#source: tribe twelve

[astrxealis]

once again i love ffxiv and think it's so funny that you have magic so much magic but you have Guns. too.

[flawseer]

#18 - "Fire"

Smaugust 2024

The last few submissions have been mostly visual, but today I want to do something more text-based. I'm always looking for opportunities to ramble ad nauseam about my headcanons and thoughts, but am usually hesitant if I don't think I can make a subject interesting or particularly insightful.

A few months back I was playing with the thought of publishing a speculative analysis on Pyrrhian dragon breath weapons, and how they might differ between tribes. I got up to the conceptualization stage, but then @sidyashchiy-na-plakhe came out with a better and more put-together version of what I was thinking about and touched on some similar points, so I filed those plans away to not step on any toes. If you're enjoying this type of deliberation, I recommend that you check out his take, as it is very thoughtfully put together with some cool visuals.

But, seeing as I have no other ideas for this prompt, and since it's been a while since then, I'm going to air out my scrapped draft here. I guess this is a mixture between canon information and headcanons, with a bias toward the latter.

General Information

Each of the seven Pyrrhian tribes is capable of using a kind of orally-discharged means of attack. For the purpose of this deliberation, I am going to refer to all of these as "breath weapons", even though not all of them are activated via exhalation. It will make things easier to talk about.

There are three general factors to each type of breath weapon, those being potency, range, and start-up time. In the case of fire breath--the most ubiquitous type of breath weapon on the continent--these would roughly correlate to the temperature of the flames, how far they can travel from the source while maintaining their shape and intensity, and for how long the fire must be stoked inside of the user before it can be expelled.

How developed these factors are differs for every dragon, but the two biggest determining modifiers are constitution and age. Being physically fit will make your breath weapon more efficient--and thus stronger--because you have better control over your breathing after exertion. As a dragon advances in age, the three factors all increase proportionally. A Mudwing hatchling can produce a puff of flame very quickly, but it will barely heat up the surrounding air. An elder meanwhile might take several minutes to get their fire going, but when they do, the result will be fearsome and devastating.

Fire is the most common element on the continent, with four of the seven tribes being able to command it. I will go through those first and then follow up with the other variants .

Nightwing fire is a dark purple in color, due to a slight variation in the gas component that fuels the flames.

The flames have no particularly outstanding properties strength-wise, but they emit comparatively little light, meaning they don't stand out as much against the night sky. This makes them ideal for low-profile ambushing, but very unsuitable as signal flares.

If a Nightwing ignites an object, the flames will gradually lose this characteristic as they will begin to consume the air around them and turn into ordinary, orange fire.

Nightwing flames are sometimes colloquially referred to as "Moonfire".

Sandwing fire is, on average, the least powerful among all the fire-breathing dragons. In terms of potency and range, flames emitted by a Sandwing of 20 years will be roughly equivalent to those of a twelve-year-old from the other fire-breathing tribes.

Their unique advantage is that Sandwings can produce these flames extremely quickly, usually within seconds. If readying fire takes a dragon 30 seconds, an equivalent Sandwing can do it in 5.

While for most other dragons the use of their breath weapon is a deliberate and calculated affair, the severely reduced start-up time allows Sandwings to "shoot from the hip" without having to commit to the action, making them less predictable in combat.

A popular Sandwing combat technique is to open a fight by blowing a quick plume of weak fire into an opponent's face and then using the resulting distraction to strike with their venomous tails.

Skywings command the strongest and purest variation of fire among all tribes. Their flames come out very straight and can maintain their shape over vast distances.

They can "cook" their fire by holding it inside themselves for longer than necessary. While this becomes unpleasant or even painful if done for long, it will increase the temperature and purity of the resulting flames far beyond what any of the other tribes are capable of.

Flames emitted after doing this for long enough will come out with an intense blue color that can cut through stone.

For dragons afflicted with firescales, all of the fire they breathe will be like this, as their bodies are already channeling flames at all times to fuel the burning scales.

Because Skywing fire is so intense, it is at times difficult to control. Skywings who become emotional will often start smoking from their nostrils involuntarily.

Mudwing fire, sometimes referred to as "moody fire", is very temperamental. Its strength will vary widely based on a number of different factors, not all of them fully understood, making it appear random at times.

The most commonly understood factor that influences a Mudwing's fire is the ambient temperature. Mudwings will struggle to produce flames in environments that are too cold (close to freezing weather, very cold water, etc.). This can be partially mitigated by ingesting hot stews, soups, or beverages before fire usage.

A factor that isn't as well documented is that the Mudwing's fire breath and their uncanny healing factor are fueled by the same source. This means a Mudwing's fire will be strongest when they are healthy, and begin to diminish if they become injured, as their body will divert resources away from the breath weapon to prioritize keeping itself alive, functioning, and mobile.

Mudwings hatched from blood eggs have a tendency to develop poor breath weapons, as their super-charged healing factor--while potent enough to outpace most damage sustained from fire--is even more resource-hungry than that of a regular Mudwing.

Icewings don't breathe fire. Instead, they are able to exhale a stream of frost magic. There is nothing I can think of to scientifically explain all the properties of frostbreath as they are presented in canon, especially with regards to Queen Battlewinner. Ice that makes you lava-proof? Nah, this is straight-up magic. All Icewings are born with a small piece of magic and this is how it expresses itself.

Contrary to popular belief, frostbreath is not stronger than firebreath. In terms of general characteristics, Icewings and Nightwings are actually roughly equivalent.

What makes frostbreath more overtly lethal than fire breath is the magical component. When frostbreath comes in contact with living tissue, it will form ice crystals on and inside the surface. All flesh in contact with these crystals will gradually turn necrotic. This process is very painful.

The crystals are very persistent and it requires sustained exposure to intense heat to melt them. The best way to accomplish this is via prolonged bath in warm water (close to boiling). This method, if applied quickly after the injury, will usually result in recovery after a few hours of bathing.

Getting hit while in a situation with no access to warm water is very dangerous and potentially lethal. If treatment does not begin soon after, the crystals will begin to spread, killing more tissue and making recovery increasingly less likely, especially once the injury spreads to internal organs.

It is not uncommon for soldiers who get hit by frost breath and are caught out in the open with no treatment options to cut off the afflicted body part to minimize tissue loss.

Icewings are more resistant to frostbreath than other dragons, but not fully immune. They can succumb to the same injuries.

If an Icewing suffers an intense burn, particularly in and around the face, they become completely unable to exhale frost until the burn begins to heal.

Rainwings do not have a breath weapon. Instead, they produce an acidic venom within their bodies, which can be administered through biting, or launched at targets through a pair of collapsible, hollow fangs.

The gland that produces this venom needs sunlight to develop properly. Once the Rainwing has been exposed to sufficient sunlight, venom production will begin, and may even continue without further exposure, but it is recommended to sunbathe for at least 5 hours a week to keep the gland healthy and the venom potent.

The venom is strongly corrosive and able to dissolve most organic materials like wood, plant matter, and flesh. It is potent enough that, if it enters another creature's blood stream directly (via bite, an open wound, or the eyes), that creature will die within seconds.

The venom's lethality will rapidly decrease once it separates from the user. If it hits surface tissue and has to burn through layers flesh, it will usually lose too much of its toxicity before it reaches the blood stream (though it will still function as acid and be excruciatingly painful).

Rainwings are immune to their own venom, but not the venom of other Rainwings. Mixing a sample of venom with the venom of a close blood relative will cancel out the destructive properties of both.

Seawings are amphibious dragons who prefer to live in water, but can also go on land and exist there in relative comfort for a decent while. Their body contains an organ that stores water, from which it periodically draws to keep the Seawing's skin from drying out.

When under duress, a Seawing can forcefully expel the contents of this organ through their mouth as a pressurized jet of water. While this is not very destructive, it can momentarily stun aggressors and allow the Seawing to retreat to the safety of a nearby lake or river.

If the blast is held inside and charged up similar to the fire breath of other tribes, the Seawing is able to draw from their body heat to increase the water's temperature to scalding degrees.

[fkapommel]

Etymology of TLT Character Names

Wanted to provide a fandom resource for analysis and theorizing. Since House names are explained in GTN, this list will just focus on first names. DM me for sources. Enjoy <3

Gideon

Biblical prophet, military leader, and judge, meaning "feeler," "hewer," or "one who cuts down." According to narrative, the Israelites had forgotten their god for 40 years and were punished by assaults from enemy tribes. After Israel turned back to God for aid, Gideon, an unnoteworthy Israelite, was delivered the message by an angel that he should lead Israel against its enemies. Gideon requested three miracles be done by God to prove his and God's ability to do this task, which God then performed. Gideon then completes God's tasks, including destroying an idol of Baal in the Israelite camp and displacing a much larger enemy encampment. Gideon delivered 40 years of peace for Israel during his lifetime and refused kinghood and dynasty when offered by his people. However, upon his death, the Israelites returned to worshipping Baal. A "Gideonic victory" can mean winning a battle against the odds.

Harrowhark

Harrowing - to use a piece of farming equipment to level soil, break rocks, and kill weeds to ready the dirt for seed growth. Also refers to the Harrowing of Hell, a non-Biblical, early to middle English traditional episode in which Jesus, upon death by crucifixtion, enters the Underworld to preach salvation to souls interned there before his birth, thus allowing them to enter Heaven. This tradition has been canonized by Catholic theology.

Hark - the first word of many ancient texts or announcements, meaning "listen." Biblical angelic speeches often begin with "hark."

Judith

The feminine of Judah, a Biblical Hebrew name meaning "praised," "woman of Judea/Jewess." The name Judith appears twice in the deuterocanonical Bible: once as one of Esau's wives and seperately as the titular character in the Book of Judith (a book not part of the canonized Bible). In the Book of Judith, Judith is described as a widow who uses her wit, charm, and skills of seduction to be invited to the private tent of Holofernes, the general of the enemy Assyrian army who had laid siege to her city. Judith is able to get Holofernes drunk and overpowers him, decapitates him, and steals his head to show to her city. She is of the few illustrations of the "ideal Jewish woman."

Marta

Derived from Aramaic, meaning "the daughter," "the lady," and "dedicated to Mars"

Isaac

Meaning "he laughs," referring to the father of the Biblical character's laugh of disbelief when God told him, Abraham, that his nonogenarian wife would conceive his child. Isaac is one of the three patriarchs of Israel, grandfather to the 12 tribes. When Isaac was a child, God commanded Abraham to take him up a mountain and sacrifice his child in His name. When Abraham proved his obedience, God provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac. Isaac went on to marry Rebekah; though they eventually believed her to be barren, after Isaac prayed to God, Rebekah concieved twin boys, Esau and Jacob, at an old age, just as his mother did. Rebekah grew to prefer Jacob. Later, due to Sarah and Jacob's scheming, Isaac gave Esau's birthright to his second-born son, Jacob. Jacob would live on to father the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jeannemary

This specific spelling seems to be an invention of Tazmuir, but the duel components of the name are significant. Firstly, "Jean-Marie" is a French masculine name. Jeanne is the feminine form of the English "John." "Jeanne"  can be traced to a Biblical Hebrew name, meaning "God is gracious." The most notable historical character of the same name is Jeanne d'Arc, a young female military leader who acted under divine guidance. Upon instruction of archangels and saints, Jeanne fought in pursuit of the coronation of Charless VII during the 100 Years War. Her leadership led to multiple military victories but was punctuated by multiple failures. The unsuccessful relief of a besieged city led to her capture and deliverance to the English, who tried her for blasphemy by wearing men's clothes and refusing submission to Church authority. Found guilty, Jeanne was burned at the stake at 19.

Mary is the most notable feminine name of the Christian Bible, referring predominately to Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, Mary Bethany, and Mary Magdalene, a female disciple of Jesus. Mary was born immaculately - without sin - so that she would be a pure vessel to carry Jesus, who she concieved as a virgin. Mary Bethany was a friend of Jesus and sister to Lazarus. She was deeply emotional about her brother's passing, which persuaded Jesus to resurrect her brother from the grave. Mary Magdalene was a probably wealthy Jewish woman who aided Jesus' teachings. As a loyal apostle, she was a witness at both His crucifixtion and resurrection.

Coronabeth

"Coronabeth," like "Jeannemary," is an obvious Tazmuir invention. "Corona" refers to both the part of the body that resembles a crown and to a colored circular frame around a stellar body, usually caused by its atmosphere.

"Beth" is derived from both "Elizabeth" ("God is my oath") and "Bethany" ("House of Figs"). The suffix -beth comes from Hebrew origins, meaning "house."

Ianthe

From the Ancient Greek, meaning "violet flower" or "she who delights." She was one of the 3,000 water-nymphs called Oceanides, daughters of the Titans. Ianthe and her sisters served as a companion to Persephone when she was in Hades. She is also a character in Ovid's Metamorphosis as the beautiful fiancé to Iphis, a character who has her/his gender changed by the goddess Isis.

Note on the Tridentarii: Coronabeth was almost called "Cainabeth" and Ianthe "Abella" after the two Biblical brother characters, Cain and Abel. In the narrative, God preferred Abel's divine sacrifices and loved him more than his brother. In a jealous rage, Cain killed Abel and hid from his crime, his family, and his God. When God asked him, "Where is your brother?" Cain returned, "I am not my brother's keeper." Angered, He cursed Cain with the Mark of Cain. Separately, the first fratricide cursed the Earth to never turn over its vegetation to Cain, the first murderer. His Mark symbolizes him as a wanderer, a person who belongs nowhere; however, it also protects him from the curses and abuse of others, returning scorned words and abuses back to the harasser seven-fold. Though Coronabeth and Ianthe received their names elsewhere, the lusty, jealous, murderous themes of Cain and Abel's narrative were present at the time of their creation and thus should not be dismissed.

Naberius

Though I can't find the meaning of the name, "Naberius" is rooted in Latin. It first appears in Johann Weyer's 1583 manuscript, "The Deceptions of Demons." Naberius, or "Cerberus" - relation to the same named three-headed dog of Ancient Greek theology unknown - is a Marquess of Hell, directing 19 legions of demons. He provides cunningness of the arts, sciences, and rhetoric in man through vocal instruction and can restore lost honors and dignities. His semblance is of a man with three dog heads or a raven.

Abigail

Biblical Hebrew name meaning "my father's joy," "my father is exalted." Abigail is a Biblical figure, being the third wife of King David and mother to one of his sons. She is a strong believer in the prophecy of David's ascension and his great dynasty. Abigail is considered to be one of the seven Jewish woman prophets and, in the Talmud, of the four women "surpassing beauty in this world." The word "Abigail" can refer nonspecifically to a waiting woman or handmaiden.

Palamedes

There are two notable historical fiction characters that share the name "Palamedes." Palamades was an ancient Grecian prince who joined the battle of Troy, according to the Aenid. After Paris had taken Helen to Troy, Palamedes was sent as envoy from Agamemnon to Odysseus because the latter man had previously vowed to defend Helen's marriage. Odysseus, however, did not want to attend the war, but Palamedes was successful in proving his fitness for war and ultimately delivering Odysseus to Troy. According to some traditions, Odysseus never forgave Palamedes for this and eventually killed him. In the Apology, Plato characterizes Socrates as looking forward to death in order to speak with Palamedes.

Secondly, Sir Palamedes is a knight of the round-table, a Saracen pagan (or probable Muslim) who converted to Christiantiy later in life. He is introduced dueling another knight, Sir Tristan, for a lady's hand, which he loses; these two fight several more times but with unclear victories, leading to a hate-love relationship deepened by their love for the same woman (the woman of their first duel). Many stories have Palamedes as the hunter of the Questing Beast, a fearsome animal the target of many a fruitless hunt. After years of pursuit, it is ultimately his freedom from wordly material granted by his Christian conversion that allows him to slaughter the beast. He remains loyal to Sir Lancelot after his affair with Queen Guinevere is revealed and follows Lancelot to France. Sir Palamedes is later killed by Sir Gawain. Except in matters concerning his love and Sir Tristan, where he often lost control of his anger, he was one of the most chivalrous and honorable knights.

Note: The story of Sir Palamedes, as a product of Arthurian legend, is nearly impossible to summarize properly due to its expansiveness and document fragmentation. If interested in the topic (such as the wink wink homo-erotic love-hate relationship he has with Sir Tristan,) i encourage futher research.

Camilla

"Camilla" is the feminine of "Camillus," a Latin term meaning acolyte, a helper of the Priest during religious processionals and ceremonies. In the Aeneid, Camilla is a queen gifted to the goddess Diana as a handmaiden who became a virginal Amazon warrior.

Dulcinea

"Dulcinea" is a name created by Don Quixote for his character, derivative of the Spanish word "dulce" meaning "sweetness." Princess Dulcinea was invented in the titular character's mind to be the most perfect, beautiful, and regal woman since he believes chivalry requires such a lady of him. To refer to a loved one as like Dulcinea is to express your idealistic devotion and love to her.

Protesilaus

"Protesilaus" may come from the Ancient Greek "protus" for "first." Protesilaus was a hero in the Iliad. According to an oracle, the first Greek to set foot on land after sailing to fight the Trojan War would die. Protesilaus was the first to dare step off ship; he sealed his fate then, later dying in combat. His widow was so devoted to his memory that she built a bronze statue with his likeness. She later self-emulated when the statue was burned and destroyed.

Silas

Latin in origin, "Silas" means "of the forest." Notable figures named "Silas" include first century St. Silas, who accompanied St. Paul on his second mission. He is credited as co-author of the two letters to Thessalonians and the Book of Hebrews; however, authoriship is disputed. St. Silas is sometimes depicted with broken chains due to an episode in which an earthquake freed him and St. Paul from imprisonment.

Colum

From the Gaelic word for "dove"

[polysucks]

I've seen a bunch of your indigenous headcanons for Starks and I love them so. Do you think of all First Men that way or particularly northern First Men/Starks? Also I'm going feral over your idea for a wild west AU!

HI I LOVE YOU.

I will talk forever about indigenous Starks and Northmen.

yeah. I’m that bitch. I am the #1 Indigenous Stark Truther* (unproven claim) and I will happily die on this hill.

I’m answering all of this on mobile like 15 mins before I have to be in class so I have none of my research in front of me and no sources, so yall feel free to jump in the comments and the reblogs to compound or (CONSTRUCTIVELY) Correct me :)

As we know, the First Men are all over the place. I mean it’s been, what, twelve thousand years since they came over from Essos on the Dornish Landbridge? (Sound familiar, fellow US Public Education System Victims?) and maybe six thousand years since the Andals migrated, with all the interbreeding and the thousands of years of generational melding, there’s bound to be traces First Men blood all over the planet by now. Just like all indigenous peoples irl! Imma have to write a whole thing about the Westerosi equivalent to the Columbian Exchange now is not the time—

So like personally, I see Native American coding in the Northmen. And all I know is of the American Indigenous perspective (and not even a whole lot bc I wasn’t raised in the tribe. I was removed from the tribe via my grandparents who are both Blackfoot-Salish out of the PNW and victims of modern colonization but that’s another story for another time. It’s just to preface that I am no expert in Native American culture, and only know what I personally know. I got some baller resources if you’re super interested tho)

In my personal humble onion. There would be a high concentration of First Men blood (god I really hate using the term ‘blood’ bc of blood quantum and lineage politics but for the sake of brevity imma just use it) in the Northmen. To me it’s giving PNW and Inuit who pressed north after the Columbian invasion because they had the means to survive in the harsh lands, where the whites. Simply didn’t. And knowing Peepaw is American, like, I see the parallels.

The First Men lived in close harmony with the land, practicing a nature-based religion—the worship of the Old Gods—centered around weirwood trees, sacred groves, and the guidance of “greenseers” and “skinchangers.” (We don’t use the W word around here but do you smell what I’m stepping in?) Their way of life was deeply tied to the land and vaguely resembles that of indigenous spiritual beliefs about animism and ancestral wisdom.

After however long years of battling with the Children of the Forest, the First Men reached the pact, agreeing to honor the children’s sacred forests and worship their gods. This mirrors real-world treaties between indigenous peoples and settlers, which were often later broken or disregarded (to put it nicely). the pact was chill for thousands of years (I think like I say I got no refs in front of me we die like Icarus), leading to the Age of Heroes, in which the First Men formed their own kingdoms, including the foundation of House Stark.

Bro that. Is so ancient American history coded. Same shit different font.

There’s a large population of indigenous peoples in reservation-adjacent areas cherry picked all over the US. I mean, we’re everywhere. Don’t ever let terminal narratives win. We out here babyyyyyy but to me it makes sense that the highest population of indigenous peoples of Westeros would be on the lands that are least likely to be gentrified (wrong word but imma stick w it) as in. The North. I can’t source any quotes rn specifically but how often is it mentioned that the north is the biggest and the “emptiest” in all their seven kingdoms?

So excellent question! Yeah I think all the Northmen are indigenous coded! You can’t convince me that Lyanna Mormont isn’t some badass fuckin thicc warrior goddess coded. And the Greatjon??? My mans leanin and rockin w a bear pelt. That man kills bears with his fists (just ask him) and I could go on forever about how The Boltons in all their violence and the rumors surrounding all that they’re capable of is so so so sooooo Comanche Ute and Sioux coded. They were so shat in by westward expansionists and rumored to be barbaric and cannibalistic and fuuuuuuucked up—simply bc they fought back against the people who were raping, pillaging, and stealing from them. But that’s pure speculation and personal hot take on my part, and wildly incorrect bc the boltons really do be flaying people. While the Ute, Comanche and Sioux did not. In fact. Flay anyone. (Unless they deserved it :) )

Tl;dr

Yeah man I think all the Northmen are native coded (w some Viking and Norse imagery thrown in there bc this is fantasy. It’s not that serious.) but the Starks heavily so due to the hard focus on the animism, their honor, connection to the land, spiritual beliefs, dedication to family, and the fockin’ wolves bro. Natives do be really into wolves. (Wolves are cool as fuck dude)

Also I got three chapters of my Wild West au already written and so much art I haven’t posted. when I unlearn shame and finally post it all it’s over for you bitches

[whencyclopedia]

Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot was one of the original disciples of Jesus of Nazareth (d. c. 30 CE), one of the twelve apostles. For handing Jesus over to the authorities, as described in the gospels, he has become the epitome of the act of betrayal in the Christian tradition, eternally beyond forgiveness. For this reason, few would name a son Judas in the modern era. It was, however, a very popular name in the 1st century CE. 'Judas' was the Greek for the Hebrew name 'Judah' (meaning "God is thanked"), reflecting Judas Maccabeus and his successful Maccabean revolt against Greek rule (167 BCE). The epithet 'Iscariot' remains subject to scholarly debate. It could refer to "being from Kerioth", a village south of Jerusalem, or it could indicate the manner of his death: iskarioutha could mean 'chocking' or 'constriction.'

The story of Judas first appeared in Mark’s gospel (c. 70 CE). We can find no earlier evidence of a story of betrayal or this individual. Matthew, Luke, and John all copied Mark, but with their own editing, traditions, and details. These are not four independent sources for Judas. Where and how Mark received his information remains unknown. Analysis of the gospels is difficult because, like other Jewish sects in the 1st century CE, to validate an argument, the gospels writers turned to the Scriptures, the stories and traditions of Israel. Just as they demonstrated that Jesus and his ministry fulfilled the Scriptures, so too, the same principle was applied to the character and activity of Judas.

Judas the Apostle

Jesus called his disciples, designated as "the twelve". This is symbolic of the restored twelve tribes of Israel when God would establish his kingdom according to the message of Jesus. In the list of the disciples, Judas is last, with the added "Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him" (Mark 3:19). The reader knows from the very beginning what Judas is going to do. Despite this, in Mark, Judas works in tandem with the rest of the disciples throughout the ministry. Jesus sends them out in pairs with "authority over impure spirits" and to anoint people with oil to cure them (6:7). In Mark, Matthew and Luke, we hear nothing specific about Judas until the events in Jerusalem.

The gospel of John (c. 100 CE) related a role for Judas, "keeping the money box", which was a trusted position. This detail is found in the passage when Jesus was at the house of Lazarus, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha:

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair ... But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?" ... He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. (12:1-8)

Continue reading...

[knight-elkwarden]

Prehistoric Anorri are believed to have been either a sister species to, or a subspecies of Imarri. Unfortunately, due to the Anorri's ancestral homelands currently being under miles of ice, evidence for or against this theory is virtually non existent.

Modern Anorri are one of three species with recognized personhood in Har Fang, and are often considered the most powerful of the three. Despite their vast morphological differences, all of the Anorri tribes are considered members of the same species. Due to their bodies naturally being saturated with shapeshifting magic, they can vary greatly on an individual level and shifting one's form is culturally considered a form of self expression. Body plans remain fairly constant within a single tribe, although coloration, ornaments and antler shapes are incredibly varied, even among closely related individuals.

The five tribes pictured here are the ones that interact the most with human nations, and thus the ones we have the most knowledge of. Others exist, but due to sparse information, and them refusing contact with us, they are omitted from this document.

(More lore, as well as individual images under the cut!)

According the both the Glacierwardens and the mythology of other tribes, Anorri used to have a prosperous kingdom in the north divided in twelve provinces, each home to a tribe. It's crash brought about the end of the first age, triggered by the ice wall rapidly advancing.

It is said that nine of the ancient tribes fled the kingdom then. Two fled east, two west, none of them were ever seen or heard from again. Five fled south, three of them weren't fast enough, and got caught under the ice wall, including what would today become the Glacierwardens. The remaining two made it to Har Fang, where the ice wall wouldn't reach them. All current Anorri tribes (except the Glacierwardens) are descended from these two ancient tribes.

While much of this story cannot be directly proven, what is known is that the ice wall has been slowly retreating back north since at least the third age. There are both historical records and geological evidence that it used to reach to the northern border of Edorae, and the petrified Glacierwarden tribe was indeed found around the Sheer Sea, which would have been under the ice wall before it retreated to its current location.

The Birchtenders are a rather isolationist tribe living in the mountain range that divides the east and west of Harfang. Their current matriarch is Kenerros.

They are most known by us humans for their historic aggression on the kingdom of Edorae, back when the Birchtenders frequented the plains at the base of the mountains. Thankfully relations have improved since Kenerros became matriarch, and the two groups currently have a truce. As long as Edorae stays off the mountains and Birchtenders stay off the plains.

Cliffrunners are some of the smallest Anorri, but also the most agile in the air. They make their homes in the Floating Jungle and often frequent the Musoneese rainforest below. They are currently ruled by matriarch Vanah.

They live above one of the few stable sources of flow crystals in Har Fang, and are fiercely possessive of it. Thankfully for us, they have a trade pact with Musonee, giving us nearly unlimited number of flow crystals.

They are curious by nature, and have a deep appreciation of art. They maintain our exclusive flow crystal agreement as long as we provide them with art, craftsman goods and articles on a wide range of topics.

No dragon species so far encountered has scales. The Firescale tribe are the only known exception, and it is from this unusual quality that they get their name. They live in the arid, volcanic and semi-desert region of Nyr. Their current matriarch is Malikehvrah.

There is not a lot of information about the Firescales. What is known is that they maintain vast cave networks under Nyr where they mine and process gemstones and metals for trade with other Anorri tribes and occasionally us humans.

They are generally friendly to humans, and a few individuals are known to accompany travelers and caravans that pass through Nyr. When prompted about it, these individuals claim that they simply enjoy the company and perspectives of outsiders.

Tidecallers are known for their close association with the Silver Isles's residents, as well as their stunning colors and features. More than other Anorri, Tidecallers treat shapeshifting like an art, and as such are some of the most varied when it comes to a single tribe. Alimeruu is their current matriarch.

They are close allies to the Silver Islanders, and some islands even have populations of both humans and Anorri living together, but most Tidecallers live underwater in coral reef caves. They readily trade with the islanders to receive land resources in exchange for underwater resources humans can't easily get to.

Glacierwardens are technically the oldest tribe, though they were frozen in a form of petrification stasis for a long time. Their "revival" by the Northernese people marks the start of the fourth age and for this, the Glacierwardens have vowed to help and protect the kingdom of the Northernese. Their matriarch is Sheer.

These Anorri are large and imposing, but seem to emit an air of sadness about them. Their petrification was rushed and imperfect, resulting in losing most of their memories of the past. According to them, they mourn the loss of their culture, the loss of family and friends that they cannot even remember the faces of.

Quite a few of them have taken to selectively breeding and altering herds of wildlife, trading the resulting domesticated creatures between themselves and occasionally to humans and other tribes.

[ben-marco]

Do you have credible sources for cult abuse / ritual abuse? Because 99% of the stuff I've seen about it has been made up shit during the Satanic Panic. What cults are responsible for the abuse?

(Hope not coming off as mean or anything; genuinely curious!)

I think one thing to realize here is that "cult" is a loaded word with many connotations and a long history in this context. When people think of a cult they often think of what they see in the movies or on TV: sensationalized representations of people doing sacrifices or intricate religious rituals. A cult can look like many different things, and in my opinion a cult is any group that scores significantly on the BITE model. My understanding is also that the frequent use of the word "cult" in RAMCOA/OEA/CDD spaces is a holdover from decades ago when "cult" was the main descriptor used for any abusive group. Over the past several years, I have noticed people beginning to use the word "group" over the word "cult".

OEA can happen in many contexts under the banner of many different groups, religions, ideologies, etc. Some people are abused by groups of people from the Catholic Church or the Southern Baptist Convention. Some are abused within the bounds of the Mormon Church / LDS or within Jehovah's Witnesses sects. Some people are abused in smaller, more stereotypical "cult-like" groups like the Twelve Tribes. Some people experience extreme and organized abuse that is not linked to any religion or ideology at all. Abusers are opportunistic after all, and this is not about the religion or ideology portion, but moreso about the opportunity for an abuser to exploit a child. It just so happens that organized religion is an environment in which there are many such opportunities. Some abusers also intentionally twist or bastardize religious concepts in order to further their abuse and manipulate victims. In short, there is no single shadowy Illuminati-adjacent cult that is doing all of this.

Can I ask what you've seen so far? Svali, Fritz Springmeier, Cisco Wheeler, Colin A. Ross, and Ozian are all unreliable sources but unfortunately they are what people tend to stumble upon first when looking into this.

As far as I know, Alison Miller, Ellen Lacter, Michael Salter, and Harvey L. Schwartz are credible. There are others but these are the main four that I usually list. Michael Salter is of particular interest seeing as how he is a professor of criminology and works mainly on the judicial aspect of organized sexual abuse instead of on the psychological aspect of it. He is on the Board of Directors at the ISSTD, but he is also an advisor to Australian and Canadian agencies for child protection.

As I've said in responding to another ask on this blog, once I am less busy in the real world I intend to create a masterpost with a list of credible researchers and resources on the topics that I discuss.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Melchom - Day 122

Race: Fallen

Alignment: Neutral-Chaos

October 8th, 2024

While I commonly point to the Ars Goetia for my demonic sources, another popular compendium of demons is the Dictionnaire Infernal, possibly the most popular and influential compendium on the metaphorical market. Filled with many fun facets and facts for understanding and enjoying Demonology, the book introduces several important concepts such as the demonic hierarchy and what society to demons may look like overall. The influence this book has is easy to see in many series that take inspiration from satanic works, and, of course, SMT is among those many. One standout figure from the pages of the book, however, is today's Demon of the Day, and a personal favorite- Melchom, the banker of hell.

Melchom's name and role share many similarities with Moloch, a major biblical figure that represents a lot of sin and evil. While, in Hebrew, Moloch means 'king,' it is typically referred to in the Bible as the name of several forms of sin that typically involve child sacrifice. Melchom may be an aspect or avatar of Moloch, though it's very vague, as his name is also similar to many other completely different figures- Milcom, for instance, who is another Ammonite god referred to in the Bible. We can put together from this, however, that Melchom was once an Ammonite deity in much the same vein, if not being the same as, Moloch or Milcom. However, for whatever reason, the Dictionnaire Infernal makes a stark reference to Melchom as his own being, putting him in a separate entry from Moloch and calling him the "Paymaster of civil servants." So, why is this?

According to a commentary on the Bible by scholar Jamieson Fausset Brown, the Ammonites worshiped a usurper god that they lived alongside within Gad, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. However, after the tribe of Gad was chased down by the Israelites, Melchom fell from his spot of divinity and became a demon, separate from Moloch, as, from what I can interpret, Moloch and Melchom had different methods of worship and different tribes overall: after all, Moloch was a Canaanite god, and Melchom an Ammonite one. (For the record, Ammonite in a biblical context refers to a race of people close to the Hebrews, not the funny little shell guys. Sorry to disappoint.) Now separated from his place of worship and a feeble demon once more, Melchom took up his job as the paymaster of hell, getting a single mention alongside his more powerful contemporaries in the Dictionnaire Infernal. To quote,

"Melchom, demon who carries the purse; he is in hell [sic] paymaster of civil servants."

Now, in terms of design, the stunning artwork from the Dictionnaire Infernal has been translated well into this far more cartoony but still accurate and fun imp-like paymaster. Everything has been adapted swimmingly, whether it be his goat hooves to his tail, even to his face stuck in a smug expression. However, again, it takes a far more cartoony lens which I honestly enjoy, with bat-wing ears and a big ol' necklace with a dollar sign on it to indicate his role as paymaster of hell. Overall, a fittingly goofy design for a demon whose fall from grace was equally as goofy, going from a god to a lowly paymaster. Still, I'd rather him than a landlord. At least a demon won't pretend to be nice while draining your wallet.

[chronicparagon]

The Unconquerable: Okchachuka

[Note: Much of this is based on the mun's own background as a Chickasaw and Choctaw woman. A lot of these words are from the Chickasaw language. I added translations to some of these words. I also wanted to mention nations and tribes because they are also valid. Plus, Harmony is Chickasaw and Lakota in her main verse, so I wanted to try to keep that.]

Far in the distant galaxy is a world unlike any other. Though it appears as a red star in a distance, it is more than a star.

It is a planet, a home for sacred life.

A planet known for centuries by the Natives as Okchachuka: The home of life.

The planet is home to great biodiversity from the colorful deserts and the lush forests studded with grand cities of stone, gold, copper and gems. Even the warm sands, each blade of green grass, the rocks, and crystal water carry the power of the Yakni (Earth), the mother of all life, and the supreme goddess.

Here, every person, animal, plant, and all elements carried a spirit given to them by ancient gods headed by Yakni, Mother Earth. The other gods who ruled the planet were Omba (Rain), the lord of rain, Mahil (Wind), the lady of the wind, Hashi and Himona (sun and moon), the two heroic brothers who bring day and night.

The people lived with the natural world in close connection with all life. They did not take more than they needed. Hunters, farmers, and harvesters of the wild bounty thanked the spirits of the animals and plants for their sacrifice and used every part, for nothing must go to waste.

 Mother Yakni provides for all in need including the precious metals and stones used to build homes and great cities that reach the heavens. One of these precious gems comes from the Heart of Mother: The sacred mountains rich with Blood Quartz, a crystal believed to have power from Yanki's spirit. The white gem glows red in the rhythm of a beating heart. Though it is often used for amulets for Yakni's blessings, the Blood Quartz also have incredible amount of life energy. If fallen into the wrong hands, they could become sources of powerful weapons. Here, the Indigenous people do not take more than needed for ceremonies of amulets needed as blessings, preserving Yakni's life energy that keeps the planet alive.

The people of Okchachuka were called the Okchaians. They reign as guardians of life from the plants, the animals, and their own kind.  Here, there are many tribes, such as the Oklabok tribe, the people along the Great Rivers, or the Makha' Sa (Red Earth, Lakota), the nomadic tribes hailing from the Plains. Other tribes and nations hailed from the other regions of the planet, such as the empires from the Emerald Jungles, the nomadic people from the Aurora Skies in the far north, and tribes that call the Rainbow Desert their home. All tribes are ruled by a twelve-member council called the Council of Nations, with representatives being leaders of their tribes. Though the representatives are chosen differently by their tribe and nations' diverse approaches, They all come together at Chonkash: The heart of all nations. (Chonkash=Heart)

It is the capital city of the planet built at the center of Okchachuka where the streets are paved in copper and gold with jewels gleaming from the grand and colorful structures bustling with wealth.  However, greed and selfishness were taboos among the people.

No one was without a home unless they chose to be or follow their nomadic ways like the hunters from the plains or the nations hailing from the tundra. No one went without wealth, the connection with communities, and honoring all life as well as Mother Yakni care for all.

The planet was not isolated but did not often receive visitors. As for the few aliens who find themselves in Okchachuka, they often become adopted by the nation or tribe they meet, even marrying into the families and spending the rest of their days as a relative. They saw no need to leave the planet. There are few encounters with travelers, often resulting in the visitors leaving after exchanging treasures for the sake of trade.

Centuries pass with little trouble. However, like the dangers in the wilderness, there is danger in the heavens. Rumors of great riches and legends of the richest planet soon came to the Interastral Peace Corportation (IPC).

That is what brings the dark days to the planet. The IPC had no interest in conversing with the people who were wary of their arrival, but willing to work with them. As far as the Marketing Development Department was concerned,

The IPC were relentless in their conquest, besting the Nations who fought valiantly for their sovereignty. IPC wields superior weapons, courtesy of their own curation and partnerships with other organizations, such as the notorious war machine known as ARES. Flames engulfed villages, and bullets and lasers killed more than arrows, darts, spears, and blades. 

Finally, armed forces surrounded Chonkash. They pried the jewels off buildings, reaped the gold off the streets, and took jewelry off the bodies of the fallen. The soldiers soon found themselves facing the Council of Nations, who challenged the IPC. The Council fought valiantly for their sovereignty by However, like the warriors who fought and died, the Council of Nations also lost their lives. It was a fateful day when Chonkash fell.  

Since then, IPC claimed the planet as their own. They developed mines, reaping more of the riches hidden beneath the earth. Hunting and animal trafficking destroyed the diversity of life.  The Indigenous people continue their fight with many of them captured and either forced to work the mines or be sent away as prisoners.  The remaining people were rounded up and forced to live on reservations at the mercy of the Marketing Development Department of the IPC.

IPC name the planet Opes (Wealth, Latin) Prime, a source of the finest gems, precious minerals, and metals. Though these riches are tainted by the blood of the innocent. A dying planet filled to the brim with great riches.

Sadly, it was a home where life was once sacred. To this day, the remaining Okchaians continue to rebel, fighting for their home, their families. They often attack settlements and mines to try and drive the people out.

The people's motto is clear: They want their land back, for Opes Prime is stolen land.

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Women Tournament 

[Please be kind and respectful in the notes. Anti-Propaganda is NOT allowed.]

Qiyan Agula from Clear and Muddy Loss of Love / JWQS

[No propaganda submitted] 

Mod Propaganda: The Prince of the Chengli tribe that was raised as a man to solidify her parents’ marriage & then pretended to be a frail scholar to get revenge on the Wei Kingdom that destroyed her tribe. A Horse Girl™ with more crimes than I can list 

Source: Wiki

Mu Nihuang from Langya Bang / Langya List / Nirvana in Fire

Submission: 

Mu Nihuang was born into a military household. Both parents died in battle when she was still a teen, and she rode to war at the head of their armies and won the victory herself. She has been the general defending the same border ever since, and also raised her much younger brother for the role.  She is one of the best ten fighters in the world. Her brother and all her men look up to her. Even the emperor, famous for his paranoia, respects and adores her. By nature she is straightforward, loyal and unapologetic. But she is also extremely intelligent and knows when to be underhanded and tricky should the need arise. She still believes in her ex-fiancee, declared a traitor twelve years ago, but is practical enough to not be loud about it. She knows people well, and is the first person to figure out the main character's true identity. 

[voidsentprinces]

I like how the narrative slowly builds up to the ideal of Hydaelyn and Zodiark not being creationist gods in the divine, always being sense but in the sense that they are the eldest and most powerful of Primals.

Firstly, 1.0 and a Realm Reborn giving us Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, and Bahamut as the concept of Primals. "Deities" that run on massive quantities of crystal and the aether therein. Then the introduction of Bahamut as an Elder Primal, something so fast and devestating it can cause cataclysms if its sneezes hard enough and doesn't have to run off a constant stream of aether or crystals any longer. While still tempering all around it. As well as introducing Carbuncle as a functioning minion of Summoners and Scholar that can take on the form of others in Egi.

Post-A Realm Reborn introducing us to the origins of Primals from stories past down through cultures with Good King Moggle Mog XII, Leviathan and Ramuh. Then introduce a person with a soul vast enough and will strong enough to become a Primal. Show how it can take over a persons sense of self in Phoenix and Louisoix then show how you can guide and control it via Shiva. And during the same patch cycle, stealth introduce Elidibus as "just another Ascian" while introducing this concept.

Heavensward further explore how various beast tribes summon Primals for purposes beyond defense but aggression in Ravana and how a benevolent source of protection can go rogue in Bismarck. As well as how a particularly strong willed being can take over the body of another in Nidhogg and sacrificing even those unwilling to the summoning is possible, Shinryu.

Stormblood introduce Kami and the idea that in some places, if an object is old enough it can become a thinking being and not necessarily have to run off crystal aether but faith and belief alone. From gathered objects absorbing aether over time.

Shadowbringers don't just casually drop that they're the most ancient and powerful of primals. Introduce us to Cubus and Amaurot's creation of Concepts. Introduce how echoes and other reflections belief in the right of all and the vaguest of memories can forge a Primal that can abuse all it stands for at the Seat of Sacrifice and just EVERYTHING involving Elidibus as the Heart of Zodiark.

Endwalker finally putting into play how without a heart, Zodiark can be taken over by anyone more than willing to take control of it. And Hydaelyn being created of the memories and stalwart devotion of one person against the oncoming tide of despair and darkness.

Post-Endwalker introducing the functioning of Voidsent and what a Voidsent Primal would be with Zeromus and finally the role of the Twelve becoming Primals but reversing the course as all but one of them return to the lifestream to refresh it. While Athena tries to take control of it to ascend to what she believes is true Godhood and how the Concept can be taken to logical extremes in Pandaemonium. Used to become a parasitic force or fully taking over a vessel.

[rabbitcruiser]

Idaho Falls, ID (No. 8)

The temple was built on a 7-acre (2.8 ha) plot. For ordinances performed, it has four rooms used for the endowment, nine sealing rooms, and one baptismal font. The total floor area is 92,177 square feet (8,563.5 m2). The temple is two stories tall and is constructed with white quartz, cast stone (white cement), and concrete. The exterior features a center spire, tapered tower architecture, and overview of Snake River, while the interior is adorned with hand-painted murals and stained glass windows.

The temple's architectural style blends elements of Art Deco and international styles with traditional temple designs. Designed by John Fetzer, the temple's architecture reflects both the cultural heritage of Idaho Falls and the spiritual significance of the church.

Incorporated into the design are symbolic elements representing the Bible and the Book of Mormon, which provide church members with deeper spiritual meaning to the temple's appearance and function. Symbolism is an important component of worship for church members. These symbols include the central spire and baptismal font. To members of the church, the central spire represents reaching upwards to heaven. In the temple, baptismal fonts rest on the back of 12 oxen, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the strength and power of God’s work.

Source: Wikipedia

[magnetothemagnificent]

sorry f its obvious, goy here, could you go into what all the colors represent? :D

The twelve stripes on the queer Jewish pride flag represent the 12 stones of the 12 Tribes of Israel on the High Priest's Choshen (breastplate):

Onyx: Levi

Garnet: Yehudah (Judah)

Ruby: Reuven (Reuben)

Peridot: Asher

Malachite: Yosef (Joseph)

Emerald: Dan

Prase: Shimon (Simeon)

Torquise: Naftali

Sapphire: Yissachar (Issachar)

Jasper: Binyamin (Benjamin)

Pearl: Zevulun (Zebulun)

Crystal: Gad

There's no consensus as to which stones exactly were on the breastplate, so I synthesized different interpretations.

Sources used were:

The High Priest’s Breastplate (Choshen)

The Stones, Symbols, and Flags of the Twelve Tribes of Israel

Exodus Tetzaveh 28:17-20 JPS translation

Onkelos Tetzaveh 28-17-20 Metsudah translation

Translating Gemstones

I colour-picked from each stone and ordered them to resemble a rainbow, representing the unity and diversity of the Jewish people and the inclusion of LGBTQ Jews in our history.

[lastofthirteen]

ARCHIVES OF THE ARISEN.

The Thirteenth Prime is, by far, the most mysterious of all the Primes. Not much has been kept within the Cybertronian archives, only scraps and remnants from what had been once written by Alpha Trion himself.

What can be known about the Thirteenth Prime is that they are the Prime of Rebirth, they are the Visionary, they are the Arisen.

There are some archives, hidden away, forbidden, that allow for much more detail.

Once, the Arisen was known as Zeta Prime, the first bearer of the Matrix of Leadereship. He was powerful, able to command armies with but the smallest whisper uttered from his voicebox, and wielded what was called the Zodiac. The Zodiac was a mysterious source of energy-- some would say it was indeed the source of all life in the universe, others would believe that is was a conduit in which life could be created. Whether it was often used by Zeta Prime or not was unknown, but what was known was that in order to create life, it must use the life force of another. Those who did not hold the Matrix of Leadership would be sapped of life if attempting to create with this powerful artifact, and some even succumbed to the power of the Zodiac, their sparks returning to the Allspark when attempting to use it.

His origins are unknown. Some say he was one of many from within the Thirteen Tribes who proved himself against the threats of Unicron or the Quintessons.

In his years as a Prime, however, there is some documentation of a possible personality. As a Prime, he often mingled with the masses of Cybertron and poured his spark into making the planet a better, safer place for his people. While often silent, nary uttering a word, once in a blue moon he would whisper and the winds of Cybertron would carry them to all. It was said he took a vow of silence, however this is unconfirmed. Such theory about his vow is due to his intense worship of Primus, which is said to be one of the sources of Zeta Prime's strength and unbreaking will-- his love for his creator, his love for his people, and his visions for the future of Cybertron.

He had a mighty Titan by the name of Omegaplex, while not one of the first Titans or the strongest such as Metroplex, Chela or Metrotitan-- it served as both the grand city that Zeta Prime would rule and the mighty warship that the Prime would use to go beyond Cybertron and travel across worlds-- a holy sanctuary. However, there is not much knowledge on the possible whereabouts of Omegaplex. Much like his master, Omegaplex has disappeared and has never been seen in the present day.

There are conflicting details about the fate of Zeta Prime. Some say his disappearance was caused by Megatronus the Fallen, his very kin. Others say that it was due to Sentinel Prime, a future Prime that desired power over the masses of Cybertron. Or, some say that Zeta Prime eventually left Cybertron after predicting the possibility that Cybertron and Primus would not live forever, in search for a new home.

However... there are rumors that the Arisen still walks amongst the common rabble of Cybertron to this very day, just as he did during the stellar cycles he ruled.

--

VERSES.

Pre-Cybertron.

Set during the early days, before the union of the Thirteen Primes, Zeta was a young bot who struggled to survive against the Quintessons-- taken as their personal entertainer within what would eventually become the Gladiator Pits of Kaon in the far future, Zeta Prime must prove himself to eventually be able to be granted the Matrix of Leadership and eventually unite the Thirteen Primes.

True Golden Age.

A powerful leader, Zeta Prime leads Cybertron alongside his twelve fellow Primes, protecting Cybertron from the looming threats of the Quintessons and the World-Eater, Unicron, and working to develop Cybertron's culture and arts, proudly moulding it all into something worthy of a Golden Age-- however, there is still something else lurking amongst his very kin, something that threatens all of Cybertron...

The Arisen.

After his disappearance at the hands of an unknown adversary or himself, Zeta Prime awakens millions of years into the future to find Cybertron at war (or slowly rebuilding), with mechs and mechas he does not recognize, all he knows is one thing: he must save his home and restore the power of his creator-- even if it means sacrificing himself.

-

Alternate Verse: Prime of Rebirth.

As the Prime of Rebirth, this gives Zeta Prime an opportunity that not many others may have: the possibility of being reincarnated.

After resting for millions of years within the Allspark, Zeta Prime's spark was brought back to be reforged into a new being-- a simple bot still dubbed Zeta. Unknowing of his past and deemed inferior to other bots due to a lack of weaponry on his alt mode and often bothersome behavior considered unfitting for any kind of enforcement or higher castes, Zeta was sent to be a construction hauler-bot, where he would meet a dear friend named Jackhammer.

There would be many complications in the life of this newly-created Zeta. From witnessing the corruption of those deemed his superiors and the cruelty of the caste system harming Jackhammer, Zeta would attempt to lash out at the sadism of the higher-ups-- only to be sent to the mines, and eventually, the very Gladiator Pits he once proved himself in millions of years ago. However, this gives him the chance to bear witness to history-- and as begins to slowly find a place for himself in this new world, he must ask himself: will he pick a side? Decepticon? Autobot? Or follow his own path to save Cybertron?

[dailyanarchistposts]

Chapter 7: Mutual Aid Amongst Ourselves (Part 1)

Popular revolts at the beginning of the State-period. — Mutual Aid institutions of the present time. — The village community; its struggles for resisting its abolition by the State. — Habits derived from the village-community life, retained in our modern villages. — Switzerland, France, Germany, Russia.

The mutual-aid tendency in man has so remote an origin, and is so deeply interwoven with all the past evolution of the human race, that it has been maintained by mankind up to the present time, notwithstanding all vicissitudes of history. It was chiefly evolved during periods of peace and prosperity; but when even the greatest calamities befell men — when whole countries were laid waste by wars, and whole populations were decimated by misery, or groaned under the yoke of tyranny — the same tendency continued to live in the villages and among the poorer classes in the towns; it still kept them together, and in the long run it reacted even upon those ruling, fighting, and devastating minorities which dismissed it as sentimental nonsense. And whenever mankind had to work out a new social organization, adapted to a new phase of development, its constructive genius always drew the elements and the inspiration for the new departure from that same ever-living tendency. New economical and social institutions, in so far as they were a creation of the masses, new ethical systems, and new religions, all have originated from the same source, and the ethical progress of our race, viewed in its broad lines, appears as a gradual extension of the mutual-aid principles from the tribe to always larger and larger agglomerations, so as to finally embrace one day the whole of mankind, without respect to its diverse creeds, languages, and races.

After having passed through the savage tribe, and next through the village community, the Europeans came to work out in medieval times a new form of organization, which had the advantage of allowing great latitude for individual initiative, while it largely responded at the same time to man’s need of mutual support. A federation of village communities, covered by a network of guilds and fraternities, was called into existence in the medieval cities. The immense results achieved under this new form of union — in well-being for all, in industries, art, science, and commerce — were discussed at some length in two preceding chapters, and an attempt was also made to show why, towards the end of the fifteenth century, the medieval republics — surrounded by domains of hostile feudal lords, unable to free the peasants from servitude, and gradually corrupted by ideas of Roman Cæsarism — were doomed to become a prey to the growing military States.

However, before submitting for three centuries to come, to the all-absorbing authority of the State, the masses of the people made a formidable attempt at reconstructing society on the old basis of mutual aid and support. It is well known by this time that the great movement of the reform was not a mere revolt against the abuses of the Catholic Church. It had its constructive ideal as well, and that ideal was life in free, brotherly communities. Those of the early writings and sermons of the period which found most response with the masses were imbued with ideas of the economical and social brotherhood of mankind. The “Twelve Articles” and similar professions of faith, which were circulated among the German and Swiss peasants and artisans, maintained not only every one’s right to interpret the Bible according to his own understanding, but also included the demand of communal lands being restored to the village communities and feudal servitudes being abolished, and they always alluded to the “true” faith — a faith of brotherhood. At the same time scores of thousands of men and women joined the communist fraternities of Moravia, giving them all their fortune and living in numerous and prosperous settlements constructed upon the principles of communism.[251] Only wholesale massacres by the thousand could put a stop to this widely-spread popular movement, and it was by the sword, the fire, and the rack that the young States secured their first and decisive victory over the masses of the people.[252]

For the next three centuries the States, both on the Continent and in these islands, systematically weeded out all institutions in which the mutual-aid tendency had formerly found its expression. The village communities were bereft of their folkmotes, their courts and independent administration; their lands were confiscated. The guilds were spoliated of their possessions and liberties, and placed under the control, the fancy, and the bribery of the State’s official. The cities were divested of their sovereignty, and the very springs of their inner life — the folkmote, the elected justices and administration, the sovereign parish and the sovereign guild — were annihilated; the State’s functionary took possession of every link of what formerly was an organic whole. Under that fatal policy and the wars it engendered, whole regions, once populous and wealthy, were laid bare; rich cities became insignificant boroughs; the very roads which connected them with other cities became impracticable. Industry, art, and knowledge fell into decay. Political education, science, and law were rendered subservient to the idea of State centralization. It was taught in the universities and from the pulpit that the institutions in which men formerly used to embody their needs of mutual support could not be tolerated in a properly organized State; that the State alone could represent the bonds of union between its subjects; that federalism and “particularism” were the enemies of progress, and the State was the only proper initiator of further development. By the end of the last century the kings on the Continent, the Parliament in these isles, and the revolutionary Convention in France, although they were at war with each other, agreed in asserting that no separate unions between citizens must exist within the State; that hard labour and death were the only suitable punishments to workers who dared to enter into “coalitions.” “No state within the State!” The State alone, and the State’s Church, must take care of matters of general interest, while the subjects must represent loose aggregations of individuals, connected by no particular bonds, bound to appeal to the Government each time that they feel a common need. Up to the middle of this century this was the theory and practice in Europe. Even commercial and industrial societies were looked at with suspicion. As to the workers, their unions were treated as unlawful almost within our own lifetime in this country and within the last twenty years on the Continent. The whole system of our State education was such that up to the present time, even in this country, a notable portion of society would treat as a revolutionary measure the concession of such rights as every one, freeman or serf, exercised five hundred years ago in the village folkmote, the guild, the parish, and the city.

The absorption of all social functions by the State necessarily favoured the development of an unbridled, narrow-minded individualism. In proportion as the obligations towards the State grew in numbers the citizens were evidently relieved from their obligations towards each other. In the guild — and in medieval times every man belonged to some guild or fraternity two “brothers” were bound to watch in turns a brother who had fallen ill; it would be sufficient now to give one’s neighbour the address of the next paupers’ hospital. In barbarian society, to assist at a fight between two men, arisen from a quarrel, and not to prevent it from taking a fatal issue, meant to be oneself treated as a murderer; but under the theory of the all-protecting State the bystander need not intrude: it is the policeman’s business to interfere, or not. And while in a savage land, among the Hottentots, it would be scandalous to eat without having loudly called out thrice whether there is not somebody wanting to share the food, all that a respectable citizen has to do now is to pay the poor tax and to let the starving starve. The result is, that the theory which maintains that men can, and must, seek their own happiness in a disregard of other people’s wants is now triumphant all round in law, in science, in religion. It is the religion of the day, and to doubt of its efficacy is to be a dangerous Utopian. Science loudly proclaims that the struggle of each against all is the leading principle of nature, and of human societies as well. To that struggle biology ascribes the progressive evolution of the animal world. History takes the same line of argument; and political economists, in their naive ignorance, trace all progress of modern industry and machinery to the “wonderful” effects of the same principle. The very religion of the pulpit is a religion of individualism, slightly mitigated by more or less charitable relations to one’s neighbours, chiefly on Sundays. “Practical” men and theorists, men of science and religious preachers, lawyers and politicians, all agree upon one thing — that individualism may be more or less softened in its harshest effects by charity, but that it is the only secure basis for the maintenance of society and its ulterior progress.

It seems, therefore, hopeless to look for mutual-aid institutions and practices in modern society. What could remain of them? And yet, as soon as we try to ascertain how the millions of human beings live, and begin to study their everyday relations, we are struck with the immense part which the mutual-aid and mutual-support principles play even now-a-days in human life. Although the destruction of mutual-aid institutions has been going on in practice and theory, for full three or four hundred years, hundreds of millions of men continue to live under such institutions; they piously maintain them and endeavour to reconstitute them where they have ceased to exist. In our mutual relations every one of us has his moments of revolt against the fashionable individualistic creed of the day, and actions in which men are guided by their mutual aid inclinations constitute so great a part of our daily intercourse that if a stop to such actions could be put all further ethical progress would be stopped at once. Human society itself could not be maintained for even so much as the lifetime of one single generation. These facts, mostly neglected by sociologists and yet of the first importance for the life and further elevation of mankind, we are now going to analyze, beginning with the standing institutions of mutual support, and passing next to those acts of mutual aid which have their origin in personal or social sympathies.

When we cast a broad glance on the present constitution of European society we are struck at once with the fact that, although so much has been done to get rid of the village community, this form of union continues to exist to the extent we shall presently see, and that many attempts are now made either to reconstitute it in some shape or another or to find some substitute for it. The current theory as regards the village community is, that in Western Europe it has died out by a natural death, because the communal possession of the soil was found inconsistent with the modern requirements of agriculture. But the truth is that nowhere did the village community disappear of its own accord; everywhere, on the contrary, it took the ruling classes several centuries of persistent but not always successful efforts to abolish it and to confiscate the communal lands.

In France, the village communities began to be deprived of their independence, and their lands began to be plundered, as early as the sixteenth century. However, it was only in the next century, when the mass of the peasants was brought, by exactions and wars, to the state of subjection and misery which is vividly depicted by all historians, that the plundering of their lands became easy and attained scandalous proportions. “Every one has taken of them according to his powers... imaginary debts have been claimed, in order to seize upon their lands;” so we read in an edict promulgated by Louis the Fourteenth in 1667.[253] Of course the State’s remedy for such evils was to render the communes still more subservient to the State, and to plunder them itself. In fact, two years later all money revenue of the communes was confiscated by the King. As to the appropriation of communal lands, it grew worse and worse, and in the next century the nobles and the clergy had already taken possession of immense tracts of land — one-half of the cultivated area, according to certain estimates — mostly to let it go out of culture.[254] But the peasants still maintained their communal institutions, and until the year 1787 the village folkmotes, composed of all householders, used to come together in the shadow of the bell-tower or a tree, to allot and re-allot what they had retained of their fields, to assess the taxes, and to elect their executive, just as the Russian mir does at the present time. This is what Babeau’s researches have proved to demonstration.[255]

The Government found, however, the folkmotes “too noisy,” too disobedient, and in 1787, elected councils, composed of a mayor and three to six syndics, chosen from among the wealthier peasants, were introduced instead. Two years later the Revolutionary Assemblé e Constituante, which was on this point at one with the old régime, fully confirmed this law (on the 14th of December, 1789), and the bourgeois du village had now their turn for the plunder of communal lands, which continued all through the Revolutionary period. Only on the 16th of August, 1792, the Convention, under the pressure of the peasants’ insurrections, decided to return the enclosed lands to the communes;[256] but it ordered at the same time that they should be divided in equal parts among the wealthier peasants only — a measure which provoked new insurrections and was abrogated next year, in 1793, when the order came to divide the communal lands among. All commoners, rich and poor alike, “active” and “inactive.”

These two laws, however, ran so much against the conceptions of the peasants that they were not obeyed, and wherever the peasants had retaken possession of part of their lands they kept them undivided. But then came the long years of wars, and the communal lands were simply confiscated by the State (in 1794) as a mortgage for State loans, put up for sale, and plundered as such; then returned again to the communes and confiscated again (in 1813); and only in 1816 what remained of them, i.e. about 15,000,000 acres of the least productive land, was restored to the village communities.[257] Still this was not yet the end of the troubles of the communes. Every new régime saw in the communal lands a means for gratifying its supporters, and three laws (the first in 1837 and the last under Napoleon the Third) were passed to induce the village communities to divide their estates. Three times these laws had to be repealed, in consequence of the opposition they met with in the villages; but something was snapped up each time, and Napoleon the Third, under the pretext of encouraging perfected methods of agriculture, granted large estates out of the communal lands to some of his favourites.

As to the autonomy of the village communities, what could be retained of it after so many blows? The mayor and the syndics were simply looked upon as unpaid functionaries of the State machinery. Even now, under the Third Republic, very little can be done in a village community without the huge State machinery, up to the préfet and the ministries, being set in motion. It is hardly credible, and yet it is true, that when, for instance, a peasant intends to pay in money his share in the repair of a communal road, instead of himself breaking the necessary amount of stones, no fewer than twelve different functionaries of the State must give their approval, and an aggregate of fifty-two different acts must be performed by them, and exchanged between them, before the peasant is permitted to pay that money to the communal council. All the remainder bears the same character.[258]

What took place in France took place everywhere in Western and Middle Europe. Even the chief dates of the great assaults upon the peasant lands are the same. For England the only difference is that the spoliation was accomplished by separate acts rather than by general sweeping measures — with less haste but more thoroughly than in France. The seizure of the communal lands by the lords also began in the fifteenth century, after the defeat of the peasant insurrection of 1380 — as seen from Rossus’s Historia and from a statute of Henry the Seventh, in which these seizures are spoken of under the heading of “enormitees and myschefes as be hurtfull... to the common wele.”[259] Later on the Great Inquest, under Henry the Eighth, was begun, as is known, in order to put a stop to the enclosure of communal lands, but it ended in a sanction of what had been done.[260] The communal lands continued to be preyed upon, and the peasants were driven from the land. But it was especially since the middle of the eighteenth century that, in England as everywhere else, it became part of a systematic policy to simply weed out all traces of communal ownership; and the wonder is not that it has disappeared, but that it could be maintained, even in England, so as to be “generally prevalent so late as the grandfathers of this generation.”[261] The very object of the Enclosure Acts, as shown by Mr. Seebohm, was to remove this system,[262] and it was so well removed by the nearly four thousand Acts passed between 1760 and 1844 that only faint traces of it remain now. The land of the village communities was taken by the lords, and the appropriation was sanctioned by Parliament in each separate case.

In Germany, in Austria, in Belgium the village community was also destroyed by the State. Instances of commoners themselves dividing their lands were rare,[263] while everywhere the States coerced them to enforce the division, or simply favoured the private appropriation of their lands. The last blow to communal ownership in Middle Europe also dates from the middle of the eighteenth century. In Austria sheer force was used by the Government, in 1768, to compel the communes to divide their lands — a special commission being nominated two years later for that purpose. In Prussia Frederick the Second, in several of his ordinances (in 1752, 1763, 1765, and 1769), recommended to the Justizcollegien to enforce the division. In Silesia a special resolution was issued to serve that aim in 1771. The same took place in Belgium, and, as the communes did not obey, a law was issued in 1847 empowering the Government to buy communal meadows in order to sell them in retail, and to make a forced sale of the communal land when there was a would-be buyer for it.[264]

In short, to speak of the natural death of the village communities in virtue of economical laws is as grim a joke as to speak of the natural death of soldiers slaughtered on a battlefield. The fact was simply this: The village communities had lived for over a thousand years; and where and when the peasants were not ruined by wars and exactions they steadily improved their methods of culture. But as the value of land was increasing, in consequence of the growth of industries, and the nobility had acquired, under the State organization, a power which it never had had under the feudal system, it took possession of the best parts of the communal lands, and did its best to destroy the communal institutions.

However, the village-community institutions so well respond to the needs and conceptions of the tillers of the soil that, in spite of all, Europe is up to this date covered with living survivals of the village communities, and European country life is permeated with customs and habits dating from the community period. Even in England, notwithstanding all the drastic measures taken against the old order of things, it prevailed as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century. Mr. Gomme — one of the very few English scholars who have paid attention to the subject — shows in his work that many traces of the communal possession of the soil are found in Scotland, “runrig” tenancy having been maintained in Forfarshire up to 1813, while in certain villages of Inverness the custom was, up to 1801, to plough the land for the whole community, without leaving any boundaries, and to allot it after the ploughing was done. In Kilmorie the allotment and re-allotment of the fields was in full vigour “till the last twenty-five years,” and the Crofters’ Commission found it still in vigour in certain islands.[265] In Ireland the system prevailed up to the great famine; and as to England, Marshall’s works, which passed unnoticed until Nasse and Sir Henry Maine drew attention to them, leave no doubt as to the village-community system having been widely spread, in nearly all English counties, at the beginning of the nineteenth century.[266] No more than twenty years ago Sir Henry Maine was “greatly surprised at the number of instances of abnormal property rights, necessarily implying the former existence of collective ownership and joint cultivation,” which a comparatively brief inquiry brought under his notice.[267] And, communal institutions having persisted so late as that, a great number of mutual-aid habits and customs would undoubtedly be discovered in English villages if the writers of this country only paid attention to village life.[268]

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Enoch

In the book of Genesis in the pre-flood period, Enoch was the son of Jared and the father of Methuselah. There are few details about Enoch. We learn that he lived 365 years, and then Enoch "walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away" (Genesis 5:24). This cryptic note was interpreted to understand that Enoch did not die a physical death but was taken by God for continued existence in heaven.

Within the traditional texts, he is not referred to again, but he became a major figure during the Second Temple Period (450 BCE - 70 CE). If you have read the gospels, both the concept and the reference to Jesus of Nazareth as the "son of man" is drawn from the books of Enoch.

The Books of the Prophets

Israel suffered several major disasters throughout its history. In 722 BCE, Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The conquerors switched populations, moving their own people into the region and this is when ten of the twelve tribes of Israel were lost to history. In 587 BCE, the Neo-Babylonian Empire conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah, destroying Jerusalem and the Temple complex. The books of the Prophets blamed these disasters on the sins of the people, particularly the sin of idolatry.

At the same time, the Prophets offered a message of hope., that the God of Israel would intervene in human history one final time, raising up a messiah figure ("anointed one") to lead the armies of Israel against the nations. At that time, Israel would be restored to its former glory and God’s original plan for humans (the Garden of Eden) would be established on earth. The shorthand phrase for this conviction was "the kingdom of God on earth."

In 330 BCE, Alexander the Great (r. 336-323 BCE) conquered the regions of the Mediterranean Basin. Upon his death, his generals divided his empire during the Wars of the Diadochi. In 167 BCE, the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes IV (175-164 BCE) ordered the extinction of Jewish customs (their religion). The Jews, under the leadership of a family known as the Maccabees, rose against them and eventually drove them out in the Maccabean Revolt.

Not all Jews agreed with the ruling house of the Maccabees (the Hasmoneans) and so we have the formation of various groups or sects of Jews: the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. By 63 BCE, Rome had conquered Israel, and many of these groups felt the urgency that God should intervene now. There was a renewed interest in the details of the prophetic books, updated to reflect the current situation. Additional texts were written, recalling ancient figures of Israel to interpret views on the final days.

By the Second Temple period, there were no more traditional Prophets of Israel. Instead, we have the development of seers, men who experienced out-of-body journeys to heaven. While there, they were shown secrets of the future intervention by God. 'Apocalypse' is the term for a disclosure, the revealing of hidden things. As the revelations concerned the final days (eschaton in Greek), scholars apply the term 'apocalyptic eschatology' to the literature of this period. To convey credibility, the texts were always written in the name of an individual who was known to be in heaven. The figure of Enoch became popular as the source of the revelations.

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