#p: philippa

[alrightsnaps]

if we've had to tolerate gossip girl's entire family for two seasons before her story the sharmas should've been in the show from the beginning as well with a subplot about their life in india and sophie should have been introduced in s02 regardless of when she's to meet benedict

[devonaoski]

The girlbossification of Catherine of Aragon and Joanna of Castille (DEROGATIVE)

[bearquirones]

This kept popping up everywhere and I got tired of looking at my schoolwork so I decided to read this last night.

That was simultaneously the best and the worst decision I've ever made. I knew it was sad but no one told me it was THAT SAD like zbdjdjdudjjd I WAS BAWLING MY EYES OUT AT 2AM BECAUSE I STILL COULDN'T GET OVER PHILIPPA, COLIN AND LILY AND I FELT SO SINGLE I'LL SURELY DIE ALONE 😭😭

I cried myself to sleep and woke up for a good 10 min cry 🙂 so now I look like a shit and feel like crap due to lack of sleep.

BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT

I'm just a bit sad that the three of them didn't get to see each other again. But I guess its also best as they are all beginning a new chapter in their lives. And Ian's jelly (but cute) ass wouldn't take it. I wish Cazarlin also got a chance to be with Shirley. They were too cute 😢

THIS WITCH OF MINE CHAPTER 13

[rmstitanics]

* FAMOUS INDIVIDUALS WITH YOUR MOON SIGN.

If you’re looking for suggestions on which authors and music artists to check out next, look to your moon sign! In Western astrology, the moon is said to represent your subconscious mind, emotions, and inner personality, so it is widely believed that we tend to relate to media by artists who share our moon sign.

♈️ ARIES MOON

WRITERS:

Gore Vidal

George R. R. Martin

Nicholas Sparks

Rick Riordan

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Christopher Paolini

MUSICIANS:

P!nk

Whitney Houston

Céline Dion

Selena Gomez

Rihanna

Tupac

♉️ TAURUS MOON

WRITERS:

Jodi Picoult

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Hans Christian Anderson

Clive Barker

George Bernard Shaw

Aldous Huxley

MUSICIANS:

Pharrell Williams

Kelly Clarkson

Bob Dylan

Demi Lovato

Christina Aguilera

Pitbull

♊️ GEMINI MOON

WRITERS:

C. S. Lewis

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Orson Scott Card

Franz Kafka

Margaret Mitchell

R.A. Salvatore

T. S. Elliot

MUSICIANS:

Ella Fitzgerald

Florence Welch

Art Garfunkel

Billy Idol

Sia

Tina Turner

♋️ CANCER MOON

WRITERS:

George Orwell

Liu Cixin

Brandon Sanderson

Cassandra Clare

Diana Gabaldon

Lois Lowry

MUSICIANS:

Tchaikovsky

Taylor Swift

Kurt Cobain

Halsey

Aretha Franklin

Janis Joplin

♌️ LEO MOON

Oscar Wilde

Holly Black

Geraldine Brooks

James Dashner

Jack London

Ta Nehisi Coates

MUSICIANS:

Lana Del Ray

Paul McCartney

Queen Latifah

Niall Horan

Bruno Mars

David Bowie

♍️ VIRGO MOON

WRITERS:

Leo Tolstoy

John Grisham

Claudia Gray

Isabel Allende

Xiran Jay Zhao

Douglas Adams

MUSICIANS:

Dolly Parton

Nicki Manaj

Madonna

Lorde

Bo Burnham

Lizzo

♎️ LIBRA MOON

WRITERS:

Jane Austen

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Sylvia Plath

William Shakespeare

Maya Angelou

R.F. Kuang

MUSICIANS:

Ariana Grande

Charli XCX

Bruce Springsteen

Jay-Z

Harry Styles

Fergie

♏️ SCORPIO MOON

WRITERS:

Veronica Roth

Edith Wharton

V.E. Schwab

Harper Lee

Keira Cass

Meg Cabot

MUSICIANS:

Lady Gaga

Tyler the Creator

Cyndi Lauper

Beyoncé

Bob Marley

The Weeknd

♐️ SAGITTARIUS MOON

WRITERS:

Stephen King

Victor Hugo

Marie Lu

Suzanne Collins

Samantha Shannon

Adam Silvera

MUSICIANS

Hozier

Freddie Mercury

Adele

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Chappell Roan

John Legend

♑️ CAPRICORN MOON

WRITERS:

Sarah J. Maas

J.M. Barrie

Jeff Shaara

Joyce Carol Oates

Stephanie Meyer

Angie Thomas

MUSICIANS:

Frédéric Chopin

Neil Diamond

Jon Bon Jovi

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Stevie Nicks

Donna Summer

♒️ AQUARIUS MOON

WRITERS:

Margaret Atwood

Leigh Bardugo

Louisa May Alcott

Seth Grahame-Smith

Anthony Horowitz

S.E. Hinton

MUSICIANS:

Cody Simpson

Marilyn Monroe

Britney Spears

Billie Eilish

Tim McGraw

Carrie Underwood

♓️ PISCES MOON

WRITERS:

Toni Morrison

Edgar Allen Poe

Malcolm Gladwell

Lisa McMann

Alice Oseman

Philippa Gregory

MUSICIANS:

Kenny Chesney

Elvis Presley

Frank Sinatra

Prince

Kendrick Lamar

Sabrina Carpenter

[midnightscramble]

Hiya, could you do a Portia Featherington x female baker reader. Of course you have all creative freedom. Thank you, love. ;P

Sugar, Sugar Part 1 (Portia Featherington x fem!Reader)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

The Masterlist

Author’s Note: Thanks for the request! Love this idea and am so joyed to write for it. If it’s not to your liking feel free to make another request (don’t be shy!). Happy readings to you.

Summary: The stress of running a doomed household is getting to Portia. In an effort to get her daughter and Mister Finch to produce an heir, she employees local baker Y/n to fill the house with goodies.

Warnings: Portia has anxiety, slight derogatory references to religion, memories of a neglectful marriage, period typical misinformation about pregnancy and fertility, No Beta read

“Mama, I swear, Albion and I have been trying. It is simply in God’s hands. A baby shall appear within my belly when he deems it so.” Philippa shrugged and looked towards the vaulted ceiling as if it was the heavens. Portia pinched the bridge of her nose at her daughter’s idiocy. She walked towards the window and looked out upon the street, shaking her head while cursing her daughter’s religious education. Of all the books Penelope had convinced the late Lord Featherington to supply her with, it had to be the Bible that Philippa happened upon. The very same girl who could not remember her Hail Marys.

Spinning on her heel, exasperated, Portia looked towards her daughter, “It is absolutely in your hands. God gave mankind free will. Free will which you will use to become pregnant. Are you sure that Mister Finch is doing his part, is he doing all a man can to enhance his virility?”

"There is only so much Alby can do, Mama. He has many allergies, it is near impossible for him to eat the foods that are meant to increase his bravado." Philippa yawned resignedly.

"Well, have you noticed any particular type of food that effects his, uhh," Portia raised her eyebrows and whispered conspiratorially, "appetite for you?" Philippa gasped despite her mother's careful phrasing, causing Portia to roll her eyes.

Offended, Philippa tsked, "Mama, that is very improper of you to ask. But if you must know, he rather enjoys sweets before the act."

Of course, Portia thought, when does the man not want sweets. "Then I shall have the staff fill your room with treats and you are not to leave until you are sure you are with child."

"You cannot trap us in our room!"

"I very well can! All of our futures are dependent on your and Mister Finch's coupling. I cannot count on Prudence to put her pride aside and measure up to the task. Penelope has not a suitor insight while she chases Mister Bridgerton's coattail. Please Philippa, if you do not do this we will lose everything." Her ears ran hot as she tried to reason with her. Was it possible that she was the only one who understood the enormity of the situation?

Slouching, Philippa huffed "Fine, although my only request is that the sweets not be from the kitchens. I'd rather it be from Y/l/n Pastries and Delights. The shop has gained quite the following with-"

"Yes, yes. I will take care of it, now off you go! I expect you to be glued to his side by the time I return with the order."

...

The carriage ride into town was bumpy and unpleasant. Perhaps Portia was overly sensitive due to her soured mood. She despised having to haggle, especially with someone as well connected as the Ton's premier baker. Since the death of Lord Featherington, Portia had been careful to reduce the size of the staff and have the kitchens purchase day old produce from the markets. While she preferred to be frugal in such times, this expense would prove to be important. Never did she think her family's future would rely on a man's appetite.

Coming to a halt, she peered out the carriage window. Her destination was at the edge of the Ton, surprising her considering the supposed popularity of the bakery. Gingerly stepping out of the carriage, she tried to settle herself. She knew exactly how to get what she wanted. Men, older men in particular, were simple creatures. With a delicate balance of sexual innuendo and pseudo helplessness, she was sure to emerge victorious.

The shop bell jingled, causing Y/n to look up from her place behind the counter. "Welcome in! what can I do for you, Lady Featherington?" She smiled brightly at the auburn haired woman. The aroma of the shop washed over Portia gently, reminding her briefly of the display of sweets she had at her own wedding.

Portia smiled tightly and approached the counter. To be known about the Ton was both a blessing and a curse. There was pride in being instantly recognized by strangers, yet it made discrete deals such as the one she was trying to procure all the more difficult.

"Hello, Dear. I was wondering if I may speak to the head chef?"

"I am the head chef." Portia released a guffaw, "Pardon me, I'm afraid you misunderstand, I am looking for the shop owner."

Y/n smiled kindly, Portia was not the first to make this mistake, "That would be me, Lady Featherington."

Portia's smile dropped momentarily. A woman shop owner was hard to come by. Sure, there were lady bakers in the Ton, but none owned the shops they worked in. "How modern," she complemented, "I was hoping it would not be too late in the day to place an order for tonight?" She was in fact hoping that it was too late, and thus the remaining goods would have a reduced price given how long they had been siting.

"As a matter of fact, I make night batches to supply to the local families. It seems everyone is partial to dessert before bed," Y/n jested slightly. Although her heart rate picked up a notch, Portia released a laugh to show good nature. Reevaluating the situation, she looked around the shop, "Well I'm not sure what I should order..."

Reading the hesitancy in her eyes, Y/n offered "Why don't I give you an assortment. That way you can come back tomorrow with a list of what was enjoyed, hmm?" She was used to having to sell herself to the people of the Ton, none were quick to trust a female shop owner.

Portia's smile relaxed at the prospect, "That would be lovely, thank you." Y/n started packing up one of each dessert. Absentmindedly, she made conversation, "My condolences on the late Lord Featherington. When my own husband died, it nearly sent me to ruin."

Eyes widening, Portia scrambled for an appropriate response to such an abrupt topic change, "Thank you..." She drifted off, not sure what to say. She studied the young woman, wondering what she was getting at. Their eyes met briefly and Portia looked away, feeling caught.

Filling the silence she continued, "My condolences as well, was it your husband who started this fine establishment?" Internally she grimaced. She knew it was none of her business, yet the oddity of the situation drove her to seek some sort of explanation.

"We started it together. I had to petition to the province to assume control of the estate. They wanted to give this shop to my eleven year old cousin, can you believe that?"

She sucked in a breath, "Yes, yes I can." Portia was becoming all too familiar with inheritance laws.

Y/n placed three full boxes on the counter and grabbed a paper. "Now, I am going to write which box contains which sweet," she beckoned Portia closer to watch as she wrote.

"This box has", rather than listen, Portia found herself distracted in watching Y/n's hands move as she emphatically described how each pastry could be identified. Her fingers twisted as she mimicked the pipped icing atop a miniature cake. The subtle flexing of her hand when she grasped the quill left Portia wondering what strength those hands possessed. Y/n seemed to have a good work ethic, leaving no doubt in her mind that she would be behind the scenes with her staff, kneading dough, working till sweat dripped down the column of her throat- Portia's mouth suddenly felt very dry and she cleared her throat, causing Y/n to pause. Embarrassed she rushed, "Thank you, I shall return tomorrow. You can hand these off to my footmen." She spun around on her heal and in three long strides she exited.

Y/n called after her, "Have a nice night, Lady Featherington!"

...

Feeling rather worn, Portia told Philippa's maid to have the sweets brought directly to her daughter's room. She retired early, settling in the king sized bed with the latest issue of Lady Whistledown. Seldom did she wish to know the true identity of the infamous writer. However, it was nights like these that she wanted to meet the woman face to face. She was curious, how had she made it so far? Was there a man behind the publishing? If it was truly a Lady behind the gossip expose, she may be the most independent woman of their time.

Oh, to be so free, she thought.

Turning, she blew out her bed side candle and tossed the pamphlet to the floor. Even with her husband dead, she was still chained to his decisions, his name, the failures he had made and hid from her. It would have scorned her if not for the fact that she had no emotion left to give the man.

She had never truly been dependent on him, at least not in the traditional sense. There were women like Violet Bridgerton, who mourned her husband years after his passing, pious and properly. For Violet had loved him, and in turn was dependent on his love and company. Portia, on the other hand, had tried to love her husband. She gave Lord Featherington her youthful devotion, drawn to his coy smiles and cold disregard for her. There was a certain safety in giving her heart and hand in marriage to a man who was distant. Who showed his affection in gifts rather than touch or word.

Their relationship, transactional at best, had entirely ceased upon the birth of Penelope. Lord Featherington had given up on the prospect of a male heir and moved to the opposing wing. From then on, the bulk of their interactions consisted of sitting across from each other at breakfast and linking arms at social events. Both were too content to break the newly developed pattern. It was almost pleasant, to look upon each other and feel no obligation to pretend.

Tonight was like any other night in her marriage, spent alone. She was normally untroubled by the empty side of her bed, cold and firm from being unoccupied. Closing her eyes she resigned herself to ignore the sudden deficiency. She told herself that it was of most importance to fall asleep quickly. Tomorrow she would have to be sharp to negotiate with Y/n.

Reminded briefly of the baker, thoughts of little cakes with pipped icing, quills, and the smell of bread paraded through her mind as she succumbed to sleep.

[willowed-wisp]

Hi! I’m Mils and I love everything fantasy, animation and romance. Maybe a bit of murder mystery in there.

MASTERLIST

KEY:

Smut = 🔥

Fluff = 🤗

Angst = 🤬

This will expand over time!

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

HER KNIGHT, HIS HEART [ completed ] [ h . strong ] 🔥🤗

Lady Elspeth Hightower- oldest daughter of the Hand of the King - is the antithesis of her family; favouring her mother’s flame-stricken attitude. With the looming sword of marriage swinging over her, she finds counsel in Ser Harwin Strong. Will the man manage to save her from her twisted family? And will she be able to prevent a war for the Iron Throne?

| p.1 | p.2| p.3 | p.4 | p.5 | p.6 | p.7 | p.8 |

THE WAYWARD AND THE WARDEN [ ongoing ] [ c . stark ] 🔥 🤗

Philippa is a girl from the modern world, a Medicines pre-graduate in England. Relocated with her auntie in Scotland for the past four years. It’s the Christmas holidays, she’s a few minutes away from home and the next in a world she’s never known. A stoic wolf that makes her quake in fear… she’s going to have to grow a thicker skin. She may be accustomed to the cold of winter but was she ready for the storm that was Cregan Stark?

| p.1 | p.2 |

KUROKO NO BASKET

misread horoscopes | shintaro midorima | 🫠

[angeljane18]

I have come up with a list of my have possible names for the unnamed Dankworth-Featherington daughter. Assuming the P name tradition is continued by Prudence like in Philippa’s daughter Philomena.

1. Patience- could create a tradition of naming daughters after virtues that start with Prudence)

2. Priscilla

3. Paige- more modern sounding but we have our glorious Michaela so I think it would still work)

4. Petunia- maybe after their aunt

5. Primrose- a fandom favourite

6. Paula/Paulina

7. Patrice/Patrica

[une-sanz-pluis]

In Karen K. Jambeck's chapter, "Patterns of Women's Literary Patronage: England, 1200-c.1475", one of her end-notes records:

In this connection, it is possible that Joan FitzAlan may have had a continuing influence on her grandchildren, even after Mary’s death. She wrote at least one letter (possibly to Hugh Waterton) expressing concern for her grandchildren and mentioning Philippa by name. Of note here, too, are Nicholas Orme’s observations that Katherine Waterton was the maîtresse of Philippa, daughter of Mary de Bohun and Henry Bolingbroke, and that ABC books were purchased for Philippa, aged three, and Blanche, aged five.

Which naturally gives me emotions. I tracked down this letter which is in Anglo-Norman and it's behind the cut. As I've said before, this is beyond my very, very basic understanding of French and there is no translation that I know of.

LETTER OF JOAN, COUNTESS OF HEREFORD TO ?SIR HUGH WATERTON Treschier et tresfiable amy, jeo vous salue tressouvent de cuer, desirant entierment d'oier et savoir bones novelles de vous et de vostre bon estat et santee, si prie Dieu que tielle et si bon poet estre et l'un et l'autre come vous desiréz, que en bone foie le meillour que ceo soient le plus rejoyousement serra a moy, et a ceo sui jeo bien tenuz par longue temps, més ore plus que unques més, et ceo sibien pur mon frere l'Erchevesque come pur moy mesmes. Car coment que Dieu sciet que autre cause n'avoit més que mon dit frere et moy aussi en dusons avoir bone seignurie de nostre souverain seignur le Roy, unqore male bouche estoit entoure de nous avoir fait en le contraire, Dieu les pardoint et les amende. Et, tresfiable amy, des novelles de nostre dit souverain seignur, de ma dame la Roygne et de ma dame Phelipe et de mes seignurs, vous requer de me certifier a plus souvent que bonement purréz par les entrevenantz. Et quant des novelles de par de cea, ne vous say riens envoier. Car endroit des ennemys que dusent ariver en Engliterre les novelles en viendrent plus aspre de Wircestre que ascune cause en pur- roit estre aperceu entour ceste chose del mier, et depuis que [1] Plumothe estoit arse, jeo n'y oy riens que soit a counter des ennemys més paroles. Outre ceo, tresfiable amy, j'ay chargé T. P. de vous dire certeins matieres par bouche touchantz Monseignur Humfrey, a qui vuilléz donner credence et sur ceo ordeigner come vous semble. Autres ne vous say escrire, més vous prie de saluer souvent la meistresse, ma treschiere amie vostre compaigne, et Dame Blanche et Marie Hervy et Cecyle et toute la bone compaignie. Treschier et tresfiable amy, jeo prie a Dieu q'il vous eit en sa garde et vous doint grace ou vostre ese hastiement de venir par de cea. Escript a R. le xxviij jour d'octobre. [1] Car endroit . . . paroles = For concerning the enemies who should have arrived in England, the news comes worse from Worcester than any reason for this can be seen from the sea, and since Plymouth was burnt, I have heard nothing to relate of the enemy but words.

[grumble-all-you-like]

Favorite Queen or Queen-adjacent medieval woman: Philippa of Hainault

"The most gentle Queen, most liberal, and most courteous that ever was Queen in her days."

It was difficult for me to choose a favorite, but in light of my recent hyperfixations on the impact of revisionist history, Bridgerton, and the modern concepts of race and identity, I felt like she really was the only one I could choose.

Phillipa is often touted as the perfect queen, similar to how Elizabeth of York is later portrayed. We know that she came to England during a very difficult and tumultuous time where her husband Edward III was a ruler in name only.

She was a patron of the arts and clearly intelligent, advising her husband in ways they could restore order after the financial strains the country had gone through. At one point she gathered the English army to face King David II of Scotland which resulted in his capture. Phillips even had a whopping thirteen children!

All of that is well and good, but the part of her so many people focus on these days is what she looked like.

There is a description of a girl, alleged by some to be Philippa, written by Bishop Stapleton during a visit to Flanders.

"The lady whom we saw has not uncomely hair, betwixt blue-black and brown… Her face narrows between the eyes and its lower part is more narrow than her forehead. Her eyes are blackish-brown and deep. Her nose is fairly smooth and even, save that it is somewhat broad at the tip and flattened, and yet it is no snub-nose… Her lips are full, especially the lower lip… Her lower teeth project a little beyond the upper; yet this is but little seen… All her body is well set and unmaimed; and nought is amiss so far as a man may see. Moreover, she is brown of skin all over, much like her father. And she will be of the age of nine years on St. John's day next to come, as her mother said. She is neither too tall nor too short for such an age; she is of fair carriage. The damsel is well taught in all that becometh her rank and highly esteemed and well beloved by her parents and of all her meinie, in so far as we could inquire and learn the truth. In all things, she is pleasant enough, as it seems to us"

*Note that "However, "Michael Prestwich's 2005 summary translates the description of the hair as "between blonde and brown" (the original is "entre bloy et brun"); Plantagenet England, 1225–1360 Clarendon, Oxford, 2005, p.215"

Now there's a lot of debate about this description - first and foremost, if it describes her at all. Ian Mortimer believes it describes her sister, Margaret, and wrote a rather angry response to the 100 Greatest Black Britons project including her as there was no evidence she was black "despite everything we know about them, their genetic background and culture of the period".

Whether or not it was Philippa, I do find it interesting that the historians who argue it is Margaret seem to miss what I think is a fairly obvious point: no matter which girl it was, they were full-blooded sisters and likely looked alike but also their father is described as having the same skintone.

In a time of a raceblind Hamilton cast, of Bridgerton, and My Lady Jane, I do think it's important that we acknowledge the importance of race throughout history - both how things were, and how they could have been if not for prejudice. I also believe it's important that we're mindful of the fact that there's a very modern perception that associates blackness with both skintone and originating from Africa at some point in time, so there's no way European royals could possess a darker skintone. Only it's not that simple.

The truth is there are no absolutes with history, especially history this old. We were not there. We cannot unravel the code of Philippa's genetics and state for certain what was there. We don't have a photograph. We don't even have paintings.

Hell, just look to how many people today are discovering their own history is a lie after taking a DNA test. The number of affairs exposed, secret adoptions, even incest is showing to be more prevalent than we believed. That's to say nothing of the expression of genetics and how a person might not "look" like the ethnicity they genetically are.

Philippa very well could have been "brown of skin all over, much like her father", or not.

In a modern society she might have considered herself to be black, or not.

The important thing is we should not take the current context of race and ethnicity and apply it to historical figures because we know they themselves did not think in such a manner.

It's fun to think about, and the discussions it brings up are worth having, but at the end of the day it's just supposition.

[girllookingoutwindow]

I am currently reading the second Bridgerton book and I was surprised that Pen has a much younger sister named Felicity. But sad that she wasn't in the show. It seemed that at least Felicity's actually quite sweet. She's only been mentioned once or twice but compared Philippa who's mentioned quite often, she's rather loud and doesn't have the best of manners. Who knows, maybe once I get to Polin's book, Felicity would be mentioned more and I get a fuller picture of what she's like. But I get why the show chose to omit Felicity. Makes Pen stand out more compared to her older sisters.

Yes, Felicity was a interesting character. Maybe it was because her name doesn't starts with a P.

I agree I think it makes her stand out more, and at the same time connected her more with Colin and his brothers.

But I think at the same time makes a connection with the Cinderella story and the half sisters. She's the different from the rest of the family, but actually she's not. But she's very cleaver and being the younger makes her being more the center of the story. It's more common at the same time that her sister's treat her that way because she's the most younger.

[sparklywaistcoat]

Potatoes and Hobbit History

In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gollum has been captured by Frodo and Sam and has been tasked with leading the two hobbits into Mordor. At one point in their journey, Gollum catches some rabbits for their dinner, and Sam asks Gollum to go find some bay, sage, and thyme with which to season their meal. When Gollum refuses, Sam says that he'll punish Gollum if he doesn't go, then says, "And I'd make him [Gollum] look for turnips and carrots, and taters too, if it was the time o' the year." Gollum refuses again, saying that he "won't grub for roots and carrotses and—taters. What's taters, precious, eh, what's taters?" (Two Towers, p. 262; all page references in this blog are to the Houghton Mifflin second edition, 1965) (Sam's iconic line "Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew" is not found in Tolkien's original; it's from the 2002 screenplay adaptation by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Peter Jackson, although Sam does say "po—ta—toes" in both the book and the film.)

Although it's possible that Gollum at one time did know what potatoes are and then forgot during his long, lonely sojourn under the Misty Mountains, I think it's more likely that he was unfamiliar with them in the first place, given that he seems to know what carrots are. Gollum's ignorance of potatoes suggests that that vegetable was not part of his community's diet by the time he found the One Ring and went into exile. Five and a half centuries later, however, Sam knows about potatoes, and notes that his own father, the Gaffer, takes great pride in his potato crop. (p. 263) This shift in hobbit foodways therefore is one of several parallels between the history of Tolkien's fictional Shire and the history of England.

The Shire as Samwise Gamgee knows it is an idyll of pre-industrial—but not medieval—England, a place of peace and bounty where one can find well-tilled fields, fat livestock, hand-crafted ales down the pub, and cozy homes that are warmed by fires in the hearth. That Sam's Shire is pre-industrial but not medieval is shown by the introduction of heavy industry by Saruman's henchmen, who convert Ted Sandyman's mill into a factory complete with a brick chimney that "[pours] out black smoke into the evening air" (Return of the King, p. 283), and who force the conversion of the Shire from a self-sufficient, self-governing little country into one that is run by foreign overlords who take almost everything produced therein for themselves.

Gollum, by contrast, never lived in the Shire, and if we posit that Sam's Shire is pre-industrial and therefore roughly equivalent to eighteenth-century England, we can posit that Gollum's home along the banks of the Anduin was medieval and roughly equivalent to thirteenth-century England, or perhaps to thirteenth-century Northern Europe. Carrots had been known to Europeans since antiquity, but potatoes were only introduced in the sixteenth century, so a historical foodways parallelism between Sam's time and Gollum's could reasonably include the later introduction of potatoes into a culture that already had carrots.

Where, then, did the hobbits' potatoes come from? Potatoes in our world are native to the Andes Mountains. Presumably Middle-earth's potatoes are native to a similarly mountainous area, and Tolkien notes that the ancestors of the hobbits—the Stoors, Fallohides, and Harfoots—originally lived along the Anduin, east of the mountains, but that starting in 1050 of the Third Age (TA) they began crossing the Misty Mountains and traveling westward. The Harfoots were the first to move westward, followed by the Fallohides, who took a northerly route before crossing the mountains. The Stoors went south, crossing at Redhorn Pass near the peak of Caradhras. Unlike the Fallohides and the Harfoots, the Stoors returned to the Gladden Fields along the banks of the Anduin in TA 1356, and it is from this community of Stoors that Gollum was descended. (The Shire was founded about 250 years later, in TA 1601, and the action of Lord of the Rings takes place in TA 3018–19.)

There are several possible reasons why the Stoors of Gollum's community did not have potatoes, despite their having crossed and then re-crossed the Misty Mountains in their early history. One possible reason is that in Middle-earth, potatoes are native to the northern part of the Misty Mountains where the Fallohides crossed, but not to the southerly part of the mountains where the Stoors made their crossings, such that the Fallohides encountered potatoes but the Stoors did not. A second possible reason is that the Stoors did find potatoes in their sojourns through the mountains but did not think them edible, while the Fallohides found them to be both edible and worthy of bringing with them to their new home as a new food crop.

A third possibility is that hobbits did not have potatoes until well after the Shire had been settled and that they were brought in from outside. Tolkien does note that dwarves were known to use the road that crossed the Shire from east to west on their way to and from their mines in the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) to the west of the Shire. (The Fellowship of the Ring, p. 52) Dwarves, for all their hardihood, do not live on love and fresh air, and so perhaps they brought potatoes with them and traded them with the Shire-hobbits or, more likely, with the hobbits of Bree, who were more open to interactions with people of other races, and then the Bree-hobbits brought them into the Shire from there. If Bree were the point of entry for the potato, then traveling Men also might have introduced them when they passed through Bree. Having the potato be introduced from outside centuries after the settlement of the Shire would be a closer parallel to what happened in our own world, where the potato came to England from a faraway land a thousand years after England had been colonized by the migrating Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

Ultimately, though, Tolkien doesn't tell us where potatoes come from in Middle-earth, nor does he tell us when or how they arrived in the Shire (although he does tell us when pipe-weed came to be cultivated; priorities, I guess). We can only make assumptions about the Middle-earth-ish history of this "rare good ballast for an empty belly" (Two Towers, p. 263) through the conversation Sam has with Gollum, and through the parallels between European history and foodways and those of the Shire.

[This post, along with my other meta, is also available on my WordPress blog.]

[shinyasahalo]

Top 50 AO3 Space Fem Ships (May 4, 2024)

(FGQ/F) Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan (Doctor Who TV) 4,386 fics

(F/F) Gideon Nav/Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb) 2,496 fics

(F/P) Shepard/Liara T'Soni (Mass Effect) 2,252 fics

(F/F) Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine (Star Trek Voyager TV) 1,673 fics

(F/F) Raffi Musiker/Seven of Nine (Star Trek Picard TV) 1,193 fics

(F/F) Suletta Mercury/Miorine Rembran (Gundam Wing Witch From Mercury) 1,122 fics

(F&F) Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan (Doctor Who TV) 960 fics

(F/F) Thirteenth Doctor/River Song (Doctor Who TV) 906 fics

(F/P) Shepard/Tali Zorah nor Rayya (Mass Effect) 811 fics

(F/F) Allura/Romelle (Voltron) 783 fics

(F/F) Jenny Flint/Madame Vastra (Doctor Who TV) 739 fics

(F/F) Barriss Offee/Ahsoka Tano (The Clone Wars/Star Wars) 677 fics

(F/F) Bronya/Seele (Honkai Star Rail) 654 fics

(F/F) Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler (Doctor Who TV) 627 fics

(F/F) Samantha "Sam" Carter/Janet Fraiser (Stargate SG-1 TV) 617 fics

(F/F) Jadzia Dax/Kira Nerys (Star Trek Deep Space Nine TV) 583 fics

(F/F) Shin Hati/Sabine Wren (Star Wars Ahsoka TV) 525 fics

(F/F) Liv Chenka/Helen Sinclair (Doctor Who Big Finish Audio) 498 fics

(F/F) Kate Lethbridge-Stewart/Petronella Osgood (Doctor Who Big Finish Audio) 496 fics

(F/F) Himiko/Kafka (Honkai Star Rail) 496 fics

(F&F) Padme Amidala & Ahsoka Tano (The Clone Wars/Star Wars) 482 fics

(F/F) Jack | Subject Zero/Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect) 479 fics

(F/F) Allura/Pidge | Katie Holt (Voltron) 472 fics

(F/P) Miranda Lawson/Shepard (Mass Effect) 452 fics

(F/F) Jessika Pava/Rey (Sequel Trilogy/Star Wars) 446 fics

(F/P) Shepard/Ashley Williams (Mass Effect) 441 fics

(F/F) Rey/Rose Tico (Sequel Trilogy/Star Wars) 430 fics

(F&F) Leia Organa & Rey (Sequel Trilogy/Star Wars) 418 fics

(F/P) March 7th/Trailblazer (Honkai Star Rail) 417 fics

(F/R) Thirteenth Doctor/Reader (Doctor Who TV) 411 fics

(F/F) Acxa/Veronica (Voltron) 408 fics

(F/F) Padme Amidala/Sabe (Queen's Shadow Series/Star Wars) 389 fics

(F&F) Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb Series) 383 fics

(F/P) Revan/Bastila Shan (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic) 356 fics

(F/F) Ayanami Rei/Souryou Asuka Langley (Neon Genesis Evangelion) 333 fics

(F/P) Kafka/Trailblazer (Honkai Star Rail) 330 fics

(F/P) Vetra Nyx/Ryder (Mass Effect) 321 fics

(F/F) Christine Chapel/Nyoto Uhura (Orignal Series/Star Trek) 320 fics

(F&F) Hera Syndulla & Sabine Wren (Star Wars Rebels) 307 fics

(F/F) Harrowhark Nonagesimus/Ianthe Tridentarius (The Locked Tomb Series) 304 fics

(F/F) Phasma/Rey (Sequel Trilogy/Star Wars) 303 fics

(F/F) Seven of Nine/B'Elanna Torres (Star Trek Voyager TV) 303 fics

(F/P) Jack | Subject Zero/Shepard (Mass Effect) 302 fics

(F/F) Michael Burnham/Philippa Georgiou (Star Trek Discovery TV) 302 fics

(F&F) Rey & Rose Tico (Sequel Trilogy/Star Wars) 300 fics

(F/F) Thirteenth Doctor/Missy (Doctor Who TV) 294 fics

(F&F) Barriss Offee & Ahsoka Tano (The Clone Wars/Star Wars) 291 fics

(F/F) Beverly Crusher/Deanna Troi (Star Trek TNG TV) 287 fics

(F&F) Bo-Katan Kryze & Satine Kryze (The Clone Wars/Star Wars) 283 fics

(F/F) Tegan Jovanka/Nyssa of Traken (Doctor Who TV) 282 fics

(F/F) Amilyn Holdo/Leia Organa (Sequel Trilogy/Star Wars) 281 fics

(F&F) Padme Amidala & Leia Organa (Star Wars) 280 fics

(F/F) Susan Ivanova/Talia Winters (Babylon 5 TV) 268 fics

(F/P) Shepard/Samantha Traynor (Mass Effect) 263 fics

[alannah-corvaine]

B A S I C S

Name: Rebecca Cross

Nicknames: Brina, Becca (family only)

Age: 31

Nameday: 7th Sun of the Sixth Umbral Moon

Race: Midlander Hyur

Gender: cis female

Orientation: demisexual

Profession: rogue, honorary Scion of the Seventh Dawn

P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C  T S

Hair: Very pale blonde, not quite platinum. Hangs down to her shoulder blades. Bangs. Mostly worn tied up, sometimes braided. Very fine.

Eyes: wheat-colored, a similar shade to her hair.

Skin: Formerly pale and smooth, typical of a society lady. Now tan after years spent outside. Has a smattering of freckles.

Tattoos/scars:

• several small scars from knife fight knicks

• a tattoo of three small gulls on the back of her left shoulder

F A M I L Y

Parents:

• Roland Cross (38m, deceased)

• Marietta Cross (36f, deceased)

Siblings:

• Philippa (18f, deceased?)

• Lacey (17f, deceased)

Grandparents:

• Oliver Cross (paternal grandfather, deceased)

• Elizavet Cross (paternal grandmother, deceased)

• Thomas Porter (maternal grandfather, deceased)

• Madeleine Porter (maternal grandmother, deceased)

In-laws and Other: None.

Pets: None.

S K I L L S

Abilities:

• Moderately skilled with shortblades in close quarters combat, trained by Jacke.

• Proficient with chakrams when paired with dance-style movements, as taught to her by a nomad viera formerly of a tribe from the Rak'tika Greatwood.

Hobbies: Climbing, parkour, swimming, calligraphy, studying history, reading mystery novels

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: She's calm and level-headed in a crisis (although this might be because she's totally dissociating) as well as incorruptably loyal.

Most Negative Trait: She's somewhat understandably vengeful, wrathful, in response to any wrongs done to her and those she loves. She's fixed in her eye for an eye philosophy, even when mercy would be wiser.

L I K E S

Colors: rose pink, periwinkle blue, hunter green

Smells: the ocean, her mother's perfume, gunpowder, lavender, fresh laundry

Textures: steel, lace, blood, sand, porcelain

Drinks: champagne, whiskey, lemonade

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: No.

Drinks: Enjoys hard liquors, will drink socially, has a reasonably moderate relationship with alcohol.

Drugs: No.

Mount Issuance: None. Typical travel for her is either by foot or by boat.

Been Arrested: Surprisingly never. There have been some close calls, especially because Captain Milala is very often annoyed with the Rogues Guild, but Brina is very good at melting into the shadows when she needs to.

[brokenbluebouquet]

George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham in Fiction - a partial summary

CW: discussions of biphobia and homophobia in historical fiction and current historiography.

Feeling both inspired and outraged in equal measure by the upcoming Mary&George series, and having been fascinated with this remarkable man since forever, I have decided to post this partial overview of portrayals of George in fiction. The ones in bold are the ones I have read. Feel free to add to the list.

The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas 

The Honey and The Sting, Elizabeth Freemantle 

My Queen My Love, E.M Vidal 

Cavalier Queen, Fiona Mountain 

The Dangerous Kingdom Of Love, Neil Blackmore 

The Fallen Angel, Tracy Borman

Wife Of Great Buckingham, Hilda Lewis

Darling Of Kings, P J Womack

The Queens Dwarf, Ella March Chase

The Smallest Man, Frances Owen

The Spanish Match, Brennan Purcell

Captain Alatriste, Arturo Pérez-Reverte

The Cardinal and The Queen, Evelyn Anthony 

Earthly Joys, Philippa Gregory

Myself My Enemy, Jean Plaidy

Charles The King, Evelyn Anthony 

The Young And Lonely King, Jane Lane

The Fortunes Of Nigel, Walter Scott 

The Crowned Lovers, E Barrington

The Minion, Raphael Sabiniti 

The Murder In The Tower, Jean Plaidy 

A Net For Small Fishes, Lucy Jago 

The Arm and the Darkness, Taylor Caldwell

Les Gloires et les perils (?), Robert Merle

And a few I’m not so sure about where George is mentioned in passing: . 

Viper Wine, Hermionie Eyre

John Saturnalls Feast, Lawrence Norfolk 

Rebels and traitors, Lindsay Davis

The Assassin, Ronald Blythe 

Some observations, in no particular order:

Novels set mostly in James reign often have George as a rival to Robert Carr and will attempt to foreshadow how much worse he will be compared to Carr.

The ones that feature Henrietta Maria as Protagonist or at least POV character, where George is normally a baddie trying to sabotage HM and Charles I's relationship, and his death is often portrayed as some sort of salvation for HM. In these books George will often be lamed for things which were IRL Charles's fault such as the expulsion of HMs French household in 1626.

Three Musketeers is practically a category in its own right due to all the film/tv adaptions but has had relatively few clones or imitators in English which is something of a surprise

George is only a protagonist in one of these books (Darling of Kings, P J Womack) in the rest he's a cameo or a villain

Rumours that I suspect authors know is nonsense are repeated verbatim such as Tracy Borman's baseless speculation about G offing the Manners brothers, king James, and his rumoured involvement with the occult.

Georges relationships with James and Charles respectively are mentioned but not meaningfully explored. neither are any other personal relationships he had.

The insights and shifts in terms of post 1970s revisionist and post revisionist scholarship esp. Roger Lockyer's bio of George have not found their way into any fiction set in this era. Georges capability as an administrator and manager of patronage is more often than not totally absent.

the general view of George and why he's often shown in such a negative light is pretty much "well, he was willing to god knows what with that dirty old man James; who knows what other depravities he was capable of" and its female authors who really seem to lean into this, which I find fascinating and disturbing.

EDIT (can’t believe I forgot this) George’s murder in 1628 is always the result of some sort of aristocratic conspiracy rather than the act of terrorism it was IRL. I do get why authors do this - the amount of world building and foreshadowing needed to make it seem plausible rather than random in universe. However making it the result of personal grudge rather than ideological violence detracts from why it was so shocking and important.

[salsedine]

10 characters, 10 fandoms

Tagged by the lovely @greypetrel - so here we go! Thanks :*

Everything is under the 'read more' after the first one because I don't want to clog other people's dashes.

Aaand I tag @birdkeeperklink & @pyritefes2 here, so they don't have to scroll down the whole list to understand why and where they are tagged :P as usual, no pressure at all!

1.Stephen Black (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell)

Incredibly well written and compelling (Mrs Clarke, teach me your secrets) in the book, and great acting by Aryion Bakare in the show. Probably one of my favourite male characters ever.

2.Lucrezia Borgia (Borgia: faith and fear)

I loved her character's arc through the 3 seasons. It really showcases the thing I love most about this serie, despite its flaws (and some are big flaws) - it never shied away from complexity. All characters are shown as capable of great tenderness and great cruelty - and this is one of the reasons why I think that they really captured the spirit of the renaissance.

3.James Flint (Black Sails)

"I was unjustly branded as a monster in the eyes of the so-called civilized society, so I'm going to destroy it" - what's not to love? And yes, of course I'm obsessed with the "freedom in the darkness" speech, of course.

4.Justice (Dragon Age)

"A world so full of beauty that beauty goes overlooked. I must see it with different eyes."

I couldn't find a gif, ops! Put my favourite quote instead. Initially I was really torn between Merrill and Anders and other five characters, but I'm in an AwakeningTM mood so I've picked my favourite rotting corpse.

5.Mr Nancy / Anansi (American Gods)

^^^ favourite scene/quote, no questions.

6.Jacquette/Jacquetta Woodville (The White Queen)

"We are all on fortune's wheel," I say. "Without a doubt we will rise. We may fall. But still I have no fear of it.”

Look at that Burgundy-inspired fashion!! The witchcraft and prophecies and definitely less accurate, but eh- that's still my thing. Also, a novel about her story (The Lady of Rivers) is the only book by Philippa Gregory that I didn't dislike, and that's truly something.

7.Uinen - Silmarillion

I have a soft spot for sea-themed mythology, so I obviously loved that section of the Silmarillion.

8.Hastur (Good Omens)

#team-Hell, because I like the demons' character design. Also, for some reason Ned Dennehy follows me on Instagram, so I feel like he deserves a mention.

9.Thomas Cromwell (Wolf Hall)

I have developed a love/hate relationship with this book&show - but Mantel's prose is stunning.

"It is wise to conceal the past even if there is nothing to conceal. A man's power is in the half-light, in the half-seen movements of his hand and the unguessed-at expression of his face. It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires."

Do you see this? Annoyingly good.

10.Morgan le Fay - Camelot

I feel like this show had a lot of potential that it never got to fully express, and Eva Green as Morgana? Inspired casting, 10/10.

[lenievi]

10 characters 10 fandoms

I was tagged by @birdkeeperklink. Thank you!

In no particular order, mostly as they came to my mind because ten fandoms is HARD 😂 I also don't really have reasons for liking characters. I just like them (and when they get lucky, I'll make my entire blog about them)

James Kirk and Leonard McCoy (Star Trek)

I am cheating, but at this point, they're just on an equal level, so I'm not gonna make it hard on myself and choose lol It's these two and only after that other Trek characters.

I just like studying them lol

(McCoy's taller :P)

2. La'an Noonien-Singh (Star Trek: SNW)

She's the best character in SNW and has a great development so far.

3. Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Star Trek: Discovery)

Michelle Yeoh lol But I genuinely enjoy her character because she's just different from the rest, and I like what her character brought into the Mirror Universe (as someone who only saw TOS and no other versions)

4. Samantha Carter (Stargate SG-1)

Childhood hero <3

5. Genjyo Sanzo (Saiyuki)

A fave character from a fave (non-BL) manga series.

6. Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

I like Supernatural, and I like Dean, so yeah

7. Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

She was always my favourite character from DW, and since I watched the miniseries the other day, she's gonna get her place on the list.

8. Tony Stark (MCU)

I'm kind of running out of options LOL He's quite an interesting character with an interesting arc (but I have not watched Iron Man LOL)

9. Ishida Mitsunari (Samurai Warriors)

I've spent hours playing this game, and hours thinking and coming up with stories for him. And as he is a real historical figure, I also visited a lot of places associated with him when I was in Japan lol

10. Michaela Stone (Manifest)

I really enjoyed Manifest and the main character. And I obviously liked the doomed ship because ofc I did lol

I managed to do five and five, nice (If you count Kirk and McCoy as one man)