#religious and mythological subjects

[artandthebible]

And the Prayer of Faith Shall Save the Sick

Artist: John Frederick Lewis  (English, 1805–1876)

Genre: Religious Art

Date: 1872

Medium: Oil on Panel

Collection: Yale Center for British Art

And the Prayer of Faith Shall Save the Sick from James 5:15

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven."

[mylittleredgirl]

lennier “from birth, I was raised in the temple and studied the ways of the religious caste, six months ago I came here” is pretty funny when you think about it.

not only is this his first job, it’s his first time living outside a monastery. imagine spending twenty years or so never meeting anyone who isn’t also in a minbari monastery, and then one of the nine-most important people on your planet plucks you out of divinity school sight unseen to come work for her. so they put you on a space transport and now you live at the United Nations International Airport (*soon to be the Independent Galactic War Outpost International Airport) with the most cosmically relevant people alive. and all This is happening.

maybe that’s to his benefit actually!! everyone else has to have their moment of reckoning when they realize “we are living in unprecedented times and, regrettably, it seems i am a named character in biblical-level events 😐” while lennier, fresh from minbari religious mythology and history class (one subject), is like oh yes they warned us about the biblical events! how fascinating to experience them in person.

his direct supervisor is the second coming. it turns out that he personally knows Jesus George Washington from a thousand years ago who he’s been praying to this whole time. then he’s right there in the front row when the First Ones get kicked sternly shamed out of the galaxy and there’s a civil war on his planet because society broke down and it’s still his first job!

honestly we’re too hard on him for being a dramatic disaster in season five when 73% of his life experience outside the temple has been directly related to the End of Days (the rest is administrative errands and that time londo took him to a bar). every person he knows is unhinged. he has never seen normal life even from a distance. it’s a lot to expect him to handle an ordinary thing like “falling in love with your milf boss who’s the first lady of the known universe and is also like if the pope had a massive well-trained space army personally pledged to die for her” with anything less than shakespearean levels of drama.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

More Words related to Mythology

to include in your next poem/story

Apathēs - Literally, “without suffering.” Concept frequently applied to God or the gods, who, being immutable, do not experience emotions, particularly anger.

Asebeia - “Impiety”; show of disrespect to religious images or rituals. Punishable by death in Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries C.E.

Daimōn - Greek word for god, sometimes synonymous with theos, at other times indicating lower divinities, or intermediaries between gods and mortals. Can be benign or malicious; note Christian treatment of daimōn as an evil being—whence “demon.”

Demiourgos - Plato’s term for the creator who first designed the cosmos according to the forms, then created a physical world that accords with the design.

Eleusinian Mysteries - Yearly ritual in honor of Demeter and Persephone. The ceremonies, involving initiation into the cult of the goddesses, were regarded as mysteries, and were supposed to be kept secret on pain of a charge of impiety.

Epistēmē - “Knowledge”; for Plato the objects of epistēmē were the ideas/ forms; the sensible world was not knowable in the true sense, as it was constantly changing.

Golden Age - Motif of an age at beginning of time when humans lived a life of ease and bliss.

Katabasis - Literally, “a going down, descent”; motif of the descent of a living hero into Hades.

Mimēsis - “Imitation, representation.” Process used in art and literature of rendering a subject as lifelike as possible.

Psychē - Greek for “soul.” In Homer psyche refers to the shades of the dead in Hades. In Greek philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus, psyche refers to soul of living person. Encompasses both mental and emotional aspects of the human makeup; often identified with the self.

From "The Anatomy of Myth: The Art of Interpretation from the Presocratics to the Church Fathers" by Michael Herren

Another List of Words related to Mythology More: Word Lists

[female-malice]

Religion is not appropriate for children. Religion is for adults only. Subjecting children and adolescents to religion is spiritual abuse. Minors should not be inside churches and religious institutions. Family weddings and funerals and seasonal holidays should be secular. Religious adults are welcome to organize gatherings for themselves. But if you want children at an event, put the sermons and scriptures away.

Mythology and storytelling are appropriate for children but not religion. A book of stories from around the world is very different from a weekly meeting with a religious authority figure.

Science is appropriate for children but not religion. Experimentation, empirical data, and systematic review are very different from blind faith in religious doctrine.

Oral traditions include mythology, storytelling, science, and religion. In an oral tradition, these things look similar at first glance. But when you take a closer look, you can tell them apart. Oral tradition storytelling often passes useful empirical data down through generations. For example, previous generations discovered through trial and error that pacific salmon are a keystone species. And they passed that information down through oral tradition. Stories about formal pacts between humans and salmon people are not fictional fantasies. They are descriptive regional environmental histories. So these types of stories are appropriate for children and adolescents. What is not appropriate is making authoritative religious statements about the unknown.

Children often ask what happens to consciousness after death. The appropriate response to these questions is "nobody knows." Learning to sit with the unknown is an important aspect of spiritual development. We need to stop depriving children of the opportunity to do that. Adults might seek out the structure of a religious authority. But it's important to understand that while that structure may help some adults, it will hinder childrens' development.

[crystalis]

twitter thread by Mouin Rabbani

March 14, 2024

Who was there first? The short answer is that the question is irrelevant. Claims of ancient title (“This land is ours because we were here several thousand years ago”) have no standing or validity under international law.

For good reason, because such claims also defy elementary common sense. Neither I nor anyone reading this post can convincingly substantiate the geographical location of their direct ancestors ten or five or even two thousand years ago.

If we could, the successful completion of the exercise would confer exactly zero property, territorial, or sovereign rights.

As a thought experiment, let’s go back only a few centuries rather than multiple millennia. Do South Africa’s Afrikaners have the right to claim The Netherlands as their homeland, or even qualify for Dutch citizenship, on the basis of their lineage?

Do the descendants of African-Americans who were forcibly removed from West Africa have the right to board a flight in Atlanta, Port-au-Prince, or São Paolo and reclaim their ancestral villages from the current inhabitants, who in all probability arrived only after – perhaps long after – the previous inhabitants were abducted and sold into slavery half a world away?

Do Australians who can trace their roots to convicts who were involuntarily transported Down Under by the British government have a right to return to Britain or Ireland and repossess homes from the present inhabitants even if, with the help of court records, they can identify the exact address inhabited by their forebears? Of course not.

In sharp contrast to, for example, Native Americans or the Maori of New Zealand, none of the above can demonstrate a living connection with the lands to which they would lay claim.

To put it crudely, neither nostalgic attachment nor ancestry, in and of themselves, confer rights of any sort, particularly where such rights have not been asserted over the course of hundreds or thousands of years.

If they did, American English would be the predominant language in large parts of Europe, and Spain would once again be speaking Arabic.

Nevertheless, the claim of ancient title has been and remains central to Zionist assertions of not only Jewish rights in Palestine, but of an exclusive Jewish right to Palestine.

For the sake of argument, let’s examine it. If we put aside religious mythology, the origin of the ancient Israelites is indeed local.

In ancient times it was not unusual for those in conflict with authority or marginalized by it to take to the more secure environment of surrounding hills or mountains, conquer existing settlements or establish new ones, and in the ultimate sign of independence adopt distinct religious practices and generate their own rulers. That the Israelites originated as indigenous Canaanite tribes rather than as fully-fledged monotheistic immigrants or conquerors is more or less the scholarly consensus, buttressed by archeological and other evidence. And buttressed by the absence of evidence for the origin stories more familiar to us.

It is also the scholarly consensus that the Israelites established two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, the former landlocked and covering Jerusalem and regions to the south, the latter (also known as the Northern Kingdom or Samaria) encompassing points north, the Galilee, and parts of contemporary Jordan. Whether these entities were preceded by a United Kingdom that subsequently fractured remains the subject of fierce debate.

What is certain is that the ancient Israelites were never a significant regional power, let alone the superpower of the modern imagination.

There is a reason the great empires of the Middle East emerged in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Anatolia – or from outside the region altogether – but never in Palestine.

It simply lacked the population and resource base for power projection. Jerusalem may be the holiest of cities on earth, but for almost the entirety of its existence, including the period in question, it existed as a village, provincial town or small city rather than metropolis.

Judah and Israel, like the neighboring Canaanite and Philistine entities during this period, were for most of their existence vassal states, their fealty and tribute fought over by rival empires – Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, etc. – rather than extracted from others.

Indeed, Israel was destroyed during the eighth century BCE by the Assyrians, who for good measured subordinated Judah to their authority, until it was in the sixth century BCE eliminated by the Babylonians, who had earlier overtaken the Assyrians in a regional power struggle.

The Babylonian Exile was not a wholesale deportation, but rather affected primarily Judah’s elites and their kin. Nor was there a collective return to the homeland when the opportunity arose several decades later after Cyrus the Great defeated Babylon and re-established a smaller Judah as a province of the Persian Achaemenid empire. Indeed, Mesopotamia would remain a key center of Jewish religion and culture for centuries afterwards.

Zionist claims of ancient title conveniently erase the reality that the ancient Israelites were hardly the only inhabitants of ancient Palestine, but rather shared it with Canaanites, Philistines, and others.

The second part of the claim, that the Jewish population was forcibly expelled by the Romans and has for 2,000 years been consumed with the desire to return, is equally problematic.

By the time the Romans conquered Jerusalem during the first century BCE, established Jewish communities were already to be found throughout the Mediterranean world and Middle East – to the extent that a number of scholars have concluded that a majority of Jews already lived in the diaspora by the time the first Roman soldier set foot in Jerusalem.

These communities held a deep attachment to Jerusalem, its Temple, and the lands recounted in the Bible. They identified as diasporic communities, and in many cases may additionally have been able to trace their origins to this or that town or village in the extinguished kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But there is no indication those born and bred in the diaspora across multiple generations considered themselves to be living in temporary exile or considered the territory of the former Israelite kingdoms rather than their lands of birth and residence their natural homeland, any more than Irish-Americans today feel they properly belong in Ireland rather than the United States.

Unlike those taken in captivity to Babylon centuries earlier, there was no impediment to their relocation to or from their ancestral lands, although economic factors appear to have played an important role in the growth of the diaspora.

By contrast, those traveling in the opposite direction appear to have done so, more often than not, for religious reasons, or to be buried in Jerusalem’s sacred soil.

Nations and nationalism did not exist 2,000 years ago.

Nor Zionist propagandists in New York, Paris, and London incessantly proclaiming that for two millennia Jews everywhere have wanted nothing more than to return their homeland, and invariably driving home rather than taking the next flight to Tel Aviv.

Nor insufferably loud Americans declaring, without a hint of irony or self-awareness, the right of the Jewish people to Palestine “because they were there first”.

Back to the Romans, about a century after their arrival a series of Jewish rebellions over the course of several decades, coupled with internecine warfare between various Jewish factions, produced devastating results.

A large proportion of the Jewish population was killed in battle, massacred, sold into slavery, or exiled. Many towns and villages were ransacked, the Temple in Jerusalem destroyed, and Jews barred from entering the city for all but one day a year.

Although a significant Jewish presence remained, primarily in the Galilee, the killings, associated deaths from disease and destitution, and expulsions during the Roman-Jewish wars exacted a calamitous toll.

With the destruction of the Temple Jerusalem became an increasingly spiritual rather than physical center of Jewish life. Jews neither formed a demographic majority in Palestine, nor were the majority of Jews to be found there.

Many of those who remained would in subsequent centuries convert to Christianity or Islam, succumb to massacres during the Crusades, or join the diaspora. On the eve of Zionist colonization locally-born Jews constituted less than five per cent of the total population.

As for the burning desire to return to Zion, there is precious little evidence to substantiate it. There is, for example, no evidence that upon their expulsion from Spain during the late fifteenth century, the Sephardic Jewish community, many of whom were given refuge by the Ottoman Empire that ruled Palestine, made concerted efforts to head for Jerusalem. Rather, most opted for Istanbul and Greece.

Similarly, during the massive migration of Jews fleeing persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe during the nineteenth century, the destinations of choice were the United States and United Kingdom.

Even after the Zionist movement began a concerted campaign to encourage Jewish emigration to Palestine, less than five per cent took up the offer. And while the British are to this day condemned for limiting Jewish immigration to Palestine during the late 1930s, the more pertinent reality is that the vast majority of those fleeing the Nazi menace once again preferred to relocate to the US and UK, but were deprived of these havens because Washington and London firmly slammed their doors shut.

Tellingly, the Jewish Agency for Israel in 2023 reported that of the world’s 15.7 million Jews, 7.2 million – less than half – reside in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to the Agency, “The Jewish population numbers refer to persons who define themselves as Jews by religion or otherwise and who do not practice another religion”.

It further notes that if instead of religion one were to apply Israel’s Law of Return, under which any individual with one or more Jewish grandparent is entitled to Israeli citizenship, only 7.2 of 25.5 million eligible individuals (28 per cent) have opted for Zion.

In other words, “Next Year in Jerusalem” was, and largely remains, an aspirational religious incantation rather than political program. For religious Jews, furthermore, it was to result from divine rather than human intervention.

For this reason, many equated Zionism with blasphemy, and until quite recently most Orthodox Jews were either non-Zionist or rejected the ideology altogether.

Returning to the irrelevant issue of ancestry, if there is one population group that can lay a viable claim of direct descent from the ancient Israelites it would be the Samaritans, who have inhabited the area around Mount Gerizim, near the West Bank city of Nablus, without interruption since ancient times.

Palestinian Jews would be next in line, although unlike the Samaritans they interacted more regularly with both other Jewish communities and their gentile neighbors.

Claims of Israelite descent made on behalf of Jewish diaspora communities are much more difficult to sustain. Conversions to and from Judaism, intermarriage with gentiles, absorption in multiple foreign societies, and related phenomena over the course of several thousand years make it a virtual certainty that the vast majority of Jews who arrived in Palestine during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century to reclaim their ancient homeland were in fact the first of their lineage to ever set foot in it.

By way of an admittedly imperfect analogy, most Levantines, Egyptians, Sudanese, and North Africans identify as Arabs, yet the percentage of those who can trace their roots to the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula that conquered their lands during the seventh and eighth centuries is at best rather small.

Ironically, a contemporary Palestinian, particularly in the West Bank and Galilee, is likely to have more Israelite ancestry than a contemporary diaspora Jew.

The Palestinians take their name from the Philistines, one of the so-called Sea Peoples who arrived on the southern coast of Canaan from the Aegean islands, probably Crete, during the late second millennium BCE.

They formed a number of city states, including Gaza, Ashdod, and Ashkelon. Like Judah and Israel they existed primarily as vassals of regional powers, and like them were eventually destroyed by more powerful states as well.

With no record of their extermination or expulsion, the Philistines are presumed to have been absorbed by the Canaanites and thereafter disappear from the historical record.

Sitting at the crossroads between Asia, Africa, and Europe, Palestine was over the centuries repeatedly conquered by empires near and far, absorbing a constant flow of human and cultural influences throughout.

Given its religious significance, pilgrims from around the globe also contributed to making the Palestinian people what they are today.

A common myth is that the Palestinian origin story dates from the Arab-Muslim conquests of the seventh century. In point of fact, the Arabs neither exterminated nor expelled the existing population, and the new rulers never formed a majority of the population.

Rather, and over the course of several centuries, the local population was gradually Arabized, and to a large extent Islamized as well.

So the question as to who was there first can be answered in several ways: “both” and “irrelevant” are equally correct.

Indisputably, the Zionist movement had no right to establish a sovereign state in Palestine on the basis of claims of ancient title, which was and remains its primary justification for doing so.

That it established an exclusivist state that not only rejected any rights for the existing Palestinian population but was from the very outset determined to displace and replace this population was and remains a historical travesty.

That it as a matter of legislation confers automatic citizenship on millions who have no existing connection with the land but denies it to those who were born there and expelled from it, solely on the basis of their identity, would appear to be the very definition of apartheid.

The above notwithstanding, and while the Zionist claim of exclusive Israeli sovereignty in Palestine remains illegitimate, there are today several million Israelis who cannot be simply wished away.

A path to co-existence will need to be found, even as the genocidal nature of the Israeli state, and increasingly of Israeli society as well, makes the endeavor increasingly complicated.

The question, thrown into sharp relief by Israel’s genocidal onslaught on the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, is whether co-existence with Israeli society can be achieved without first dismantling the Israeli state and its ruling institutions.

[lambilegs]

random lee harker headcanons I have:

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

(cw: smoking mention, weed mention)

unironically loves grandpa-patterned, thick ass sweaters (reminds her of the childhood items her mom crocheted for + she also loves feeling comfy and wrapped in thick clothes during winter)

her special interests are probably whichever cases she's currently working on LMFAO

is probably insanely observant and analytical about social cues, understanding them through extensive focus and practice since it doesn't come naturally to her

likes music that is moreso dreamy, soothing and relaxing, such as the marias, clairo, mazzy star

probably just wears makeup that was either taught and implemented to her by her mom, or was simply recommended to her when she first started going to skincare/makeup stores

prefers androgynous clothes with limited/unison patterns and solid prints

probably got into smoking after she tried it at some event/party/gathering that she was dragged to, and found herself actually relaxed by the solitary nature of it (kids don't smoke though pls she is literally fictional)

also I do kinda feel like she's gotten stoned before LMFAOOOO I could definitely see her not minding sharing a joint with her friends when they hang out, since she knows she can trust them

doesn't ever curse unless completely enraged or horny lmao

probably doesn't drink due to having been brought up religious and the habit of avoiding it, as well as feeling uncomfortable about potentially having her sense of control lessened in a public space

actually loves watching mysteries and thrillers and trying to solve things as the plot plays out (convinced that films like knives out have her busting in her pants)

genuinely has a love for learning?? was probably a total geek throughout elementary school to uni, and has a genuine fascination for a variety of subjects and topics

I definitely see her as being into cultural studies (based on her comment to carter about how dolls are used in different cultures), mythology, folklore, and religion/theology

genuinely likes solid and simplistic styles when it comes to stationery and her home (though the latter is definitely influenced by having felt stifled in her mother's house for so long)

I don't think she's shy, per say, but rather just overwhelmed and uncomfortable when it comes to navigating social situations and masking

can see her being really sentimental... often feels like an outcast, so connective interactions with other people, like with ruby, and relationships, are things she immensely appreciates, as well as physical mementos of such outings and moments

[comicaurora]

Have you ever notices the weird trait that a lot of the mytic Greek monsters are decendents, or otherwise related to posiden (all sea beasts, cyclops, medusa, minotaur ect) were mostly slain by children of zeus? The rest of the mytic Greek hero's mostly slayed children of typhon and echidna.

Do you think this is somthing to do with the fact that posiden used to the ruler of mychnain pantheon, and zuse took over, so the mytology reflected this by having posiden monster children slain by the heroic children of zeus?

Have you ever noticed any similar patters in mythology involving the chainge of the dominat god?

It's hard to say! The Mycenaean pantheon is very poorly understood since we don't have anything like the corpus of literature we have from Archaic Greece, and as far as I can tell it's mostly been reconstructed from ledgers and the equivalent of receipts - this many jars of stuff to the temple of this god in this region, etc etc. And the idea that Poseidon was central - while apparently widely accepted - doesn't really tell us how Poseidon was characterized back in those days, or how (or if) things shifted to be Zeus-centric later on.

And in the broad scale, it's hard to know for sure if a pantheon's myths reflect an actual shift in what the dominant/central god being worshipped was, or if something else was going on. Mythology rarely maps one-to-one to the historical events it was running in parallel to. There are lots of mythologies with god wars or former leaders of the gods being replaced - Tyr with Odin, Nuada with Lugh, Ra getting merged with a half-dozen different gods to give them his oomph and authority at various times - and it's not clear when a god conflict reflects a real religious shift in who's being worshipped and when it's something else. For instance, classical Greek mythology has loads of themes of sons usurping fathers, starting with Kronos usurping Ouranos and followed by Zeus usurping Kronos - but it doesn't seem like Kronos was historically worshipped in the time before Zeus or anything that simple and clean. Kronos doesn't seem to pre-exist that space of mythology at all.

However, there are tidbits in Greek mythology where a god kills a monster and takes up residence in their place of power, like Apollo killing Python - a monstrous child of Gaia that seems to have potentially been actually worshipped for oracular reasons before Apollo showed up and took over, which would make it a mythical parallel to a real shift in local religious practices. Although again, that is very hard to confirm (and some of the researchers who think that seem to wanna believe it because it very conveniently lets them tie it in with the bible)

this kind of thing is why the deep-dives are my favorite kind of nightmare to subject myself to

So it's hard to say if a myth of a conflict between gods reflects a real-world conflict between religious practices, but all that said, that is a very interesting pattern to note - that Poseidon is more consistently a father of monsters, while Zeus is almost universally a father of heroes.

[journeytothewestresearch]

PSA - Don't Treat JTTW As Modern Fiction

This is a public service announcement reminding JTTW fans to not treat the work as modern fiction. The novel was not the product of a singular author; instead, it's the culmination of a centuries-old story cycle informed by history, folklore, and religious mythology. It's important to remember this when discussing events from the standard 1592 narrative.

Case in point is the battle between Sun Wukong and Erlang. A friend of a friend claims with all their heart that the Monkey King would win in a one-on-one battle. They cite the fact that Erlang requires help from other Buddho-Daoist deities to finish the job. But this ignores the religious history underlying the conflict. I explained the following to my acquaintance:

I hate to break it to you [name of person], but Erlang would win a million times out of a million. This is tied to religious mythology. Erlang was originally a hunting deity in Sichuan during the Han (202 BCE-220 CE), but after receiving royal patronage during the Later Shu (934-965) and Song (960-1279), his cult grew to absorb the mythos of other divine heroes. This included the story of Yang Youji, an ape-sniping archer, leading to Erlang's association with quelling primate demons. See here for a broader discussion. This is exemplified by a 13th-century album leaf painting. The deity (right) oversees spirit-soldiers binding and threatening an ape demon (left).

Erlang was connected to the JTTW story cycle at some point, leading to a late-Yuan or early-Ming zaju play called The God Erlang Captures the Great Sage Equaling Heaven (二郎神鎖齊天大聖). In addition, The Precious Scroll of Erlang (二郎寳卷, 1562), a holy text that predates the 1592 JTTW by decades, states that the deity defeats Monkey and tosses him under Tai Mountain. So it doesn't matter how equal their battle starts off in JTTW, or that other deities join the fray, Erlang ultimately wins because that is what history and religion expects him to do. And as I previously mentioned, Erlang has royal patronage. This means he was considered an established god in dynastic China. Sun Wukong, on the other hand, never received this badge of legitimacy. This was no doubt because he's famous for rebelling against the Jade Emperor, the highest authority. No human monarch in their right mind would publicly support that. Therefore, you can look at the Erlang-Sun Wukong confrontation as an established deity submitting a demon.

I'm sad to say that my acquaintance immediately ignored everything I said and continued debating the subject based on the standard narrative. That's when I left the conversation. It's clear that they don't respect the novel; it's nothing more than fodder for battleboarding.

I understand their mindset, though. I love Sun Wukong more than just about anyone. I too once believed that he was the toughest, the strongest, and the fastest. But learning more about the novel and its multifaceted influences has opened my eyes. I now have a deeper appreciation for Monkey and his character arc. Sure, he's a badass, but he's not an omnipotent deity in the story. There is a reason that the Buddha so easily defeats him.

In closing, please remember that JTTW did not develop in a vacuum. It may be widely viewed around the world as "fiction," but it's more of a cultural encyclopedia of history, folklore, and religious mythology. Realizing this and learning more about it ultimately helps explain why certain things happen in the tale.

[schizoidvision]

8 Ways The Schizoid 'Dark Side' May Manifest...

One of the aspects of Schizoid Personality Disorder (SzPD) that is not often fully understood or explored in mainstream literature is how its darker side manifests. Schizoid traits include detachment from social relationships, emotional coldness, and a preference for solitary activities. However, the inner subjective world of a schizoid is far more complex, often shaped by existential questioning that may lead to the emergence of dark thoughts. Here are 8 ways the dark side of schizoid personality disorder may manifest:

1. Existential Angst and Nihilism

Schizoids frequently experience existential angst—an overwhelming sense that life is meaningless or devoid of value. This feeling stems from their emotional detachment and depersonalization, a dissociative state where individuals feel detached from their thoughts, emotions, or body, contributing to a diminished sense of self. Their isolation can exacerbate this realization, leading them to question the purpose of life, existence, and even society's worth. This existential questioning can lead to nihilism, where they believe that nothing in life truly matters.

2. Compulsive Thinking and Obsessive Thoughts

Due to their low levels of external engagement, schizoids may find themselves overthinking or becoming stuck in compulsive thinking loops. These can range from abstract philosophical ideas to dark fantasies involving destruction, death, or control. The schizoid's isolated mind becomes a fertile ground for obsessive thoughts that may reinforce their sense of alienation and mental fragmentation.

3. Dark Fantasies and Escapism

Schizoids often turn to elaborate fantasies as a coping mechanism. For some, these fantasies may involve dark themes like violence, control, or revenge. These fantasies serve as a form of mental escape and may be used to process their sense of powerlessness and emotional distance from the rest of society. However, despite the intensity of these fantasies, schizoids generally maintain strong reality testing and do not act on them.

4. Obsessions with Dark Themes

Schizoids may become fixated on dark, symbolic themes such as death, destruction, or horror. Horror films, dark mythology, and grim philosophical ideas can resonate with their internal conflicts and existential anxieties, often linked to unconscious feelings and conflicts beneath the surface. These obsessions allow them to explore their darker emotions and unresolved traumas from a safe distance.

5. Childhood Trauma and the Fragmented Self

Many schizoids have a fragmented sense of self, often tied to childhood trauma or emotional neglect. This dark part of their psyche can be rooted in internalized negative emotions or negative influences from mistreatment by early caregivers. This unresolved trauma can resurface as dark thoughts, fantasies, or feelings of alienation from others.

6. Emotional Detachment and Confrontation with Dark Realities

One of the hallmarks of schizoid personality disorder is emotional detachment. This detachment allows schizoids to confront harsh or "dark" truths about life without the emotional distress that others may experience. Schizoids use intellectualization as a defense mechanism to avoid emotional distress by focusing on logical reasoning or abstract thought. Therefore, they may intellectualize and rationalize difficult realities, adopting a cold, analytical stance on issues like suffering, death, and human nature.

7. Identification with Dark Fictional and Mythological Characters

Schizoids may find a unique resonance with dark fictional characters or mythological figures, such as vampires, who embody isolation, emotional detachment, and a life on the fringes of society. These characters often symbolize themes of immortality, existential loneliness, and the struggle between the self and the external world—concepts that deeply align with the schizoid's inner experience.

8. Religious and Philosophical Escapism

Some schizoids may turn to religious beliefs, spiritual practices, or philosophical systems as a way to create meaning in their lives and to stave off the darker thoughts of nihilism. These belief systems help them build a more positively focused internal world that provides comfort and distance from existential despair.

Summary…

While not all schizoids experience a "dark side," those who do often deal with complex internal conflicts that involve existential questioning, dark fantasies, and compulsive thinking. The manifestations of these darker aspects are largely influenced by their level of functioning, personal history, and coping mechanisms. For most, these thoughts remain safely contained within the imagination, although they may become a recurrent part of their internal experience. Understanding these manifestations can help in recognizing the unique challenges that schizoid individuals face, and how they navigate a world that often feels empty or alien to them.

Video From My Youtube Channel: The Dark Side of Being Schizoid

[todorokies]

what is a youth - suguru geto

contents: nsfw, nipple play, dry humping, fem!reader, reader cums from nipple simulation, japanese mythology/supernatural, religious themes, suguru is sooo inlove with the reader

a/n: like the nerd i am, i did some research to make this as accurate as possible (and added my own touches), … inspired by the song what is a youth by joanna wang

scorching summers in japan were infamously known for the season of yūrei. eerie unsettling tall-tales get told and passed down to different generations for the mere purpose of inciting fear or a sense of comfort to ease the erratic mind about the afterlife. that their loved ones’ life doesn’t necessarily end once the heart stops pumping blood, that they linger between purgatory and the real world, attempting to tie up loose ends and reassure the mourning family that they will visit again under the divine moonlight at the yearly obon festival.

some yūreis are cursed with misfortune, leading their demise to be tragic which prevents them at a peaceful crossover. allowing their blackened soul to harbour animosity and haunt their unofficial gravesite and those who dare to step a foot near. these types are called onryō.

onryō, funayūrei, zashiki-warashi; suguru believe it’s all a load of bullshit. he prides himself as a practical man, favouring facts over fiction, listening to his head and not his heart when difficult situations arises while still displaying sympathy for others.

he can’t help but wonder why people choose to believe in such things. why subject your own mind to horrors that don’t have a reliable source? it’s not as if those who’ve encountered a spirit are still present in society to tell the tale. nonetheless, suguru isn’t the type of man to argue about beliefs. he’s content with people picking and choosing what to believe in and who to follow as influences, so long nobody gets hurt in the process.

he doesn’t believe in angels, spirits, or someone higher up, however, when you come strolling in the shared living room with a frown so indented on your face he almost stood up faster than his feet could process to kiss your sorrows away. to melt at your feet and oblige to every command that utters from your soft pillowy lips like you’re a transcription of a newfound religion.

you started rambling about how your body is going through a phase where everything is heightened. —ovulation is what you called it, due to it, your boobs are much more tender and plum which is causing you discomfort.

“help me feel better?” sweetness coats your tone. that was that you had to say to make suguru swiftly settle you in his lap with big hands finding residence at the curve of your hips. he’s so infatuated that it’s almost sickening. with the way you shiver under his fox-like gaze desire impetuously bubbles in the pit of his stomach. suguru feels something sinister albeit soothing take over his usual laidback persona . . . you both had an itch that he’s willing to scratch.

“may i?” he gestures to your black laced tank top. even with such impure thoughts coursing throughout him, he stills finds the courtesy to ask permission to please you.

you nod eagerly which results in his hands to tug downwards at your tank top making your perky tits pop out. suguru nearly sobs at the mere sight, unabashedly ogling at your round breasts your nipples are already growing hard from the cool ventilation in the area. you slightly squirm from the unneeded staring.

“don’t hide yourself from me my love, they’re beautiful. you’re beautiful.” he uses his thumbs to create circular motions on your nipples then leans down to attach his hot mouth onto your hardened bud circling around it whilst occupying his free hand to massage your left tit. the fat spilling out of the crevices of his large hand, you can’t help but to throw your head back as a broken moan escapes your mouth. you’re already getting ruined and he has just begun.

his tongue flattens against you hollowing out his cheeks to loudly suck, suckling and wet slurping sounds evade the silent night along with heavy panting. his sharp teeth gently tugs at your nipple. he has completely lost himself within the burning clouds of lust as he watched you crumple against him angelically like withering rose petals.

are worshippers suppose to indulge in such lewd acts to please their gods? what values separate a sinner and a worshipper, how similar are their beliefs and what differentiates them?

a hiss abruptly rings through his ears, “too rough..” you whine weakly. your hips gain momentum as you rock yourself back and forth on his clothed crotch to ease the bone-aching throb between your legs, already feeling slick accumulate in your panties meantime, your hands nested snug against the nape of his neck.

“‘m sorry darling, jus’ got too carried away…” he slurred his words like an unfortunate drunk, pulling away from your swollen nipple with a thin string of saliva following along. using his thumb and forefingers he begins to softly pinch your bubs, twisting and turning them to get a needed reaction.

“does that feel good? too soft or too rough?” suguru doesn’t even pay attention to the words trembling out of his own mouth; too damn hypnotized by your fucked out expression as you now mindlessly grinding on him. your lips are chapped, chest heaving, hair disheveled, and moans exuding out of your throat like rapid-fire. you looked like a dream.

“y-yes it’s perfect! so damn perfect.” suguru swears that through his half lidded eyes he sees a glowing aura cascade around your body as if you were an entity. an elegant glow that lightly illuminates the dim living room.

has your entire existence consumed every corner of his mind to the point of seeing hallucinations? is he able to formulate a single thought without you being present in the back of his mind?

“oh m-my goddd! mmh shit, feels s’good…” your hips stutter while riding out your high desperately grasping to his shoulders for stability with your panties now drenched and sticky. you bow your head down to place your entire face in the cook of your boyfriend’s neck, visibly embarrassed of basically cumming untouched like a virgin.

a breathless chuckle falls flat in the air, “no need to feel embarrassed you did so well for me.” suguru doesn’t believe in angels, spirits, or a god higher up nor has he thought about life after death.

he hadn’t made a will yet, written an epitaph, he’s unsure of what kind of flowers he’d like at his own funeral but he swears to whomever that you were personally made for him. sculptured with such tenderness and precise movements under scrutiny to be perfectly gifted to him with a giant bow.

but what he is sure of, is that he would follow you to the afterlife and beyond without doubt. he could wait a century or three just to reunite with you.

he also swears, in that very moment, he had gotten possessed by the spirit of takahama and that you were his bewitching white butterfly; akiko.

reblogs & feedback is extremely appreciated !! <3 here is the referenced white butterfly folktale

[janeacular]

Every MLP character is Pagan

my proof? Friendship is magic. they celebrate solstices and equinoxes. their queen is named Celestia and her sister is named luna. Twilight is teaching herself magic while idolizing a wizard from ancient times and working under the pony representation of THE SUN. And Everypony has a connection with nature; Watch winter wrap up and try to deny it. So here are my headcanons for the mane six coven squeee Twilight Sparkle –  The most historically knowledgeable, she collects ancient texts and makes comprehensible lessons for her friends during the solstices and equinoxes. Very structured and routine practices.  Wants to visit Stonehenge for midsummer but also wants to visit Kukulcan for the descent of the serpent. Hasn’t gone to either because every year when the holiday comes around she becomes indecisive and just stays home. Struggles with divination Pinkie pie – Strongest in the group at divination, takes care of her tarot card deck like it’s a baby crocodile, never misses a holiday or full moon for the chance at a party in celebration. Tried to keep a grimoire but failed when she forgot about it and baked it into a cake. Huge energy witch. Is on the lookout for signs from a deity but can’t seem to figure out who’s calling to her. Or even from what mythology. Talks to the deity out loud despite this. Fluttershy –  A hex from her could be life destroying due to her connection with animals and nature, hasn’t used this power on anybody. She has wards at the boarders of her property and cleanses the space almost obsessively to keep herself and her pets safe. Knows how to tea read. Has some mind reading capabilities for close friends, it’s a side effect from being able to effortlessly read the minds of her animals. Uses healing spells when her familiar (angel) is sick Rarity – is the most aesthetically pleasing and meticulously perfect witch, best altars in town, either works with Aphrodite or really really wanted to before realizing a different deity was reaching out to her. Has both a grimoire that she keeps up to date and a manifestations journal that she holds with even higher regard. Doesn’t keep candles without jars due to the mess. Knows so much about crystal magic that even twilight asks her about the subject. Rainbowdash – Would describe herself as “non practicing” but is so superstitious it’s disruptive. Would participate in any celebration or ritual her friends asked her to, but doesn’t usually think about doing much else outside of just ~feeling~ pagan. Has had her most powerful religious experiences in the air. Claims it’s no big deal that she works with Nike but her altar is the only clean spot in rainbowdash’s house. When confronted she claims it’s for “luck” during races and that she doesn’t even do deity work. Applejack – Has family-specific practices that are closed off to others. Shockingly devout. Her and fluttershy share the same connection with nature. Doesn’t know the “official” terminology for what she does, butts heads with twilight when she tries to be analytical about apple’s practices. Is teaching pinkie how to be a kitchen witch, that’s going exactly how you’d expect. Little sister wanted to have an alter in the house, when she eventually didn’t like how it came out applejack told her that great apple Acres is their family’s altar.

[blueiscoool]

2,600-Year-Old Artifacts Found at Ancient Greek Cult Center

Around 2,600 years ago, the Greek city of Helike was destroyed when a violent earthquake and tsunami struck the region, leaving the city buried.

Archaeologists and researchers have pursued explorations of the city’s remains for decades, and recent excavations have begun uncovering more about Helike’s cult center, according to a news release from Greece’s Ministry of Culture.

Previous excavations of the site revealed an arched temple dating between 710 and 700 B.C., with a brick altar dating to 760 to 750 B.C., officials said. The latest round of excavations, from May 2 until June 23, focused on the remains of two more buildings and more religious remains.

Experts said the first building they explored dates to the eighth century B.C. It had pressed soil floors and an approximately 60- to 65-foot-long wall, and it appears to have been used in three different phases.

The remains of the second building included a temple-shaped stone foundation dating to the seventh7 or sixth century B.C., officials said.

It was filled with light pottery dating to the Archaic era — which lasted from around 800 B.C. until 479 B.C., according to the World History Encyclopedia — as well as clay figurines and a bronze snake head, archaeologists said. A clay wing that belonged to a depiction of a mythological figure was also found during the excavations.

East of the two buildings, researchers unearthed a number of artifacts dating to the eighth and ninth centuries B.C. Experts said these discoveries confirm the use of the space for religious purposes as early as 850 B.C.

Among their finds, archaeologists identified offerings to the sanctuary’s deity — Poseidon— including clay and bronze figurines, clay chariot wheels, bronze buckles and pins, iron weapons and a rare piece of a golden necklace, according to officials. Evidence of a second deity was also found at the site.

The building remains also revealed that the area was subjected to frequent floods, experts said. This finding indicates that its residents felt a connection to the area because rather than relocating, they continued to build and rebuild the site.

Archaeologists said they also found evidence of animal sacrifices, including goats, sheep and pigs, at the site. There was also indications of grape plant remains, pointing to the importance of wine for rituals at the sanctuary.

Helike was on the southwest shore of the Gulf of Corinth, according to the Helike Project. The Gulf of Corinth is about 66 miles northwest of Athens.

By Moira Ritter.

[venusiancharisma]

Traditional Orphic Hymns: Mythology

Have you ever heard of an Orphic Hymn? If you haven't, here is a little background...

An Orphic Hymn is a type of devotional poetry that was used in the religious practices of ancient Greece, particularly in the mystery cults associated with the mythical poet and prophet Orpheus. These hymns were believed to have been composed by Orpheus himself, although the actual authorship is unknown and they were likely written by various poets over time.

Orphic Hymns are characterized by their invocations to specific deities, as well as their use of mystical language and symbolism. Each hymn is dedicated to a particular god, goddess, or abstract concept, and they often include epithets, attributes, and mythological references associated with the subject of the hymn.

In ancient Greek religion, Orphic Hymns were used as part of ritual practices, such as:

Invocation: The hymns were recited or sung to call upon the presence of a deity and to request their blessings, guidance, or protection.

Worship: They were used as a means of honoring and praising the gods, expressing devotion, and strengthening the connection between the worshippers and the divine.

Initiation: In mystery cults, such as the Orphic or Eleusinian Mysteries, the hymns may have been used as part of the initiation process, helping to guide initiates through the symbolic journey and impart sacred knowledge.

Contemplation: The rich symbolism and enigmatic language of the hymns could serve as a tool for spiritual contemplation, allowing practitioners to delve deeper into the mysteries of the divine and the nature of the universe.

In modern times, Orphic Hymns continue to be studied by scholars of ancient religion and literature. They are also used by some contemporary spiritual practitioners, particularly those involved in Hellenic polytheism or other forms of paganism, as a means of connecting with the Greek gods and goddesses and as a tool for personal spiritual growth and ritual practice.

How is it used?...

Here is a traditional Orphic Hymn to Hecate, translated from the ancient Greek text:

"Hecate, bearer of light, who holds the keys, Goddess of the crossroads, revered and mighty, In the sky, on earth, and in the sea, You dwell in the souls of the dead. Chthonic and Celestial, you are the beginning and the end, Alone you wield the scepter of command. You favor the brave in battle, And in the contests, you grant the prize. You nurture the young, you give abundance in good measure, And when life ends, to you we go. Hail, Goddess, and attend your supplicants with favor, With joyful heart and gracious to our prayers."

This hymn is used to invoke and honor Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and crossroads. The hymn highlights her various roles and attributes:

It addresses Hecate as a "bearer of light," referring to her association with torches and illumination, both literal and metaphorical.

The hymn emphasizes Hecate's liminality, as she presides over crossroads and thresholds, and is connected to the realms of the living and the dead.

It acknowledges her power and influence in all spheres - the sky, earth, and sea - and her role as a psychopomp, guiding souls in the afterlife.

The hymn also recognizes Hecate as a goddess of abundance, bravery, and nurturing, reflecting her complex and multifaceted nature.

In ritual practice, this hymn would be recited as a means of calling upon Hecate's presence, seeking her blessings, and honoring her power. It might be used in magical workings, especially those related to transition, transformation, or communication with the dead. The hymn could also be recited as part of a devotional practice, as a way of expressing reverence for Hecate and strengthening the practitioner's connection to her energy and mysteries.

Other Orphic Hymn God's & Goddesses you can invoke:

Here are 38 traditional Orphic Hymns, each dedicated to a different Greek deity or concept:

To Hecate

To Prothyraia

To Night

To Heaven

To Aether

To Protogonos

To the Stars

To the Sun

To the Moon

To Nature

To Pan

To Hercules

To Dionysus

To the Curetes

To Athena

To Victory

To Asclepius

To Health

To the Seasons

To the Fates

To the Graces

To Themis

To Nemesis

To Justice

To Equity

To Law

To Mars

To Vulcan

To Esculapius

To Hygeia

To the Furies

To the Fates

To the Graces

To Prosperine

To Bacchus

To Mercury

To the Muses

To Memory

Please note that these are the titles of the Orphic Hymns, and each hymn has its own unique text in ancient Greek. The exact content and length of each hymn vary, with some being more extensive than others. These hymns were used in ancient Greek ritual worship and are attributed to the legendary poet Orpheus, though their actual authorship is unknown.

[myvirtuesuncounted]

why pjo's portrayal of the greek gods is fucked up and how it's affected perceptions surrounding ancient Greece.

*breaks down the door to your inbox with an axe*

start talking now oh my god I want to hear your hot take so bad. I've been interested in religious studies (primarily the Hellenistic and early Roman religious atmosphere (of course acknowledging that the word religion is post-Enlightenment and conceives of supernatural belief as a subjective individual belief, which is inconsistent with how supernatural matters were dealt with in the Ancient world) and how they intersect with early Christianity and proto-Christianity) and I've been fascinated with the Greek gods and I need your hot take on why their portrayal is wrong and leads to incorrect assumptions about Ancient Greece.

oh you bet your bottom dollar i will talk about this. true to the post from which this originated, i will prep no material and all this is off the top of my head so don't quote me!

If you follow my Greek mythology sideblog, you'll know i am unequivocally a Zeus defender. Now I can make a million posts about Zeus alone but I will take a more holistic approach on the gods in general and the perception of Ancient Greece.

The West has been obsessed with Ancient Greece for centuries: the culture, philosophy, history, mythology, mathematical and scientific advancements, and much more. Now it's one thing to take interest in a country's history or a historical era; it is completely another to claim it as your own and make it an ideal state of life to achieve, because if you know literally anything about Ancient Greece, it was anything but. What I'm trying to say here is that Ancient Greek culture has been commodified, glorified, rewritten, and reclaimed by the West when it was never theirs to do so. I've often seen this sentiment expressed by Greeks about their homeland: "The history comes first, the people second." I think a prime modern example of this mindset was when same-sex marriage was legalised in Greece, which was a huge step forward for an Orthodox country with an extensive history of homophobia, but people outside of Greece began making jokes of Greece "returning to their own values" (referring to Ancient Greek practices of pederasty which is hugely problematic and not at all representative of any gay rights if you know what it entails) and people excited to "finally hold lesbian weddings in Lesbos" (signifying the West's perception of Greece as simply a tourist hotspot and not a country with an intricate history and culture). In short, Greece is already unfairly used for the West's agenda of glorification and attempts to build itself a culture that frankly isn't theirs at all.

Now, how does this involve pjo? A lot, my friends, a fucking lot. The publication and popularity of the Percy Jackson series has simply exacerbated all the aforementioned issues in this post. First off, the worldbuilding on which The Lightning Thief relied and the rest of the series ultimately holds is that "Olympus moves with the centre of Western power", which is just. Wow. There are a million things wrong with this concept that would need its own post, so I recommend this article called The Whitening Thief that essentially explains the white supremacy of it all. If you do not want to read the full article, the main premise is that the Percy Jackson series equates Westernism with civilisation and that without it there was "chaos and darkness", which as Paule describes it, is "sipping at a pretty racist cocktail".

note: I have realised how aggressively off-topic this is to the original statement I made, I'm getting there, I promise (although I did warn you it was something I could talk on for hours with little material)

Let's finally delve into the depiction of Greek gods in Percy Jackson. I'll actually start on a bit of a positive note that apart from the weird (for lack of a better term) comparisons of Hades to Adolf Hitler, the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians had some okay characterisation of the gods (I have some reservations about the goddesses on which I will elaborate later). They're prideful and neglectful parents (the myths actually contradict that latter part but I digress) but each with their own complexities and concerns. To use Zeus as an example because he's actually the god who falls short the most in terms of consistent characterisation in my opinion, he lets Percy live in TLT "for the sake of peace in [his] family", indicating a care and sense of duty for Olympus and for his fellow gods, and while he lets his pride and paranoia get the better of him at times, he is shown as a serious authority figure and someone who's trying to keep his realm together, and such characteristics wouldn't be too far off from his mythical counterpart.

But as the series progresses, either Rick got lazy or he attempted to further capitalise his work to make it more palpable, he turns the gods into caricatures by excessively inflating one characteristic they may have into their entire personalities. Returning to Zeus, his paranoia is amplified to an absurd extent that one can simply not fathom why the gods would be the better option than the Titans. As I said initially, he had bouts of paranoia that would be almost normal for someone with such a powerful position, but this is completely derailing any connection with his mythological counterpart, he may as well be an OC with the same name and title as him. To use other gods as an example because I promised a holistic approach and I have seemed to only talk about Zeus (sorry!), the writing of the goddesses Hera, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Athena is simply misogynistic. I'm sorry, there is no other way I can find myself to describe it. Typically feminine goddesses Hera and Aphrodite are extremely demonised and condemned for their flaky and vain attitude; Hera is the evil stepmother archetype and Aphrodite ultimately becomes weak and useless. The "virgin" (quotations referring to Athena) goddesses Artemis and Athena also don't seem to extend past superficial, unoriginal characteristics like being a vehement man-hater who kicked out two sapphics from the Hunt and a goddess who Rick stops at nothing to render her a horrible parent and person (using the Roman myth of Medusa, exaggerating her prideful nature, etc) respectively. And you cannot tell me they're not misogynistic portrayals because just a few minutes on pjo tiktok will show you just how many times Hera is referred to as a bitch (keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!!). Then there is TOA and COTG, which makes me want to cry just thinking about Zeus' portrayal there (yes we're going back there). The god who was consistently thought of as a gracious, protective saviour of the people in Ancient Greece (full list of epithets of Zeus, read at your leisure) is an abusive autocratic tyrant?

To go back onto the topic, how do Riordan's works affect the overall perception of Ancient Greece? Well, as I said before, it contributes to the white supremacist view of Ancient Greece as the epitome of civilisation and the glorification of the era, but it also turns Ancient Greece into a fandom to an extreme extent. Now, obviously, I'm not talking about people with a healthy obsession with Ancient Greek history and Mythology (myself included) who like to engage in content about it. I'm talking about people who claim Ancient Greece as an extension of Western, mostly American culture, and ultimately engage in a form of cultural appropriation that strips Greeks of their own history and narrative. This includes writing 'feminist' retellings of Greek myths, taking Riordan's (inaccurate) readings of the mythology as indisputable fact, and removing the myths from their historical and cultural context. People forget that much of these myths were stories written for entertainment and take them as a sort of Hellenic Bible (which delves into the Christianisation of Greek Mythology but that's a whole other post). In short, Westerners think they can do whatever the fuck they want with Greek mythology and Greek gods because they think it's theirs with which to play around, ultimately ignoring the country, history, and the culture from which they actually originate, and it's thanks to Rick Riordan that this attitude has blown up to an insane extent.

*sighs* Thank you for coming to my TedTalk and I seriously admire you if you made it this far.

[asa-do-your-thing]

Not me getting excited with your prospective fics, adding them like i'm carrying a shopping cart 💀😂

- Otto with a corruption kink finds out his object of desire is Married and has severe cognitive dissonance (this sounds so interesting)

- Criston x F Reader but ancient Greek mythology (i stan one problematic misogynist)

- Jace fucking reader in the rain (outdoors?!?! F yeah)

- Cregan tries to gift you a direwolf only to find out that the direwolf has separation anxiety (uwu time! 🥺)

Haha thank you for your enthusiasm! I cannot write all at once (so just keep an eye out for the rest ;) ) but here is your Gilf ficlet:

"My Marble Statue "

Otto Hightower x F! Reader - 18+ MINORS DNI

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: Sex/Smut, fellatio, fingering, big age gap, power imbalance, otto is the main character so automatic misogyny warning, implied violence, religion, abuse of power, dubcon, alcohol

Otto Hightower, the King’s Hand, was a man in his sixties, whose days were normally spent at court, advising the King and, essentially, ruling the country on his behalf. He had been appointed to his post for many years and was respected and feared by all who knew him.

At court, Otto was accustomed to being surrounded by beautiful ladies, draped in luxurious fabrics and vying for the Princes’ attention. Although he had grown used to life as a widower and taking a new bride had never truly been on his mind; most young women would seemingly resist his ideal of a perfect, modest and religious wife. But one day, Otto's gaze locked with that of an unfamiliar woman. She seemed to be of a lower station than the others, possibly a lady-in-waiting or courtier’s daughter. She was much younger than the other ladies, yet her features were aglow with an innocent beauty that left Otto utterly captivated.

He felt himself drawn to her, as if an unseen force were pulling him closer and closer. He watched with rapt attention as she moved around the court, her every movement bewitching in its grace and elegance. Her conversations were polite yet restrained, her eyes flitting quickly away whenever a man drew close to her. In the light of day, she stood in the sept like a marble statue - a beautiful image of piety and modesty. His breath caught as he noticed that her eyes were dark like coal, her hair even darker as it ran down her back like ink spilled from a quill. Every fiber of his being yearned for her, but she was beyond reach; it stirred something inside him - a fire that had been smoldering for ages, pulsing through every vein in his body until it all rushed at once to his loins and pressed urgently against the fabric of his breeches.

He felt the irresistible pull of attraction towards her as he saw her in court. He knew it was wrong—she was so young and innocent, and he was the King’s Hand sworn to serve justice with a calm impartiality. Yet despite knowing that their relationship would be difficult, if not impossible, Otto could not deny his hunger for her. The days that followed brought him more difficulty than ever before, as Otto found himself continually yearning for her and made every effort to speak with her without letting his desires take over. With each conversation, he did his best to keep his thoughts on virtuous matters, though he still noticed the curves of her body as she moved.

He was amazed at how quickly she seemed to take to him, and all too soon, his heart felt like it was taking flight. He had not expected to find himself in a situation such as this, but his feelings for her were too strong for him to ignore. He continued to fight against his feelings, knowing that he must remain a loyal subject to the King, but he could not deny the deep love and lust he felt for the woman he had only just met.

One night, after years of unspoken desire, Otto could no longer contain his urge to propose. Yet when he arrived at the young woman's chambers, he found her intoxicated with other ladies of the court. His heart was heavy as he swept her away from imminent danger and carried her into her bedroom, quickly dismissing the other young girls. The moment they entered, his breath was taken away by the room - a star-studded ceiling depicting heavenly scenes; walls adorned with tapestries of legendary battles and mythical creatures; a giant bed draped in velvet curtains of blue and green. Otto couldn't help but feel an undeniable tension between them as he set her on her feet with tenderness.

He was enthralled by her beauty, his heart racing as he took in every exquisite detail - from her porcelain skin that looked like polished ivory, to her lips that were like perfect rosebuds. "Thank you so much, Ser Otto...," she whispered sweetly and flashed him a small smile, before kicking off her slippers and laying down on the bed. All thoughts of proposing had been forgotten, replaced with an uncontrollable desire to take her right then and there. "May... may I help you with anything, my Lord?", she asked shyly, looking at him with the most tantalizing doe-eyed gaze he had ever seen.

Giving in to his primal urge, he stepped closer and grabbed her head between his hands, pulling her into a passionate kiss. "Lay down, I need you. I need your eyes to look at me like your sweetheart; I need your whispers to call out my name, I need you..." he growled hungrily, pushing up her dress to expose her pale hips which he kissed fervently, leaving thick red marks as evidence of his hunger.

Otto spread her trembling legs wider and hissed in pleasure as his fingers slid easily into her slick sweetness. He murmured into her mouth, "It seems you need me too...", his voice deep and urgent. With a steady rhythm his tongue explored her eager lips while his fingers stroked her deeper, faster. His breathing grew ragged as he savored every moan that escaped from her. "Gods, you are so tight...my innocent, beautiful girl," he murmured between desperate kisses, delighting in the way she melted for him.

He felt her powers pulling him in as she tugged him onto the bed, next to her. There was no hesitation, no room for doubt. "Otto, please don't stop.." She purred and enveloped him in a tight embrace. Quickly undoing his breeches, he nodded at her. "Strip down, my Lady, I must feast my eyes on your perfect body..."

With one fluid motion, the dress was off her shoulders and she lay flat on the bed beside him, being pulled inexorably towards his throbbing manhood. His voice quavered as he murmured in her ear "I need to feel your soft lips encase me." Unable to answer with words, he simply nodded as she tenderly took him into her hands and gazed up at him with searching eyes. "Can I?", she asked softly while tracing circles around his moist tip. Even now she was kind and humble...

In this moment, Otto felt like a god among gods. His body hummed with pleasure as the young woman beneath him looked up with wide eyes begging for more. He could feel her mouth around his manhood and the soft wetness of her tongue - he wanted to stay in this bliss forever. He tightened his grip on her head and deepened the penetration while she let out a loud moan that shivered through every inch of his aroused body. His pleasure surged and threatened to overwhelm him but he wouldn't give in just yet.

He tightly gripped her soft hips with his hands and dragged her body against his hard warmth. His eyes seared into her, smoldering with hunger as he breathed the words "Do you want me inside you?" against her lips. She shuddered in desire and nodded eagerly, arching herself up to meet him. With a deep guttural moan, Otto positioned himself between her quivering legs and thrust himself into her tightness. The pleasure was almost unbearable but they both felt it course through their veins as he slowly moved back and forth. His voice was low and commanding now: "Take me, my little dove, I know you can... Be good for me..."

From the moment he entered her, his instinctive desire drove him to move beyond what he thought was possible. Her warmth enveloped him, consuming his mind and shutting out everything else. The only thing that filled his being was her delicate scent and velvet skin, hearing her heavenly moans as she clung tightly to him with each thrust. As his climax grew closer, he knew he should have pulled away to release on the bed, but he could not resist the deep, quivering heat inside her. When his climax arrived, a loud cry of her name burst from him before he collapsed onto her exhausted body, trapping her beneath his own.

Having caught his breath, she gently pushed him to the side and quickly threw on her dress again and grinned. "Husband!", she called towards the other end of the room, where a small door opened and Larys Clubfoot emerged with an even larger smile. "Good evening, Ser Otto."

Otto's post-orgasmic haze quickly cleared as he saw her and Larys together, their hands intertwined with gleaming rings around each of their fingers. Though his mind was still slightly clouded from his encounter, Otto could not help but feel a huge wave of shame as the reality of what had happened sunk in. He had thought she was pure and innocent, but in the end it had been nothing more than a ploy by Larys to get something to hold against him in the future. It seemed she had indeed not been as naive as he'd thought, and this knowledge left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Larys continued smiling at him while the woman who had just moments ago taken his pleasure stood beside him with an air of satisfaction about her. "Congratulations wife, now let us hope that the King's Hand shall be more cautious about his decisions in the future", he said before nodding at Otto and turning away with her on his arm, disappearing again in the hidden caverns below King's Landing. Otto watched them leave, realizing too late that he should have known better than to even consider taking such risks - no matter how tempting they may be. "I shall hang you, you disgusting wretch! Behead you, Clubfoot!", he screamed and buried his face in his hands.

He remained rooted to the spot, his mind in a whirl and an ache in his heart. He had acted so rashly; he was paying the price for his foolishness now. His reputation was fractured, and there was no longer any chance of finding the kind of innocent love that he had always longed for - and yet here he was, feeling nothing but regret at the choices he had made.

Otto promised himself he would never look for love again. He wanted to focus on his own success and reputation, no matter the cost. As he walked away from the room, one thing was certain: what had already happened could not be changed. But despite this vow, thoughts of the mysterious woman lingered in his mind.

[camlannpod]

Hey, if there was someone named James T Kirk in the Camlann apocalypse, would he be able to shoot phasers out of kit bashed hair dryers? What about a Clark Kent? Could he fly? How does the Camlann apocalypse interact with modern myths as opposed to oral traditions?

Hi! So there's an in-universe answer and an out-of-universe answer. In-universe, our gang doesn't know the answer to this question. Telecommunications went down in the first nine days, and stories by their nature are often contradictory, so our gang just don't know enough yet about how this all works to know what it does and doesn't apply to.

Out-of-universe, which is to say the way I write it (and likely something that won't come up explicitly in the show) - the stories have to have been told for the first time orally. They have to be part of an oral tradition that involves many creators and many listeners. The more tellers, listeners and permutations of the story, the more powerful it is. The age of the stories also makes them more powerful, as does their connection to 'the land' - wherever they were first told. They also have to be...organic? They have to have been told for the sake of telling them, not specifically made as a product to be sold.

By all of these rules, anything that was written for a paycheque is pretty much out - which rules out Star Trek and Superman. You can draw a lot of parallels between modern fiction and mythology, for sure, but they do fundamentally serve different purposes and were created for different reasons. A lot of heart and politics went into the creation of Superman, not least combating the rise of fascism. However, he was also created in the first place to sell comic books.

Modern myths that might work better are urban legends - especially older ones that find their roots in the late 1800s or early 1900s. American rural stories about strangers on the road etc. But in that example, again, the age of the story and its connection to the land is always the most important factor. This means that in the US, for example, indigenous folklore and stories are always more powerful than more modern settler ghost stories, and in figurative or literal conflict, the indigenous stories are going to win the toss. Which means that you're a lot less likely to find a creepypasta type creature unless you're in an area that's isolated from any indigenous cultures. Which is obviously going to be hard to find.

*Finally, a note on religion: I do not feel comfortable playing games with real people's real faiths, which is a big part of why we're largely steering clear of religions and religious stories. There's a grey area where religious figures that have also become folk heroes can come into play, specifically leaning on the power they have from folk legend - so Santa, Joan of Arc etc. As a white British woman, I don't feel I have the authority to tell those stories for other cultures. One day I'd love to have a series of mini-episodes where we invite writers from around the world to tackle these subjects. But I'm not going to be the one who writes those stories, because they're not mine to tell.