur’s court, only to discover he can no longer return to his lady/wife who lives in an impenetrable Otherworldy bubble. Years go by and their child grows up. The child eventually leaves home in search of his father. He ends up at King Arthur’s court but remains anonymous, so Arthur dubs him “The Fair Unknown,” for he’s handsome and skilled at arms. He goes on adventures with ladies, fighting giants and dragons, eventually revealing to Gawain that he's his son by the fairy/Otherworld lady.

"Guinglain’s" coat of arms in French Le Bel Iconnu is a lion...

In German Wigalois it’s a golden wheel of fortune...

In Middle English Sir Libeaus Desconus it's a griffin...

But when you google the character by name, Guingalain or Gingalain, it's this shield which pops up:

Now it's a pretty badass shield, but where does it come from? It doesn't appear in The Manuscripts and Patronage of Jacques d’Armagnac, where Gawain and his brothers first got their coats of arms. Evidentially this image comes from Le Blason des Armoiries by Jérôme de Bara, published in 1604, from which many knights received their coats of arms including Sagramore, Kay, and Bedivere.

Gawain's son appears in the supporting cast of many other texts. He's called "Gyngolyn" at the end of The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle.

And "Gangalayne" shows up again in Le Morte d’Arthur alongside his father, Gawayne, half brothers, Florence and Louel, and uncles, Agrauayne, Gaherys, Mordred, and Gareth.

Sometimes he keeps the title "The Fair Unknown" even after his relation to Gawain is known, as in the 2nd Perceval Continuation.

Some texts develop him into a fully fledged character beyond his origins, such as in the Prose Tristan, where "Giglain" fights Tristan and then reports back to a grieving Isolde that Tristan still lives.

And in the Post-Vulgate, "Guinglain" guards a bridge and challenges any who try to pass, including Galahad, Arthur the Less, and Palamedes.

He also appears in some retellings.

The best example is Gillian Bradshaw's trilogy. He's called "Gwyn" and his parents are Gwalchmai and Elidan. Their romance covers book 1, Hawk of May, then Gwyn is discovered in book 2, Kingdom of Summer, and his paternity revealed to Gwalchmai on Elidan's deathbed in book 3, In Winter's Shadow. These books are fine, but so slow, and started the trend of replacing Lancelot with Bedwyr to keep it more "historical/Welsh," meanwhile Agravain is still a character and Medraut is a bastard of incest and all the Orkney bros are actually Irish. So what was the point of that? I'd rather Lancelot had been there, particularly because Gwyn's death occurs when Bedwyr comes to rescue Gwenhwyfar from her fate and Bedwyr kills him, unarmed, to get her. So it follows the French storyline anyway. I do adore how much everyone loves Gwyn. Afterwards, Cei is acting as lawyer to work out Bedwyr's story against Medraut's, and they have this exchange:

Gwyn was everybody's baby boy. Then Cei describes the extent of Gwalchmai's grief, including having the horse he gifted Gwyn slain and burning all his belongings.

Cei likens it to the grief felt at Agravain's passing. So this is good food for Gawain and family enjoyers, but as I said, not a huge fan of Bedwyr/Lancelot hybrid as Gwyn's murderer.

In Persia Woolley's third book, Guinevere The Legend in Autumn, introduces the character. But she's so unpleasant about her characters of color...

Yeahhhhh. Long story short, Ragnelle is a fey nomad that lives among the animals she herds. She was unable to be made "civilized" and left court, evidentially sending her son "Gingalin" to be fostered by Bertilack, then given to Gawain after his Green Knight quest. There's so much unnecessary emphasis on their skin-tone coupled with the way their culture's framed it's just. Ick. I hate it.

In Howard Pyle's fourth book The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur, "Gingaline" is mentioned in the line up of knights who join Agravaine and Mordred in the ambush of Launcelot and Guinevere. Ironically, he isn't mentioned as Gawaine's son, but his half brothers, Florence and Lovel, are.

Since Ragnelle and Gromer Somer Joure are both present in Pyle's series, I'm going to assume "Gingaline" is Gawaine's son. I know it, in my heart.

Lastly, in The Green Knight (2021) movie, Gawain has an unnamed son who dies in battle. He's Guinglain. To me. If I squint.

So what do I recommend reading? Of the Medieval stuff, the French story Le Bel Iconnu is the origin, so it's a great place to start. The English Sir Libeaus Desconus is short and sweet, with a really great scene of his kinsmen, Gawain, Agravaine, and Ywain, plus friends Lancelot and Perceval, arming him. Yiddish Vidvilt is also fun, it resembles the German Wigalois the most, which is my favorite.

And that's everything I got. As you can see there's a lot of Gawain's son in Medieval stories and not very many in modern ones. I love him! Let's includes him in more stories, shall we? :^)

[aeantizlkamenwati]

The Hound

So @the-kingshound updated and I dove headfirst into feelings and needed to get some feelings out...So I wrote a thing. As you do. A bit terrified to post outside of anon, but...2.5k words is too much for an ask and the discord...so...here we are.

Some moderate CW though, it contains depression, sexism (I know most people aren't going to want to delve into this sort of stuff because it's escapism, but I find it cathartic and validating when it's at least acknowledged how shitty it is to have a uterus at any point in time), and my Hound is not the nicest person around. (Arthur please don't give up on her, she'll get there)

OH and a part is inspired by a really old poll Kal asked about what color we'd like our dog-hounds to be and I know everyone went with the Christian Black Hound of Hell cause it IS iconic and spooky, but I was going...but a white hound would mean something to the Welsh. It makes a statement. SO I added it in the end to soften the angst.

Enjoy below the cut because I have no chill.

Guinevere stared across her small table at the King. Her husband, she supposed, though in the eyes of the court the title was not official. He seemed unable to meet her bright red eyes—not uncommon in her experience. Even in her own House people struggled to hold her gaze. More than once had she overheard whispers of the unsettling otherworldly heir, the one that must’ve been taken by some spirit or another.

Here was no different, only the terms changed. Annwn, Arawn, Mallt-y-Nos all were whispered as she walked past instead of Da Derga. ‘Bad omen that one’ was still the same though. ‘It’ll be the death of the Pendragons, letting one such as her share a bed with the King,’ in some form or another.

She waited patiently, stoically for the King to sort through whatever went on in his head. She refused to let her gaze leave him. To show any sign of weakness lest he go for her throat so to speak. She watched him as any prisoner might when face to face with their judge and executioner.

Arthur, as a person, was not…terrible. Though the most she saw of him was at their wedding, to be fair. Her hackles bristled at even the memory of the word. Wedding. It was nothing more than a celebration of her family’s downfall. The handfasting, nothing more than a shackle, a collar to show the might of Camelot.

But it was not yet a total victory.

After all, there were still more humiliations the king could bring against House Venegard. One, in particular, she dreaded more than others. She understood her duty, of course, and she would bear the torment like the cliffs do the raging sea…

That did not mean her stomach did not cramp. That bile did not coat her tongue. Her fists clenched in her lap, waiting those dreadful words, the terrible command. Her throat tightened against the rising emotions. Her skin prickled.

‘It won’t come to that,’ Saraah had told her. Radel and Ghaven had tried to comfort her as well. In their own way. Ghaven told her to use their wedding present on Arthur if he tried. It…it did make her laugh despite the crushing despair. Saraah had tried to tell her she’d be safe, that they doubted Arthur would force her to do anything.

She loved her siblings, but…she also knew they didn’t understand, not truly. They were, in the judging eyes of the law, men. They had the rights to their wives—not including Saarah of course.

They did not get the lectures from their mother about how to cut one’s own throat or womanhood should they ever be captured. They did not hear old wives tell horror stories of their first nights. They were not told tricks to get through it, how to fix themselves afterwards because their husband would just leave them once he was through—or fall asleep. They did not hope to die with the birth of their firstborn so they did not have to suffer anymore violations.

After all, what could be more symbolic of the King’s victory than breaking her in their marriage bed as his father did his mother so long ago?

Guinevere bit her tongue to keep her numbness in place. Pain forced her back into the hardened warrior her House had demanded she become. She remembered her mother telling her to never let any man see her scared, see her cry, and she refused to disappoint her.

Arthur cleared his throat. He straightened in his seat. He tried his best to look calm, but there was…some kind of nervous energy. He picked at his fingers out of reflex. His mouth opened and closed a few times. “I wished to ask you something,” he started carefully.

Her stomach twisted sharply. The slight dizziness that plagued her since her betrothal sent sparks over her eyes. She could already understand where this was no doubt going. The court had been rather loud as of late, crying that the marriage was not true. She was only surprised they didn’t demand the King show them the bedsheets afterwards.

She signed without feeling, as always, “Come to take your dues, then?”

Arthur blinked, reminding her of a puppy. “Beg pardon?”

She shrugged, each motion empty of any semblance of emotion. “I’m surprised they’ve let you wait this long. They seem quite eager for you to show me my place.” Her eyes drifted around the room. She noted the places she stashed weapons…assuming Gwyar hadn’t moved them again. They seemed exasperated every time they found a new hiding place…but they also didn’t take the weapons either.

“That’s not what I…” Arthur shook their head, as though trying to shake the thoughts into line. “I’m not—”

“So, a mistress then, that’s to be my humiliation,” Guinevere nodded to herself. “Probably for the best.” Her fingers gently traced the horrific scar across her neck, hidden by her bodice. “Wouldn’t wish to sully the Pendragon line with a wraith.” It was a stark reminder he did not wed a delicate flower, she fought and bled against him. One of his people nearly took her head off.

And the sick part was…she wished they had.

She shook her head against the darkness creeping up her spine. She figured out long ago she would never be a beautiful maiden; she would not be swept off her feet, or whatever Saarah’s fantasies were. She didn’t know why it still stung at this point.

She slowly rose from her seat. The fabric of her dress pulled and tugged uncomfortably against her movements. The neckline rubbed and scratched at the scar. Almost like feeling the rough, chipped edge of the sword again.

Her fingers were cold against her neck. She put them between her skin and the stupid Camelotian garment. Gwyar had convinced her it might be wise to attempt to acclimate to…here. Apparently, some of the court were scandalized by her tattoos. They apparently made her petite-self intimidating, like a barbarian. Or some other drivel.

Maybe they just didn’t want to admit her eyes scared them. Or maybe they were just trying to test to see if the King’s new dog would bite.

She plucked the letters from the table. The seal she was beginning to recognize as Saraah’s glared up at her in accusation. She assumed the others were from various other siblings he had corralled into sending to her. Probably sometime after the fifth letter she didn’t reply to.

She blew out a breath before placing them with the growing pile on her desk. Weight pulled at her bones. The old habit of talking to Saraah begged for her to try. Her chest hurt at the pain she must be causing them.

She drifted away before she could crumble. She had already broken in front of them; she would not do it again. She was the seventh heir of House Venegard. It was time she acted like it. Her feet took her to the window as they often did. Not to stare out over her new domain, but to the sky where birds played with the clouds.

A chair scraped over the floor. Perhaps the King grew tired of her. Or, more likely, he had other arrangements. Spending time with prisoners was hardly worth his time, but still nice of him to stop by, she supposed.

“I wanted to ask how you are,” Arthur’s voice disrupted her quiet contemplation of a flock of birds. She looked to the side as if she could see him behind her. Her back tensed. “We haven’t been able to speak since…” He didn’t say the words as she wrapped her arms around herself. “Your brother asked after you, well his husband asked, but on his behalf, I’m sure.”

Slowly, she turned, smoothing her face against anything that might show the crushing weight on her heart. “I am fine.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at the simple answer. He kept quiet as he observed her carefully, as if he could pull answers from her like a sword from a stone. “If there is something I can do to make you more comfortable…”

“You cannot.” Her hands moved like swords, cutting off the line of questioning. “As I told Morien and Gwyar, I will remain living.”

Any more than that, she could not guarantee. She would pretend she was collared and leashed, sit when told, rollover as necessary, endure whatever she had to keep House Venegard alive. She would hide what and who she was, bury it so deep down it would crush her very soul into nothingness.

The two of them engaged in a strange staring contest. Her rubies as lifeless as the gems themselves against his captured-skies bright and beckoning freedom. He tapped a finger against the table. She could see him thinking and sorting through the thoughts, or perhaps he was trying to sift through the dense mist of her façade.

“Would you accompany me this afternoon?” he asked suddenly. “I was going to take Mordred, and I know we would both delight in your company as well.”

*****

Why she went was a mystery even to her. Perhaps it was strategic? To be seen with her husband and…stepchild? Show they did have some sort of relationship to keep the nobles at least somewhat complacent.

Maybe she just had a weakness for the child. Or was curious about the destination. Maybe after weeks drifting alone inside her rooms, only venturing out in the mornings to the dead training grounds or for mandatory appearances, she was going mad.

Arthur was pleased with themselves. They had a soft smile and a spring in their step as they escorted the group to a building. A kennel if the baying of hounds told her anything. Mordred’s hand tugged on their sleeve, eyes wide in either excitement or question. Arthur smiled wider. “Yes, they sent word this morning.”

And with those cryptic words, he pushed open the door and gestured for Mordred to go through. The child hesitated, but whatever was beyond the door drew them forward just the same. Arthur turned his smile to her, holding the door for her.

Guinevere eyed him oddly as she passed—well as best she could without pulling her neck muscles. She ignored the softest brush of warmth coming off him, reminding her how cold she always felt. She looked around the humble abode instead.

It did not take long for her eyes to find Mordred…being swarmed by wriggly, wobbly puppies. The mother hound watched over her litter like a queen, but didn’t appear to mind them entering her space. Her tail wagged as Arthur stepped inside behind Guinevere.

She blinked at the one, two, three…six puppies all bounding around on their tiny legs. Two were gnawing on each other’s legs, while a third played with one’s ear. One was pulling at Mordred’s tunic. Another was getting scooped by the child.

A bit of ice inside her chest cracked. It sizzled and popped at the scene. She turned to look up at Arthur. “Puppies?” she signed in confusion. “You brought me to see puppies?”

Arthur smiled. “Yes? They are cute and these ones the houndmaster said were old enough for a visit now.” He shrugged, though the way his eyes moved over the scene made her think he was up to something.

Of course, she always thought he was up to something, she supposed. Still…unless he was going to order the bitch to tear out her throat for good this time…what harm could puppies do?

“I was once told the Irish have great reverence for their hounds,” he eyed her, “even going so far as to give their great warriors and kings the epithet ‘hound’.”

She blinked at him, the nod almost involuntary. Why did he care to know that? Why bring it up? Her chest felt…twitchy under all the ice and darkness. She gave him a probing stare, trying to find answers. “Cú,” she spelled carefully, “it shows they are worthy of the loyalty hounds give.”

“I find it rather…beautiful to think a king is only worthy of his title if he is worthy of his hound first.” He smiled again, before motioning towards the puppies.

Ignoring the strange…prickle in her chest that his cryptic words seemed to conjure, she approached carefully, keeping an eye on the mother before gathering her dress to sit on the ground. The unoccupied puppy plodded its way towards her. It gave a little whine, perhaps a practice growl, before sniffing her. It was black like its mother with wavy fur.

Still, her chest clenched tightly. She made little tongue clicks at the puppies. Her hands petted the brave one that came up to her first. It wobbled and fell to the side. Her mouth parted in a soft laugh, more audible puffs of air than anything. Tiny teeth gnawed at her fingers as she tickled the soft belly.

When the puppy had its fill of her play, it tottered off to a group that gathered near Arthur. For a moment, their eyes met. Bloody red and heavenly blue. A strange pang struck Guinevere’s chest like a shard of ice had stabbed her heart as it broke away. She pulled her eyes down to his hands.

And found a tiny white ball of fur held safely against his chest.

She blinked. A glance at the rest of the litter found only blacks and a few red or fawn ones. The mother’s ears perked as the tiny bundle squeaked. She panted before sniffing the air as if trying to decide if the squeak was distress.

Arthur followed Guinevere’s eyes and gave the tiny bundle a soft smile. He shuffled over to her side, careful to keep a distance between them. He rubbed at the little puppy’s head. “This little one the houndmaster was worried wouldn’t make it,” he spoke softly, glancing up at her. “She’s the runt—and well,” he gestured to her fur.

Guinevere knew well what he meant. Pure white animals were often abandoned by their mothers, easily spotted by predators, or were otherwise ill. Runts were much the same. Her brows pinched together. She gently stroked the soft fur of the puppy’s ear. Her own white hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned forward.

“But it appears she’s much stronger than we thought—or just stubborn,” Arthur chuckled. “Some might say she’s a bad omen, that she’s already marked for Arawn’s pack and it is best to send her on her way…” He smiled wryly at her, like he knew the insults thrown her way. “Between you and me, I think they are just scared because they have wicked souls and fear she’ll sniff them out.”

He held the puppy out to her as another attempted to climb into his lap. The little thing was warm, soft like all babies were, but oh so still. She didn’t squirm or wriggle, just gave a dissatisfied squeak as Guinevere held her to her chest. The puppy’s tiny breaths pressed against her fingers.

Her heart twisted again. The bubbling need for this thing to survive choked her breath. She rubbed her thumb against its ear again, making clicking noises again. Fight, she told the hound mentally. She tried to impart some of her own will into the small hound. Fight and remind them hounds choose their master. And give them pity if they think they have any power over you.

[gingersnaptaff]

who are the main characters in welsh arthurian mythos?

Hi anon! You know, I looked at this question and just fuckin DIED with GLEE! Ehdhdjdhdjd I LOVE SHIT LIKE THIS!!!!! SHDJDJDH

First off, Arthur is pretty big. He's less a king and more of a warlord, but there's still a lot of cultural reverence for him in Welsh things. Seriously, Henry VII - a notable faux-Welshman - named his firstborn son Arthur purely because he was going to be Prince of Wales. Also, in Culhwch and Olwen his retinue has TWO Welsh GODS in it - Manawydan and Pryderi (my beloveds.) Idk what they're doing in it but I am inordinately pleased that they are there.

Also, Uther Pendragon / Uther Ben. Taliesin wrote a poem about him which is super fun. (Also, oddly enough Taliesin himself HAS been linked into Arthurian legends on multiple occasions. He's also another Arthur-type in that he's still regarded as tooling the line between mythical and real.)

Gwenhwyfar is also important even though she takes a back seat. Speculation is rife about whether she had a quest/myth about her (sorta like Culhwch and Olwen) and also her name means 'white phantom!' BRING IT BACK. I, for one, think she definitely did have a quest attributed to her in which Arthur had to do something to get her hand in marriage but idk WHAT.

Also, she's a GIANT!!!!!!!! EJDJDKDKDKD

Gwalchmai is also Super Important. There's speculation as to whether he was a mythical character who got implanted into the mythos or if he was always Atthur's nephew. Basically, he's a giant and he kills giants. Seriously, he's CONSTANTLY killing giants in the mythos. Plus he is called 'Gwalchmai Golden / Silver-tongued' in poetry too. In the Mabinogion, he's very often the one to soothe discord between the other knights so he's very diplomatic too.

Cai and Bedwyr, obviously! They come as a pair. Do Not Separate. Now, Cai is sometimes also seen to be a giant but his dad is Cynyr Ceinfarfog who was a real king. He ruled Dyfed and was the dad of Saint Non and, therefore, grandad to SAINT DAVID. (Wales' patron saint!) So Cai, like Arthur, has a saintly lineage. Before the French Romances shifted his character into the more recognisable Kay, Arthur's grumpy seneschal, Cai was a warrior of great renown. And literally superhuman. Like, nobody would received from.a blow from his sword, he could brave fire and water like nobody else, he has the ability to go nine nights and days without sleep or the need to breathe. He's a ledge.

Now, Bedwyr! Again he's a great warrior and ONE-ARMED. He's called Bedwyr Bedrydant (Bedwyr of the Perfect Sinew) and he's HOT SHIT. Seriously, he's like the most beautiful Knight in Arthur's court. The 10th-century poem 'pa gur' says that assailants 'fell by the hundred / before Bedwyr of the Perfect sinew ... fighting with Garwlwyd/ furious with sword and shield.' (Also, BTW Garwlwyd is possibly a werewolf.)

They have to put up with SO MUCH SHIT from Arthur's escapades it's ridiculous. They had to convince Arthur not to intervene in a King abducting a princess and carrying her back to his court, ffs. Give them a HOLIDAY. WITH SALMON TAXIS.

Now, I would say Merlin BUT he is added later into the mythology. He isn't there straight off. But he is Welsh. He's FUN. He was apparently based on Myrddin Wyllt. He went mad, and lived in a forest. His bestie was a king who died.

Now, I also think Owain, and Geraint on account of their having stories written about them but they're two kings who got folded into the mythos a bit later. Urien (Owain's dad) is another example.

Also, Macsen Wledig too. But again writers melded him in later. And I mean this in the sense that he and Arthur share similarities in how they're perceived in Welsh culture.

Anyways, anon, I hope this helps. I'm probably forgetting a TONNE of characters (Peredur, for one.) But I Don't want to bore you or make anybody trawl through this unwillingly so I shall stop! Hopefully, this helps! Thank u for the question!!!!

[the-kingshound]

I wanted to thank you for this update. It is a bit late, ik but I very much love this story.

I really hope youre getting some rest because you really, really deserve it! (Not that you need to earn rest or something, you just sounded very exhausted)

I know femtrans Arthur is not confirmed but that brings me to a question I meant to ask you anyway. Arthur was the one who legalized same-sex marriages if I remember correctly and coming out as nb was also only after Uther possible.

So I am wondering how the counsil and/or the people see a same-sex marriage between Arthur and our MC? Because if both of them are amab, they would not be able to make a heir? (I get that Mordred is there but I am really wondering how the counsil views that).

And how do they view a nb/trans MC?

Also, I dont know if you plan like kids or anything, but would it be possible for a trans men MC to get pregnant? (ofc only if they want)

I get if you cant/dont want to answer any or all of these questions but I hope you have a great year and please get some rest.

Hi, thank you for the sweet wishes, and the ask! I'll do my best to answer what I can.

So the Council actually ruled for allowing same-sex marriages, of course there were some people against it but the reasons weren't about homophobia as much as the problems these kind of marriages would cause if they lacked an heir. So Arthur was able to convince them by using an old rule on adoption, that said adopted children have the same rights as biological ones (made by a king of old who had no heirs and wanted his adopted son to inherit the throne).

Having said this, the Council and the court see Arthur/MC's marriage, if same-sex, with cautionary skepticism. Some of them are of the belief that marriages celebrated not with the purpose of having children will not last very long, and that the two spouses will not bond as deeply. So, some of them kind of assume the marriage will be rocky, also considering all the circumstances around it.

The Council is by now accustomed to considering Mordred as the rightful heir, and he is old enough that they aren't fearful about him dying young and so needing another heir. To be honest, the more conservative Council members are glad Mordred is the heir and that MC and Arthur can't have biological children, because Mordred is Welsh and there won't be Venegard blood on Camelot's throne.

About trans MC getting pregnant, that would be up to headcanon. In game, MC and Arthur won't have biological or adopted children for multiple reasons, but that doesn't mean you can't picture that for your hound!

[kingdoms-and-empires]

The King's Hound Review

I recently had to go travel and read a few works that I never got around to reading but was interested in.

PLEASE REMEMBER THIS REVIEW IS DONE BY ME AS A READER AND IS MY OWN OPINION.

This means I will review in accordance to my own tastes, how the game caters to me, and what I feel. Do not take my word as gospel, what I may not be interested in or dislike, may be what YOU are interested and love!!!

@the-kingshound

Synopsis:

You are the King’s spouse, his right and left hand, the unstoppable executor of his will. Your name is whispered by enemies and allies with fear and respect alike, some says it’s your arm that bears the weight of the entire kingdom.

They call you the King’s hound. It started as a way to taunt you but it’s not that far away from the truth. Your loyalty is blind, your devotion absolute. The King’s vision is your vision.

Your name will forever mark history alongside theirs.

But for now, you are being shipped to your betrothed, alone and powerless on your way to Camelot.

As the seventh child of the Venegard House, you’ve always had little to look forward to other than an arranged marriage to achieve a political alliance.

That’s exactly why, after your parents lost the rebellion against King Arthur, you were the one sent to him as a sign of newfound peace.

You don’t know what awaits you now, but after you Camelot will never be the same.

Review:

The Good: The project is 18+, and the writing is very well done. It just feels quality. Plus the UI and and dark background are classy. The game is Twine, so you get the save functions of Twine and all that jazz. Anyways, descriptions are well done, the worldbuilding is grounded and helps form the politics in-game. It's thought-out and noticeable. The player customization goes hard and you even get the option to play mute! In The King's Hound, you also find a game that provides the LGBTQ+ demographic and FemMC playing community a welcoming and acknowledging home. The descriptions of the fight scenes and battles (like action set pieces) are good and don't leave you scratching your head. The transitions between paragraphs and pages happen naturally and without breaking pace, which shows the talent of a writer that considers their audience. Also, in regards to the King Arthur mythos and worldbuilding done by the author, i just really appreciate the fact that Camelot is Welsh.

It just gives me an idea of how much the author researched or cares about the mythos to give that respect of origin for the story. I had problems with how King Arthur was being super nice at first, but the author recently stated in a post that Arthur was acting in such a manner because he is deliberately trying to be the opposite of King Uther!

And that in the future, the work will offer more text to reveal that to us, the player.

The Bad: I wouldve liked being able to marry a cousin, niece, sister, or even daughter of King Arthur (or genderbender him) but that is literally my only complaint as a straight dude tryna self insert. The author tells you explicitly that you are marrying the king. If the author decides not to, as is their right and vision, I have no problem whatsoever. I still think the work is well written, and has many elements that i personally fuck with (low fantasy, grounded narrative, adult themes) The fact that i wish the author could change this, is only because i like the work so much. Instead, in this playthrough King Arthur will find that the MC practices

The Ugly: The MAP. But that's only because my history buff mind thinks of the British Isle when hearing these names and when i saw the map it physically gave me whiplash. But youre making your own version of the story, so bully!

The Aftermath: I know this game isnt catered towards me as a straight dude. It is a proud queer game with quality writing, that'd also do really well for the FemMC readers. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants a low fantasy medieval setting, with good writing, and grounded narratives that isn't a straight dude's traditional power fantasy.

Next playthrough, ima be a mute straight girl thatll hoe around King Arthur's court out of sheer spite

^Marci from Dota: Dragon Blood

[laurasimonsdaughter]

A fairy's true name

Earlier I wrote about how much trouble I had finding even one example of a fairy trying to learn a human’s name to use it against them, but folktales where it is the other way round do exist!

Until recently the best example I had for this “use a fairy’s true name against them” plot, was Rumpelstiltskin (and all its variants, for there are many). But technically the Rumpelstiltskin plot itself is not enough to claim that knowing a fairy’s true name gives you power over them. After all, a specific deal was struck between the fairy (or dwarf, or imp, etc.) and the human, with the finding out of the name releasing the human from their debt to the fairy. (Best examples including a fairy: Peerie Fool, Tríopla Trúpla, Titty Tod).

But it turns out that the tale type “The name of the helper ATU 500” contains stories in which I would argue it is made clear that knowing a fairy’s name holds power:

In these stories a the supernatural creature in question is a helpful house spirit or neighbour to the human, but immediately leave them forever as soon as they (sometimes through trickery) find out their name, after they refused to tell them:

Hoppetînken, a mountain dwarf (German, Kuhn, 1859)

Gwarwyn-a-throt, a spirit/elf/bogie (Welsh, Rhys, 1901)

Silly go Dwt, a fairy (Welsh, Rhys, 1901)

And these stories contain what I would call “strong circumstantial evidence”:

In Winterkölbl (German Hungarian, Vernaleken, 1896) a grey dwarf who lives in a tree makes a young king guess his name before he will (somewhat reluctantly) consent to let him marry his human foster daughter (she was abandoned, he did not steal her!).

In The Rival Kempers (Irish, Yeats, 1892) an old fairy woman sets a young woman the task of guessing her name, but then gives it to her freely (with some extra help to win her good fortune), because she was polite and generous to her.

Conversely, in The Lazy Beauty and her Aunts (Irish, Kennedy, 1870) the three fairy women who help the protagonist with her spinning, weaving and sewing, actually introduce themselves by name, but they are clearly nicknames: Colliagh Cushmōr (Old Woman Big Foot), Colliach Cromanmōr (Old Woman Big Hips), Colliach Shron Mor Rua (Old Woman Big Red Nose).

But my two favourite examples are Whuppity Stoorie (Scottish, Chambers, 1858; reprinted by Rhys, 1901) and The heir of Ystrad (Welsh, Rhys, 1888, reprinted in 1901). I'll summarise them below the cut:

Whuppity Stoorie (Scottish, Chambers, 1858; quotes from Rhys, 1901)

A woman is left by her husband. She has a baby boy to feed and her only hope is that her sow will have a big litter of piglets. However the sow gets ill and as the woman weeps with the fear that the pig will die, she sees an old woman coming up the road. “She was dressed in green, all but a short white apron and a black velvet hood, and a steeple-crowned beaver hat on her head. She had a long walking staff, as long as herself, in her hand --” This “green gentlewoman” tells her that she knows the woman’s husband is gone and that the sow is sick and asks what she’ll give her if she cures the pig. The woman heedlessly promises her anything she likes. So the green woman cures the pig with a spell and some oil and then reveals that she wants to have the woman’s baby in return, thereby revealing to the poor woman that she is a fairy. The fairy is unmoved by the woman’s sorrow, but does reveal that: “I cannot, by the law we live under, take your bairn till the third day; and not then, if you can tell me my right name.” Luckily the woman overhears the fairy woman singing her own name and gets to keep her child by addressing her as such, after which: “If a flash of gunpowder had come out of the ground it couldn't have made the fairy leap higher than she did. Then down she came again plump on her shoe-heels; and whirling round, she ran down the brae, screeching for rage, like an owl chased by the witches.”

The heir of Ystrad

A young gentleman hides in the bushes to see “the fair family” dance on the river bank. There he sees the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and wants more than anything to win her for his own. He jumps in the middle of the circle of fairies and grabs her by force, while all the others flee. He is kind to her, but keeps her captive, and eventually she agrees to become his servant. She steadfastly refuses to tell him her name though, no matter how often he asks. One night he once again hides near where the fairies play and he hears one fairy lament to another that last time they were there, their sister Penelope (Pénĕlôp) was stolen by a man. He returns home joyfully, calling is favourite maid by her name, which greatly astonishes her. The young man finds her so beautiful, industrious, skilled and fortunate, that he wishes to marry her. “At first she would in no wise consent, but she rather gave way to grief at his having found her name out. However, his importunity at length brought her to consent, but on the condition that he should not strike her with iron; if that should happen, she would quit him never to return.” They marry and they lived “in happiness and comfort”. She bears him a beautiful son and a daughter and through her skill and fairy fortune they grow richer and richer. But one day while trying to bridle an unruly horse the husband accidentally hits his wife with the iron bridle. As soon as the iron touches her, she vanishes. But one cold night she comes to his bedroom window one more time, telling him that if ever her son should be cold, he should be placed on his father’s coat, and that if her daughter should be cold, she should be placed on her petticoat. Then she disappears forever.

I adore both of these stories. Whuppity Stoorie is probably the clearest example of the power of a fairy's name. But The heir of Ystrad is as good a fairy bride story as The Shepherd of Myddvai and that has been a beloved favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. Either way they're both wonderful takes on the power it grants to know a fairy's name.

[melrosing]

a while back you mentioned bran being a fisher king type of figure if he becomes king. i am so intrigued by that concept. can you tell us more?

so full disclosure, I don't have a great deal of familiarity with Arthurian legend or British/Welsh mythology, which is what the Fisher King really draws upon, so I don't think I can say anything of real substance on this subject! i keep meaning to just sit down and swot up on this stuff but it's. not really something you can do in one sitting lol

HOWEVER i think even to a wiki peruser it's patently clear that GRRM is drawing on the Fisher King concept with Bran (as in, once you know he's doing that, you realise he isn't even trying to hide it). and I do tend to think that GRRM is more likely to stick with the top line of a myth or historical event he means to parallel rather than get lost in the minutiae - e.g. Matilda v Stephen succession crisis inspiring Rhaenyra v Aegon, the Black Dinner of 1440 inspiring the Red Wedding, this is GRRM taking the substance of an event but not the details of how it came to pass.

I'm going to guess that rather than getting into the finer details of the Fisher King mythos, GRRM is going to utilise it much like he's used Shakespeare's Richard III for Tyrion, which is another inspiration that seems painfully obvious from the moment you spot it, but is hardly lifted beat for beat, and I seriously doubt that Tyrion's story ends up anywhere like the end of RIII. but you can see GRRM taking the bits and pieces of RIII he finds interesting and twisting them for Tyrion in ASOIAF.

so with that in mind, I'm just going to quickly list the key points I can personally gather from the Fisher King myth that seem to gesture to Bran, and why I think these are probs interesting to GRRM as a writer (but as I say there are people who know lots about arthurian legend and british/welsh mythology who would probs have a lot more to say here):

the Fisher King is usually depicted as being wounded in the groin/legs/thigh - this is considered synonymous with his inability to have children and so propagate his line. immediately obvious parallel to Bran, and I think through both ASOIAF and F&B, GRRM is trying to show that ruling through dynasties where everything hinges on how the next guy's son turns out, is not a viable way to run a country. Bran will not be succeeded by children of his own blood, but I think much in the way that he himself has succeeded Bloodraven

the Fisher King is one with his land as such: his welfare is the welfare of the land, and when he takes a wound (and becomes infertile), the land too becomes barren. the Fisher King awaits a hero who will heal and restore him and so the land (but I can only imagine GRRM would subvert this - it's clear through GRRM's writing of disability that he doesn't see value in just 'curing' his characters. he wants to actually write them as disabled people). and I think there's a lot in Bran's story about man learning to respect the land he lives upon - the children and the first men's peace pact was agreed upon the grounds that the first men would essentially preserve Westeros and its weirwoods etc, and so I think it's generally agreed ASOIAF could end with a similar kind of pact to end the Long Night (or after the end of TLN)? so again, think this point is about Bran representing a renewed relationship between the lands of Westeros and its peoples - the welfare of all is tied together through him

the Fisher King is guarding the Holy Grail. im way out of my depth on this point, someone with more knowledge re. the Holy Grail needs to weigh in here lol, but I would guessssss that maybe this has something to do with Bran ending the story on the Isle of Faces, protecting the peace from there or SOMETHING idk

then the most obvious point: the Fisher King as he appears in Arthurian legend is thought to draw on the figure of Brân the Blessed, a character of Welsh mythology - which immediately recalls Bran the Broken (something Bran literally calls himself several times). the name 'Bran' also translates to crow or raven in Welsh, so, duh. and Brân the Blessed's story ends with his requesting that his head be buried on the White Hill of London - and as long as it remained there, Britain would be safe from invasion. more about Bran being tied directly to the welfare of the land and its peoples

(again there's doubtless a lot more that could be added here by someone who understands the Fisher King myth better than I do, but these seemed like the most obvious points that anyone could draw on)

anyway I absolutely take it as a given that Bran will be King at this point, and whilst it's really hard to imagine what that looks like, I do think it resonates. GRRM likes writing about dynasties but I don't think he believes in them. I'm sure he feels much the same way about feudalism, but I doubt that will be gone by the end of ASOIAF, too, so this is how I picture it??

KL: destroyed. red keep: fucked. some level of politics may continue here post-series, but I think it will no longer be the heart of westeros. the fact that it is in AGOT is I think GRRM trying to show the corruption at the heart of this country - KL is constantly described as a cesspit where the rich play their games and live and eat luxuriously directly atop the shoulders of the poor and downtrodden, divorced from what's happening in the rest of the 7K.

the new heart of Westeros will be the Isle of Faces. this is where I think Bran will end up. we don't know much about it, bc noone is able to sail there, but this was where the pact between the COF and the First Men was created, and it's one of the last places in the south where weirwoods still grow (here, in abundance). and apparently there was once a Green King of the Gods Eye?? if the Green King, of the Rivermen, is in any way the role Bran will soon be occupying, maybe this is where his Tully heritage is somehow relevant. and also like 'god's eye', Bran's whole thing is about learning to see all, so. likely place for him to be. ultimately, I don't think Bran will remain in Winterfell; the story is supposed to be about unity I think, and not northern exceptionalism, so a remaining Stark sibling will take up that seat and as I said before, I tend to think that will be Sansa.

and I guess the most I can imagine beyond this point is Bran living alongside the COF (perhaps in the company of Meera idk?), functioning less as a political entity and more as a figurehead, perhaps an oracle, who lives for the welfare of his people. there will still be politicians to run the country, but they will be guided by Bran in some way, and like Bloodraven, Bran will choose his own successor. what the intricacies of any of this look like i have no idea, but this really does sound to me like the start of GRRM's answer to all his concerns re. dynasties and corruption etc etc

sorry this was all garbled as hell but this is basically what the Fisher King endgame means to me for now. in short, not a whole lot that I can make sense of but I like the feel of it, I think it's consistent with the themes of the text and suggests the start of real change at the end of the story, rather than the start of yet another dynasty.

[oneluckygoose]

Guys I’m actually so close to breaking and writing a full fledged Marauders era fic. Like I’m talking 1st year to 1981

I have so many ideas about it, I’ll put a list of things under the cut but it’ll be your classic Wolfstar, Dorlene, and Rosekiller, while also being weird and doing a HEALTHY Jegulus with endgame Jily. There’s just a lot of things about the Marauders era that is so inconsistent that I feel like I physically need to write it down COHERENTLY in a way that makes a modicum of sense to me.

Things it’ll probably include

Scottish and Desi James; Welsh Lily, Remus, and Severus; French/English Blacks; IRISH Peter; SCOTTISH Marlene; Dutch Dorcas; French Mary; British Rosiers; and British Barty (ive missed some but those’ll be my main characters I focus on)

Jegulus, personally I think Jegulus is a very important thing for James’ growth and for Regulus’ to distance himself from his family’s ideals but I also don’t think it could ever last. Probably would be a 6th year arc and they break up after Regulus gets the Mark beginning of 7th

Endgame Jily, because their story is one of my favorites and if I do make it a canon compliment then I would need to write it with natural progression, also I just love Jily

I’m on the fence about making it a canon compliment because I choose to be HAPPY, but I don’t need to make that decision now and so I won’t (also I like the idea that Peter is good, screw me)

Aroace Peter, my little boy loves his friends and doesn’t understand why he doesn’t love like they do. A dating spree probably in 5th year but he just cannot figure out how to do the romance thing

No sex, sorry guys we’re keeping this M rated. I’m asexual and do not feel comfortable writing that in the slightest, it would all be fade to black

Asexual Lily, to whoever HCed that, can I marry you? I love ace Lily and I think it just adds an arc to her story that is normally extremely sexualized. My girl will punch you in the face if you look even a tiny bit lower than her eyes.

How much character growth can I fit into James Potter? ALL OF IT. He was a DICK, that is non negotiable, he was not a dick eventually (ahem he had to grow up after the prank)

The Prank will be essential to everyone’s character.

Sirius is at his lowest in 5th year because his parents are trying to get him to marry Pandora and he is rebelling so hard and they are punishing him like a madman and he’s hurt and in pain and lashes out and it’s a mess and it breaks that summer and he runs away. (Then things get better)

Remus’s arc will probably be very similar to what it normally is, I think he’ll have Hope and Lyall, at least for a while and his home life won’t be the worst. If that’ll change I’m not quite sure.

Remus is SMALL and then he gets REALLY BIG, I’m talking 5’1- 5’10 over one summer (3rd year to 4th year) then he keeps growing. 6’3 by the end of it.

James isn’t short, he has a normal growth though, lands steady at 6’

Sirius and Peter are short kings: Sirius-5’8, Peter-5’6

Marlene is probably the most Gryfindor person on the planet, and Dorcas is a Slytherin who HATES her peers

Dorcas is a halfblood with a single Muggle father (her mother left when she was 5) They both have the best dreads on the earth and you can’t tell me otherwise

Marylily is kinda a thing?? In the early years but it fades and they agree they’re better friends.

Pandora and Evan are twins, their family are pureblood fucks

Pandora and Regulus are best friends, they would both destroy the world for each other

Remus starts to like Sirius in 3rd year, he dates someone (probably Marlene because her and Sirius and just gender swapped copies of one another but they both hate it and Marlene is the first person who knows about Remus’ crush, Remus is the first person to know about Marlene's when that becomes a thing 5th year)

Sirius starts to like Remus in 4th year but doesn’t realize it at first and when he does dates around in complete denial until he runs tf away from his family. Peter, the king he is, is surprisingly the first one to figure it out in 5th year.

James is the most hardcore Wolfstar shipper when he finds out about both of them, and he has to be painfully silent about it until they get their shit together

They fully get together at the end of 6th year. How? I'll figure it out.

The Skittles are less present the first half, but they would probably be more and more there, especially as Reg and Sirius' relationship strains

Regulus' relationship with Orion and Walburga is that of a child who has watched their older sibling be abused for rebellion and is fucking terrified of that happening to him. He hates them, but he has to please them to save his own skin.

Also, all the Skittles are in slytherin for being ambitious, cunning, and calculating. Not because they are evil.

Not all slytherins are pure blood fucks who toss around slurs and unforgivable curses while chanting "praise the dark lord", some of them are good/some of them don't deserve treatment as if they were. Understanding this is essential to James' character development.

Not Snape though, he is exactly what it says on the surface. Sure he loves a muggle born but he also is obsessed with her, manipulated her, called her slurs, and hurt the people she loved. He has no such qualms with being as horrible as possible to anyone else. Not saying James and Sirius were good, but Snape wasn't a fuckin' hero either. "Always." BITCH THAT"S CREEPY NOT ROMANTIC.

How long does it take Lily to realize Snape is the worst person on the planet earth? TOO LONG. He calls her mudblood and that is the last straw.

Also fuck JKR's timeline, I don't even understand how the prank could happen before Snape's Worst Memory or after 5th year so the cannon fuckery is going to happen mainly in 5th year

Marlene is extremely important to me. She has the thickest Scottish accent and she thrives off of it. She does not take SHIT. She listens to rock exclusively once she figures out electric guitar makes brain go happy. She and Sirius have a very interesting relationship I would be so excited to explore.

Nothing will be glossed over. I see a lot of vagueness about the Cruciatus curse, and just, no. People need to see in detail what shapes the characters and why they are the way they are, especially Regulus and Sirius. I'll do CWs before every chapter, but I'm not holding back. It'll be graphic, it'll be skin crawling, but maybe that's the point. Remus goes through torture every month, that needs to be known. Sirius and Regulus are broken by their parents, that needs to be known. Mary was assaulted by blood purists, that needs to be known. Things won't be pretty, they never have been with the Marauders. But maybe that's the most beautiful thing about them. Things aren't pretty, but they find a way to love despite that. (James Potter tends to have a large hand in that, too)

This was my shpeal. I have so many ideas and so many ways I could go with this that I'm actually so stressed over it. Um... if anyone has advice on how to get actually started because that's the part tripping me up I would love it. I don't know if I can bring anything particularly special about their story to the table but I would love to see where my story goes. My biggest fear about this is starting it and never being able to finish it. I've been told I'm a pretty good writer, I might post more of my unfinished stuff just to gauge if people actually want to read it, but I hope I can do them justice.

The name though? I have a few Ideas and all of them would lead to a different way that I wrote the story.

Chronicles of Messrs; A song title from either queen or aerosmith; House of the Rising Suns; Dear Minerva; The Graceless

[assortedvillainvault]

Hii i wanted to ask if you only write scenarios or oneshots as well?

Aaand if you do what would you think about a horned king x wife reader oneshot?

Pretty pleeeaaassseee?? ^_^

These are officially counted as 'requests so old they have their own moss', so THANK YOU for your patience I'm legit so sorry you've had to wait so long T-T

Married Life Headcannons: Horned King

HK as a husband would be attentive and yet also intuitive as a bag of rocks.

He’s a warlord, a king, a hunter, a necromancer and a villain. He’s very new to being a husband.

Don’t get me wrong – as his Consort you’re now a Royal, you’ll be given royal standards. Food, clothes, coffers, the better rooms of the castle and command over his servants. You have privileges now that you could only dream of before.

On the other hand…

He watches you. All the time. In the dark, from doorways and staircases. He’s not even hiding (why would he, in his own castle?), he just blends in so well with the shadows that unless he gets upset and his eyes glow you have no idea he’s there. Beyond the creepy feeling of being observed that is.

He’s also prone to saying whatever is on his mind and just. Leaving. Like, Sire, what the fuck-

I’m note sure if I like the idea of an arranged marriage more (in which he would be distant, cold, aloof and would take a long time to warm up to you when he’s not ignoring you entirely) or that of a genuine relationship become marriage (in which case your class prior was irrelevant, he wanted you so he got you – case closed and hell be damned). Either way it’s a learning curve for you both.

Though blessedly he values direct communication. Please tell him what you need, how you’re feeling, how what he's doing makes you feel. He’s not going to lash out. One thing it’s taken you a while to realise is that he needs time to parse through what you’ve told him and what his actions should be moving forward. He respects you more for being direct and is secretly relived that you’ve given him some direction, because he is lost.

(But do it reasonably. If you get shouty then his response is to get colder and double down. The way forward is to approach him like a child who was never socialised properly and add ‘my liege’ etc to your sentences.)

He feels as though his spouse is the equivalent of a fallen wishing star somehow residing in his castle. Something beautiful, unknowable, untenable. Something that could explode in his face at any moment if handled incorrectly. Hence his ‘not handling only observing’ approach at first.

As time goes by, however, and you both warm up...you realise this is a bag of surprisingly malleable putty in lich form.

He loves to sit together, both on your thrones and in private, reading or talking over a bottle of wine. He loves seeing you wear the gifts he has made for you: new furs, bone jewellery, custom weapons he painstakingly teaches you how to use if you don’t already know. He loves to pick your brain, talking on all manner of subjects deep into the night.

After seeing how much you love the gwythents, and realising that the two he owns are both male...he’s on a secret mission to procure an unhatched egg for your first anniversary. Baby dragon time for you, cariad.

*Cariad - Welsh for 'Love'.

Hope you enjoyed these rambles and again, so sorry for the wait!

[slashingdisneypasta]

Disney Villains Only being able to Speak their First Language to Eachother

Hey fellow Hetalians (No such thing as an ex-Hetalian, y'all know that), remember that post about all the characters only being able to speak their countries official languages for a day?? And the chaos that would've ensued?? This is inspired by that post XD

Imagine the Disney Villains getting hexed by like, Mama Odie or Merryweather or Merlin or someone, so they can all only speak and understand their first language for a month.

Yes. A whole month.

The Toon Patrol are seriously struggling because Greasy keeps talking really fast Spanish at them but the rest have no idea what he's saying. Eventually Smartass decides to lock him in a separate room until this can be figured out and you can just hear banging and vague Spanish coming out the crack.

Ernesto is trying to figure out what some of the English speakers are saying because every 11th word is kinda familiar and they speak slow (Especially the rotund, yodelling fellow) but he keeps getting distracted by this faint Spanish yelling coming from another room.

Hades and Jafar stand off to the side near a wall just watching all the mess. They cant understand each other of course but no one else can understand them either so there's really nothing else to do. Hades will occasionally point something out, like Gaston leaning his sweaty arm on Frollo's shoulder and Frollo struggling to not buckle under the weight, and they'll chuckle. (Yes, laughter. The universal language XD)

Speaking of the French speakers-- they're suffering. Frollo hates his fellow French speakers for all being such sinners, Lady Tremaine hates the others because they're idiots or they have too much attitude towards her (*Cough* mal), Maleficent looks down on them all because they're all magic-less plebs, Edgar hates them because they all have money, and Gaston keeps talking about himself and someone is going to hit him. But they all try to keep it together, keep it classy, though most of them have elected to just not talk except for Gaston.

The oddest pairing is probably Hans and Ursula. She speaks Danish, or a dialect similar to it, and he is either Norwegian or Icelandic. If he's Norwegian, they're trying to figure out what the other is saying. Its mostly Ursula flirting with him and him carefully deciphering her words... and then facepalming. ikke til å tro (Unbelievable). But she keeps making like she has something important to tell him, like how to fix this huge predicament, and he keeps falling for it XD

Hilda and Mother Gothel speak German together and basically check out of this mess- like, do they want to understand what insanity Gaston and Jafar are saying again?? Or Frollo?? Haha, No...

Scroop speaks a harsh alien dialect and Silver's just standing next to him like yeah, yeah... you know i dont understand a word you're saying? *... realises scroop cant understand him either and sighs* Ahhh... *Rubs the bridge of his nose*

Rourke approaches the Horned King, curious why he's just standing there doing nothing and gets a string of growly Welsh and promptly... leaves... Like nope. Not today. That crap sounded like an ancient curse and that is not on todays schedule, thanks.

Clayton claims to have visited half these countries (Truth) and could figure out what many of the other villains are saying if he wanted (Exaggeration) so Cruella's like okay great... go and Captain Hook's like that's marvelous! go ahead then my good fellow!. He goes up to Shan Yu and immediately fails.

Shan Yu is usually pretty quiet around the other villains, so him standing there unreadable though faintly amused by them all is... not out of the ordinary XDD

If you have more to add, please feel free! XD

[deathmetalunicorn1]

hello! can i ask a Leonidas and Apollo that is in a romantic ployrelationship with a male y/n that is king arthur himself,

note:this is a long one)if you don't know king Arthur here's some information:

King Arthur is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the post-Roman Britons in battles against Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

He was a warrior, a knight and a king who killed giants, witches and monsters and led a band of heroes on many daring adventures. He is known for his Knights of the Round Table and for uniting the peoples of his land. Even though his end was tragic, he is still known and celebrated all over the world today.

King Arthur's most famous weapon, sometimes conflated with the sword in the stone, is Excalibur. Excalibur is, in some versions of Arthur's story, the same as the sword in the stone. In others, he is given Excalibur by a mystical Lady in the Lake

and so for the real request:

so like y/n would be a calm and collective person that would never get pissed off even if you try too piss him off and is the type that does not care what there partner title is, or what they look like and just love's them for them.(and like Arthur is there real name and "y/n" is

there nickname/fake name?)

and that's why Leonidas and Apollo fell for them as y/n didn't care about what Apollo looked like and how he didn't care if Leonidas was strong or was a king and just Loved them for who they are.

both Apollo and Leonidas don't know that y/n is king Arthur himself,but they do know y/n is a king, and the reason why they don't know that? it's because y/n was very vague about it, like they just said they're a well known and great king but didn't pecifically say who. so Apollo and Leonidas just went with that y/n was some great leader/king.

and when Ragnarok came around y/n was worried about their 2 lovers but in this one it ends in a tie so y/n is very relieved at this,

and a little time skip! so it was too the end of Ragnarok when the god's surprised Brunhilde with a whole new round!

so Brunhilde only know's one more person…it was y/n or his real title… king Arthur.

at first y/n declined but after Brunhilde said who would he be fighting…let's call them gladiones who is another/different god of war and victory and a well known narcissistic god would be his opponent that's when y/n accepted immediately

(let's just say y/n absolutely despises gladiones, because of his arrogant, prideful and narcissistic behavior as well as gladiones threatening to attack his kingdom(Camelot) when he was alive back on earth…)

and coincidentally y/n's Valkyrie also hate's gladiones as much as he does so they work perfectly together!

let's go to when they introduce y/n or Arthur:

so like Leonidas and Apollo are in the stadium sitting and looking around for y/n as well as waiting for them,but they don't know that y/n is the next fighter,

so when gladiones was done getting introduce, all looked at the entrance for

Arthur or y/n

(keep in mind the gods and humans don't know who will be the next fighter)

they realize a cloaked figure was waking out all them realizing there was a rock that had a sword embedded into it, as everyone watched the cloak figure go to the rock holding the handle of the sword before taking out the sword from the rock as it flashed everyone with a bright light,

after the light vanished it revealed who was wearing the cloak and it was y/n! that's When heimdall introduce y/n as the legendary king himself king Arthur! and the sword that they pulled out of the rock was none other then the legendary sword itself…Excalibur!!(and of course would be his weapon his Valkyrie also made it that he can transform Excalibur to any divine weapon he wants.

and a dozen brave knights and the round table cheering for him)

and before heimdall could even say to Begin,both of them charged at each other weapons drawn with the intention of defeating the other as there wepon hit, it had created a little crater beneath them making shock waves go through the arena,

and so gladiones and y/n's fight would be the most "ON SIGHT" type fight in ragnarok as well as the longest ,and the first time Leonidas and Apollo seeing y/n or Arthur so pissed off…like y/n looking at gladiones with the most pissed look you can imagine a shadow covering his face as you can see the veins on the side of his face/on his forehead…the pure heated tension between the two being so thick that you can practically cut it with a butter knife…

and so, not only was, y/n and his Valkyrie beating down on gladiones physically but mentally too like:

when gladiones took a kneel and was seriously injured because of y/n's attack,and y/n's Valkyrie would say something like this:

"hm what's this? taking a kneel already!? have you accepted defeat that easily!"

(and would cheer if they manage to knock gladiones on his a$$ giving him a taste of his own medicine! or in short term imagine Geirölul and Leonidas interactions but more bloodlusted and more hatred and unlike Leonidas and Apollo that is one sided like one compliments the other while the other insults them, both of them hates each other as like beating down each other's with words and action with no mercy)

of course y/n would win, as gladiones was fading away, when he was about to say his last words,y/n stabbed Excalibur right in gladiones head making his head completely disintegrate, not giviqng him a chance to say anything, that's how much y/n hates gladiones, bro didn't give him a chance to say his last words.

and so how would Leonidas and Apollo react to his fight

and both him and his Valkyrie absolute hatred and bloodlust for gladiones.

(i hope this isn't too much for you to write and if you want you can just do the reaction's only :> )

(AND REMEMBER DON'T OVER WORK YOURSELF AND STAY HYDRATED & HAVE A GOOD DAY OR NIGHT ‼️‼️)

-You were known to be one of the greatest kings of all time- one who was loyal, hardworking, had the love of your people, and even in modern day the legend of King Arthur lives on.

-In Valhalla you were well liked and very respected, many still looking up to you as a king as you always made sure to help others.

-Those who didn’t know who you were thought you were weak for helping others, and some tried to attack you, wanting to put you in your place.

-They weren’t expecting to be fighting a legendary warrior- especially not King Arthur of all people!! You gave a speech, inspiring them afterwards, that just because you help others does not make you weak- it made you stronger, because you were willing to do what others wouldn’t.

-Not only getting their asses beat by just you, then to get called out on it on top of it did humble your attackers and when you visited the children you were helping a few days later- they told you how your attackers had been helping more, something you admired them for- praising them.

-Your strength and your qualities as a good leader caught the eyes of many, admirers who respected you and what you could do, but you’ve also had been approached many times romantically.

-You were always hesitant on entering another relationship, after you had been betrayed so cruelly by the woman you loved and by one of your most trusted friends and allies.

-However, there were two men who had caught your interest and managed to keep it, who were like cats and dogs with each other, but with you between them, they got along… most of the time, and to be honest, you had never been happier.

-You just never imagined that those you found your happiness with would be two other men, another legendary king like yourself, Leonidas of Sparta, and Apollo, Greek god of the sun.

-Apollo adored how you were much like Leonidas- you were unapologetically you- you didn’t care what others thought about you, you did what made you happy and what made you happy was helping others.

-Leonidas admired you for your strength, not just as a warrior, but as a king, because you knew when to fight and you knew when to talk and he could see how others admired you for the king you were.

-You found peace with them, they were your quiet place, where you could just relax, and they were the only ones to know your nickname, the one only those closest to you are allowed to know, Y/N.

-When Ragnarok was announced, Apollo and Leonidas were approached to fight for their respective sides.

-You watched your lovers beat the hell out of each other, pushing each other to their limits- as the three of you had promised one another, as you and Leonidas were on the opposite side of Apollo, that if any of you had been opponents, that they wouldn’t hold back.

-Their fight ended in a double knockout, and you remained by both of their sides as they were being patched up and tended to.

-When the gods decided, after humanity had won, to try and pull a fast one, demanding one more match, all or nothing, Brunnhilde knew exactly who to go to.

-As you approached the gates, your Valkyrie partner came up beside you, taking your hand as she became your Volundr, a shield, one in the shape of a lion’s head, as you both were silently fuming.

-Your opponent was a god of war, a cruel and violent man- one who wasn’t worthy of his power or his title, Gladiones and you both were ready to bash his face in, mainly because when he was announced as the final fighter for the gods, he had laughed cruelly at those who had fallen, and insulted your lovers- saying that they weren’t strong enough to win and it ended in a tie, which in his eyes was disgraceful.

-You remember him well when you were still alive, when he attempted to attack Camelot, wanting to test its strength and the strength of those inside- you beat him back, but you had lost so many friends that day. You swore never to forgive that bastard.

-Apollo and Leonidas were back on their feet, just a little banged up as the nurses were able to heal them up, curious about this last fight, while Apollo looked around, “Where is Y/N?”

-Leonidas, a bit cranky because he was told he can’t smoke yet, glanced around, “Not sure- he was there in the infirmary with us but now he’s no where to be seen.”

-Gladiones was announced first and so many people were booing- seeing the poor sportsmanship of the gods and Zeus was quickly feeling the anger, it made the gods look bad for wanting to try to pull out one last fight because they didn’t want to be seen as losers.

-Leonidas clicked his tongue, heat radiating off of him, as Gladiones was an even bigger bastard than Apollo, and Apollo had to agree- Gladiones was a poor excuse for a god.

-In the center of the arena, a hole opened and a rock rose on a lift, a sword imbedded as the door for humanity opened, a cloaked figure walking out, walking towards the sword, holding a lion’s head shield.

-You inhaled deeply, seeing the sword that you had held for so long, the sword that helped you become the king you were today.

-You grabbed the hilt of the sword, all eyes on you and as you pulled the sword from the stone, a bright light flash banged everyone and blew your cloak off.

-As the light faded, everyone was stunned to see you, to see King Arthur there, now holding Caliburn once again in your hand. (Excalibur is the sword from the Lady of the Lake, while Caliburn is the sword in the stone, however historians have sometimes melded the two into one sword- Excalibur, but in the original legend they were two very different swords.)

-Heimdall didn’t even have a chance to introduce you, but many knew your name, as Gladiones immediately charged for you and you inhaled deeply before charging, fury in your eyes and rage in your blood.

-Your blades met, causing a shockwave to create a shallow crater around the two of you, blowing Heimdall back, and creating a strong wind that blew many back head over heels.

-Leonidas grinned broadly, “Kick his ass Y/N!” and soon all of humanity was at your back, as well as Apollo and the gods who supported humanity, now wanting humanity to survive as they had shown their strength and willingness to fight.

-You didn’t hear their cheers, you were only focused on Gladiones, and your Valkyrie, who was holding the shield alongside you smirked darkly, “Let’s end this quickly, shall we my king?”

-You didn’t answer, instead immediately going on the attack, both you and Gladiones parrying each other’s blows, not giving an inch, war cries escaping your lips as you went harder and harder.

-Gladiones was quickly gritting his teeth, no longer parrying you and instead he had to focus on dodging and blocking your blows- as he was being pushed back.

-He wasn’t expecting you to take a leaf out of Leonidas’ book and you swung with your shield, bashing into his face.

-Your Valkyrie was all smiles, “Do it again!” and so you did- hitting him with your shield after he blocked your sword, knocking him back head over heels.

-You seemed brutal, but you knew that Gladiones was a cruel god who would take any opening- any hint at weakness or mercy and he would immediately attack, so you gave him none- as you knew that you would receive none from him.

-Apollo was staring with big sparkly eyes, watching you fight so seriously- you looked awesome!! Leonidas was cheering loudly alongside everyone else, cheering for you.

-Gladiones reeled after you surprised everyone by headbutting him, after he blocked both your sword and your shield, sending him to the ground.

-Unlike you, still going strong, Gladiones was on his last legs- he never imagined that you were this strong, this fierce- but you had a lot of drive in you. You were willing to do whatever it took to win- not for yourself, but for humanity.

-As Gladiones started to fade away and you were announced as the winner, Gladiones looked up at you, almost like he wanted to beg for mercy.

-You stunned all by drive the sword through his head, ending his suffering, as he was slowly dying. You didn’t let him utter a single word, ending his life quickly- the one mercy you were willing to give him.

-Everyone was cheering, seeing how hard you had fought- seeing you determination as you exhaled deeply, your shoulders sagging as your partner took back her form, leaping into your arms, cheering loudly, “You did it Y/N!”

-You couldn’t help but smile, patting the back of her head gently as you hugged her back as Zeus finally announced that humanity had earned their right for survival, and that as gods- they were going to do their jobs.

-You went backstage, smiling warmly as you heard the cheers still echoing throughout the arena. Your heard running footsteps and you grinned, opening your arms as Apollo leapt into your arms, “Y/N!”

-You hugged him close, and he felt you sag into him lightly, the tension leaving your body as Leonidas made it to you, putting his hand on the back of your head, “That was amazing Y/N! I knew you had it in you!”

-You celebrated with them, and with the rest of humanity, celebrating the survival of humanity and seeing the gods finally pulling their heads out of their asses and doing their jobs.

-You mourned those who fell in battle but celebrated those who survived- all by the sides of your lovers- you could finally relax.

[invisibleicewands]

https://parade.com/tv/michael-sheen-a-very-royal-scandal-prince-andrew-interview

Michael Sheen Calls Royal Family ‘Running Soap Opera’: ‘We’re Kind of Fascinated and Obsessed By It All' (Exclusive)

When it comes to the British royal family, Michael Sheen has "complicated thoughts." 

"I suppose a mixture of things," the Welsh actor explains to Parade. "There was so much respect and admiration for the [late] Queen [Elizabeth] that she had devoted her life to the service of this country and did an amazing job. The royal family is an institution. When you think about the tourism it attracts and the position it plays."

To Sheen, having a "sort of figurehead" in the UK who isn't a politician also "makes a big difference." He says, "It sort of allows for a separation between certain things that maybe allows us to have a different kind of attitude towards our politicians here because a King or a Queen exists."

"So in the kind of ecosystem of our culture here, the royal family clearly plays a very important part, regardless of how you feel about issues of privilege and wealth and all that kind of stuff," Sheen adds.

The Frost/Nixon star stepped into the shoes of British royal family member Prince Andrew in Prime Video's new drama A Very Royal Scandal. The three-part series, which premieres September 19, is based on the Duke of York's infamous 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. 

"When it was shown on TV for the first time, I think, like everybody else who watched it, particularly in the UK, we were just gobsmacked," Sheen recalls. "It was hard to understand how what we just watched, how it could have happened. You know, how did that come to be? What were the circumstances that allowed what we just witnessed to happen? And, of course, our story is exactly that. It's about looking at what are those circumstances. How could a man of such power and privilege allow himself to be put into a situation voluntarily, where he is put under such scrutiny and made to be so accountable?"

From how he transformed into the Duke of York for the series to what he thinks of King Charles, continue reading for Parade's exclusive interview with A Very Royal Scandal's Michael Sheen.

I was blown away by your transformation into the Duke of York... What went into becoming Prince Andrew for this series?  Playing a member of the royal family is a challenge because, on the one hand, there's a lot out there about them, obviously. But it's usually very controlled and stage-managed. When there's public interactions, [it's] in a very controlled and organized way. And then, of course, there's a lot of gossip about what happens behind the scenes and that kind of stuff. The royal family is our longest-running soap opera in this country, so we're kind of fascinated and obsessed by it all. But it's quite hard to sift through the facts from the fiction, and that's just generally speaking with the royal family. When it comes to Prince Andrew, it's a bit like a hall of mirrors, particularly around the episodes, the issues that we're dealing with in this. At the heart of this story and at the heart of the character, for me, was a mystery. I don't know what he did or didn't do beyond a certain point. We know up to a certain point. We know about his relationship with this person and that person. He went to this place and this kind of stuff. But then beyond that, we don't know. 

And so, as an actor, I have to make choices. I need to know what my character did or didn't do in order to play the scenes. So I had to make choices. They were not necessarily reflective of what actually happened in real life. I don't know, but I had to make choices. I'm not going to say what those choices were because I don't want to affect how people watch it. That was a challenging aspect of it compared to other characters I've played based on real-life people. There wasn't that same element, kind of mystery and the unknowable there.

But I watched the interview itself, I mean, hundreds upon hundreds of times. And to begin with, of course, in order to get familiar with the interview, knowing that we're going to portray it. But as time went on, it started to kind of reveal things. The real minute details of it that you wouldn't necessarily notice watching it on TV for the first time, or even for the first few times. But when you've watched it hundreds of times and listened to it, you start to pick certain things up that were kind of hidden to you before, that became real clues to me to areas of him as a character that I could explore in the rest of the piece, not just in the interview. So that was really the heart of it, was that interview.

At what point when you first watched the interview were you like, "Oh, this is going south quickly?" I mean, I think the same as everybody else! When it was shown on TV for the first time, I think, like everybody else who watched it, particularly in the UK, we were just gobsmacked. It was hard to understand what we just watched, how it could have happened. How did that come to be? What were the circumstances that allowed what we just witnessed to happen? And, of course, our story is exactly that. It's about looking at what are those circumstances. How could a man of such power and privilege allow himself to be put into a situation voluntarily, where he is put under such scrutiny and made to be so accountable?

People just don't do that. People in those positions just throw money at something for it to go away and not deal with it, and never put themselves in that kind of vulnerable position. So, for me, the questions I had to ask were, what does it take for a man to think that's going to go well? And what does it take for a man to get to the end of it and think it did go well? And everybody else who [was] watching sees a car crash, sees an extraordinary thing. So that was very revealing in that he allowed himself to be in that position in the first place and felt that it had gone well afterward. That tells a whole story, or at least makes you start to ask questions about that person and their life and their circumstances that would allow for that. 

Did playing Andrew affect or change your perception of him in any way? Oh, it definitely did. Yes. It did. It had not really struck me before in the same way about the fact that, clearly, a big high point in his life was the Falklands War. It had a huge impact on him. I assumed that a royal would be put in this kind of safe place in a war. But he was right in the thick of it. He was in the action. He put himself in real danger. And so then to see him come back from the Falklands War, when he was a young man in uniform, having performed acts of courage, adored by women in the UK, and sort of worshiped almost, the tabloid frenzy around him, about his relationships and all that kind of stuff.

And then to see what has happened since then. Through a natural process, [he's] aged. He sort of lost those looks. He's got further and further away from the center of interest of the royal family as the "spare" as he's known, the brother who's not going to be king. The brother who is going to be king has more children, so he gets moved down the line. And I found that really interesting. That had never really struck me before. That for someone, from the outside, who seems to have so much, to have everything you could want, to get an understanding that from his point of view, he seems to be denied so much. He seems to have lost so much. And to be on the outside of things so much, that definitely changed my perception.

Have you heard anything from Andrew's circle, or from people with close ties to the royal family about your portrayal of [the Duke of York]? Well, obviously, it hasn't gone out yet. I haven't heard [anything]. I very much doubt whether I will. It's a very closed world that I would be very surprised if I did hear anything. It's always a strange thing to play a character based on a real person. You inevitably feel a responsibility towards that person. Even though I'm trying to portray something that is very much warts and all and very rounded and has complexity and all of that, you still can't help but feel a responsibility in the fact that you're portraying a real person who's gonna have real feelings about it, and their family and all the rest of it. The job I've done on it,  it's not going to please everyone. People will come at it with such preconceived ideas and opinions about a person. So, I don't know. But I just hope that people recognize it as a real human being.

You met the late Queen [Elizabeth] and received an OBE from her in 2009. When it was reported in 2020 that you had returned it, you spoke about getting to a time when there would be a sort of changing of the guard in the royal family. [This September marks] two years since the Queen's passing. I'm curious: What are your thoughts on the royal family today?  Well, I think, as we do as a nation here, have sort of complicated thoughts about it, really. I suppose a mixture of things. There was so much respect and admiration for the Queen, that she had devoted her life to the service of this country and did an amazing job. The royal family is an institution. When you think about the tourism it attracts and the position it plays. I think the fact that we have a sort of figurehead in our country that isn't a politician makes a big difference. It sort of allows for a separation between certain things that maybe allows us to have a different kind of attitude towards our politicians here, because a King or a Queen exists.

So in the kind of ecosystem of our culture here, the royal family clearly plays a very important part, regardless of how you feel about issues of privilege and wealth and all that kind of stuff. I think it was always going to be a challenge for someone to take over the mantle of the late Queen. But [King] Charles seems to be doing a very good job of that, and seems to be providing consistency in challenging times. He was always a man who, in the past, was quite free with his opinions. And I think people were worried about how that would work and whether that would have to change. But it seems like he's doing a very good job of that at the moment. 

Is there one member you haven't met who you'd be keen to meet in the future?  I would love to meet Princess Anne. She seems like such an amazing person, and funny and smart. She seems to handle that position very, very well. She seems to be one of the most charismatic of all the royals to me. So I would love to meet her.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

The demon, Hiranyakashipu, and the Welsh hero, Lleu Llaw Gyffes -- what do they have in common?

Well, something I've talked a lot about before in some other threads that can be boiled down (a touch unfairly and we'll get into that) into the myth/trope of impenetrability or weakness. The idea of a character (usually a hero, sometimes a villain/monster) having "NO" weaknesses (terms and conditions apply - see: they have ONE you just might not know it).

So, Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Welsh hero, he cannot be killed during the day or night, nor indoors or outdoors, neither riding nor walking, not clothed and not naked, nor by any weapon lawfully made.

Interestingly enough Hiranyakashipu has a very similar condition - the demon, manages to get a boon from the creator god, Brahma at first he asks for immortality, which he is denied. However, he manages to sort of work his way there with a loophole (only...that loop was certainly holed back at him - as it often is in old epics and tales).

He wished that he could not meet death by any living entities created by god, that he could not fall during true day time or night, nor on the ground or sky, or by animal or man, and he continues to lay his conditions as such can't be killed by a god, or a demon, or a snake from a lower plane of existence.

Only...enter Vishnu, a god who is not Brahma who did not create the demon, or others. To get around this, Vishnu becomes the incarnation and avatar of himself, Narasimha

Not mortal man, or god, or demon, or full animal. But something between them all, he grabs the demon and places him on his lap - thus he is no longer in the sky or ground, and it is done at twilight (not day or night but between - the transition), and he rips him apart with his clawed hands - not a made weapon, but something natural. Both Lleu Llaw Gyffes and the demon Hiranyakashipu had progenitors and thus grandfathers.

Interestingly enough Lleu is the grandson of: Beli Mawr or Beli the Great. Our demon is the descendent of Mahabali or Bali Maharaj - Bali the Great, Bali the King (demon king in this case).

Now, I've talked about the similarities of myths and tropes and beats in epics and tales out of these two (and other cultures) before and it's likely owing to shared P.I.E. (proto indo european) origins backed up by shared genetic ancestry scientists have discovered linking Indians and Celts to the P.I.E group not to mention the etymological similarities. The differences here are one is a hero, and thus his weakness is not exploited in full and he doesn't die. 

Going back though, we have German story of Siegfried the dragonslayer, who bathes in the blood of Fafnir after killing him (due to a broken scale/exposed weakness in the armor - hi smaug), and thus himself gets invulnerable/impenetrable skin (terms and conditions apply) where the leaf of a linden (lime tree) sticks to his back preventing it from being coated in protective dragon's blood. Later his lover is tricked into divulging his weak spot (something similar happens to Lleu only he survives) and in this case Siegfried is killed. 

This is just one of many connections in shared myths around the world/tropes/beats and how other parts play out differently (some cultures also just love taking things to a much darker place - stares). LIGHTEN UP A LITTLE.

Anywhoooo there's a small fun little myth.

[gingersnaptaff]

Maelgwn Gwynedd

(The lad himself. He looks how I look when confronted with any question at all. An expression of surprise mixed with apprehension. Note the tiny sword and orb.)

Entering the final stretch of 2024 with Arthuriana's favourite 'sodomitical grape' as Gildas called him. Seriously, Gildas has beef with him, almost as much as he has with dubious historical personage, King Arthur.

Not much is known about Maelgwn's reign considering how big of a guy he's become in the Arthurian mythos but what we do know of him is cool!!!

His great-granddad was Cunedda, who was the first king of Gwynedd, and from whom all others were descended. Cunedda had conquered Gwynedd after the fall of Roman Britain. His title, Wledig, is obscure and I won't go into it too much, but Cambrian Chronicles has done a video about it which I will link to at the end! It means 'of a country' but it's more likely it was an expression of some Roman title.

And his great-great-grandad was Edern - yes, the basis of THAT Edern in Welsh mythology - who was a romano-briton. Maelgwn's dad, Cadwallon Lawhir* (long-hand), was *maybe* king but there are also questions about that. Mainly from Gildas. He suggests that his brother, Owain Danwyn (White Tooth), was King and Cadwallon was his right-hand man - which perhaps would fit with him being the guy who drove the last of the Irish from Ynys Môn - and suggests that Maelgwn murdered his uncle to gain the throne. Peter Bartrum also suggests this but does caveat that the term used, 'avunculus' is normally only applied to a maternal uncle.

(Fun fact: Owain Danwyn was the father of St. Seriol who gave his name to Ynys Seriol otherwise referred to as Puffin Island in English. Maelgwn would later be buried here after he died of, well, we'll get to that.)

Regardless of who was and wasn't king, Maelgwn was the first to reap the rewards of his great-granddad's conquest.

He is normally regarded as the House of Aberffraw's founder from which all other kings of that line were descended. (Yes, including Law Lad, Hywel Dda) This would make them one of the oldest royal lineages until the English chopped off the last king of Gwynedd and Wales, Llywelyn Ein Llew Olaf's head. Gwynedd is the territory that they ruled over. Basically near enough to the whole of North Wales. At its biggest, would've stretched from Anglesey to Ceredigion. Maelgwn - like Owain Gwynedd - was referred to as 'Maelgwn Gwynedd' because Maelgwn ap Cadwallon was a v common name at the time and it would be fuckin confusing.)

Now, sorting fact from fiction with Maelgwn is... um, difficult, shall we say. Gildas himself said that Maelgwn killed his uncle as previously mentioned, killed his nephew so he could marry his wife, and killed his wife to ensure that she wouldn't object to her husband sharing her bed with another woman. I'm not going into that because I want to keep it short but IT'S WILD.* What we do know suggests that Maelgwn was a deeply religious man, and I'm not being funny, but Gildas smeared like five kings - including Maelgwn's nephew, Cynlas, otherwise known as Cuneglas.

Anyways, while the seat of Aberffraw was traditionally the village of Aberffraw - as the name suggests - Maelgwn's llys (court) was held in Deganwy and where Llywelyn Fawr would later build another llys many years later. 'It is supposed,' Timothy Venning writes, 'that his fort was 'Dinerth on the Clwyd coast, due to which the owner might have been nicknamed 'Artos.' But there is no clear evidence that he was called that but there is plenty of Arthurian sites in Gwynedd! Also, there's a Dinerth in Llandrillo-yn-Rhos near me, and like I like to think maybe there was a fort there somewhere.

He's also known to have given money to many churches and saints which puts Gildas assertions that he was a bad dude in doubt but, I mean, you can make up your mind. In Historia Brittonum, Nennius, remarks, 'the great king Mailcun reigned among the Britons, i.e., in Gwynedd,' and further adds that Cunedda, Maelgwn's ancestor arrived in Gwynedd 146 years ago and slaughtered the Irish living there. He also appears only once in the Welsh Triads in the 'The Tribal Thrones of the Island of Britain' each ruled by King Arthur. Maelgwn was Arthur's Chief of Elders in Mynwy (St. David's, itself a major religious site both for Celts and Christians.)

Honestly, Maelgwn's intertwining with saints is fascinating. It's known, as I've said previously, that he gave to various churches in Gwynedd, while the Book of Llandaff (written in 1125) says he was a benefactor of the Diocese of Llandaff when that first started. Also, his nephew, St. Seriol's, bestie was St Cybi, otherwise known as the lad who gave his name to the Welsh name for Holyhead, 'Caergybi,' which means Cybi's Fort. Maelgwn was, by all accounts, the one who gave the fort to him!

Now, Historium Brittonum is of further interest to us because it, in Kari Maund's words, 'reflects the 9th-century context in which it was written when the rulers of Gwynedd advanced claims of primacy all over Wales.' It would've been, within the rulers of Gwynedd's interests to present Maelgwn and his pedigree as 'pan-Welsh figures,' and many pedigrees further reflect that. (See, when I said sorting fact from fiction was difficult I meant it!)

HB says: 'These are the names of the sons of Cunedda who numbered nine. Tybion was the first-born who died in the land of Manaw of Gododdin and thus did not come with his father and aforesaid brothers. Merrion his son divided the possessions amongst Tybion's brothers: Oswael the second-born, the third Rhufen, the fourth Dunod, the fifth Ceredig, the sixth Afloeg, the seventh Einion Yrth, the eighth Dogfael, the ninth Edern.' The names of these sons became attached to territories within Gwynedd I.e. Dunoding, Rhufeniog, Ceredigion, and, therefore, the divisions (or Cantrefi) of Gwynedd with them. This is propaganda by other monarchs who wanted to show that the Gwyddelian line were the rightful rulers of Ceredigion but it also shows what a Big Fuckin Deal Cunedda and therefore Maelgwn are both as a historical figure and as a propaganda piece. Timothy Venning also suggests that the 'parcelling out' of Gwynedd to members of Cunedda's family was presented by Nennius as 'justification for its reunification by his patron King Merfyn.' Some even say that Owain Gwynedd (him again!) used the legend to 'provide an earlier precedent for its [Gwynedd's] current division' between his sons.' I'm telling u this cuz a) it's of interest because it shows just how embedded this family are in Welsh mythology and culture. Like u cannot go five fuckin mins without seeing them, and b) Maelgwn comes from a fighting pedigree. (And also because I think this is fun.)

Now, Maelgwn's death is pretty confusing. Reports say he died from the 'Yellow Plague or Justinian's Plague' which had made its way over from Byzantium. My school and grandad both said to me when I was little that Maelgwn died from yellow fever passing through a keyhole and infecting him that way which I think is very scary. I would cry if I was confronted with that. Thank you, Ysgol Nant-y-Coed and Grandad Barry, you gave me nightmares about a yellow fog coming to claim me late at night. That's why I now have to block the keyhole of my room door up with blutac. He was buried off Ynys Seriol so yeah. The throne would eventually pass to Maelgwn's son, Rhun, otherwise known as that 'hot lecher of women' himself.

As for Maelgwn, he's bound up in Arthuriana as are his family. Many kings of his line claimed descent from Arthur further down the line and it's not a stretch to think that maybe that's why he's such a big part of Arthuriana. Also, he's such a cool character in his own right that it would be a disservice not to include him. Edern, Maelgwn's great-grandad, is sometimes said to be Guinevere's lover in Welsh mythology, and that would make him and his line have the genes of the wife defender of Britain and the literal Lad Everybody Gets Their Knickers In A Twist Over, Arthur. It's not a stretch to think that later chronicles went fuckin Mad with this info. I would!

*The video about the term 'Wledig' is here.

* If you want to learn more about these events can I suggest this web page which explains it far better than I ever could:

https://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id166.html

Tagging people I think might get a kick out of this: @dullyn @gwalch-mei @gawrkin @crwbannwen @believerindaydreams @queer-ragnelle @cesarescabinet

Okay, hwyl fawr! I'll be back next year to chew your ears off about the Mabinogion in the context of ladies or something.

[acourtofthought]

There are 2 magical powers that I would like to see maybe introduce into ACOTAR, Lightening and Plants/Flowers.

I am not a fan that many of the high lords share similar powers like wind and light/glow and healing. I was hoping each court had court specific magic like Autumn with their fire and Winter with their ice, etc. but 2 magics I am surprised have not appeared is Lightening and Earth/Plants/Flowers.

I just came across a Reddit post asking about how Elain got to where KoH was fighting with Cass and Nesta and of course people are theorizing that she has Shadowsinger powers and used the shadows to get there faster, most likely to give another argument to pair her with Az. Of course there is the easiest answer of winnowing, which believe me I hope Elain can winnow because it sucks that only Feyre can winnow out of the sisters and I would like another sister to have that power too. But what if she has Earth/Plant based powers and she can touch one tree and appear at another tree. Kinda like winnowing, kinda like shadow walking, but different. Like she has to picture the place she needs the trees to transport her too, for her to utilize the power.

Also I really hate that lightening is not a power that has appeared yet. And I wonder if it’s a branch power in one of the courts (coughDAYcough) that has not been seen in a few centuries.

I truly am also holding out that there are a lot of branch court powers not explored yet. Again another reason I want to get out of friggen Night Court. I want to learn more about the other courts and the powers and traditions within those courts. So similar to how the night court has the rare shadowsinger power I would be cool to see other rare branch powers in other courts.

Lastly I am only on Book 1 of Crescent City so I know Hunt has Lightening powers but I don’t know much more past that so if you have answer to the lightening portion of this ramble please warn me before I read.

I think it would be silly for Sarah to create Elain in Azriel's likeness. Shadowsingers and rare which is what makes them coveted yet suddenly we have two in the same court who just happen to be "love interests"? Why would Elain "Needs Sunshine, Sits in the Sunniest Windows as if Any Bit of Darkness was Abhorrent" Archeron use shadows to travel? It makes zero sense for her character. It is a bit of a mystery how she made it to the kings side so quickly. Maybe the use of TT granted her the power to access shadows but that means anyone who used TT would be able to do the same. Personally I always thought it will be revealed that Elain is an owl shifter. There's the scene in ACOFAS where she asks Amren about changing forms and Amren assumes she wants to be human again but what if it's more than that? What if it's because Elain suddenly shifted to get to her sisters side and she's confused by what happened? Also, we know the HL of Spring can shapeshift and Sarah did leave clues in SF about how the Spring Court had been made for someone like her, how her scent was a promise of Spring. I would like to see Earth / LIfe powers for Elain too. Sarah tagged Elain under an image of Blodeuwedd and not only is she considered the Welsh Goddess of Spring bringing new life to a land but she could also shift into an owl. Lightning would be interesting though I wonder if because she explored this over the course of three books in CC with the character of Hunt, it's not going to be one she focuses on again in detail anytime soon.