#south asian mythos

[rrcraft-and-lore]

In addition to my Monkey Man post from earlier, the always kind & sweet Aparna Verma (author of The Phoenix King, check it out) asked that I do a thread on Hijras, & more of the history around them, South Asia, mythology (because that's my thing), & the positive inclusion of them in Monkey Man which I brought up in my gushing review.

Hijra: They are the transgender, eunuch, or intersex people in India who are officially recognized as the third sex throughout most countries in the Indian subcontinent. The trans community and history in India goes back a long way as being documented and officially recognized - far back as 12th century under the Delhi Sultanate in government records, and further back in our stories in Hinduism. The word itself is a Hindi word that's been roughly translated into English as "eunuch" commonly but it's not exactly accurate.

Hijras have been considered the third sex back in our ancient stories, and by 2014 got official recognition to identify as the third gender (neither male or female) legally. Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India have accepted: eunuch, trans, intersex people & granted them the proper identification options on passports and other government official documents.

But let's get into some of the history surrounding the Hijra community (which for the longest time has been nomadic, and a part of India's long, rich, and sometimes, sadly, troubled history of nomadic tribes/people who have suffered a lot over the ages. Hijras and intersex people are mentioned as far back as in the Kama Sutra, as well as in the early writings of Manu Smriti in the 1st century CE (Common Era), specifically said that a third sex can exist if possessing equal male and female seed.

This concept of balancing male/female energies, seed, and halves is seen in two places in South Asian mythos/culture and connected to the Hijra history.

First, we have Aravan/Iravan (romanized) - who is also the patron deity of the transgender community. He is most commonly seen as a minor/village deity and is depicted in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Aravan is portrayed as having a heroic in the story and his self-sacrifice to the goddess Kali earns him a boon.

He requests to be married before his death. But because he is doomed to die so shortly after marriage, no one wants to marry him.

No one except Krishna, who adopts his female form Mohini (one of the legendary temptresses in mythology I've written about before) and marries him. It is through this union of male, and male presenting as female in the female form of Mohini that the seed of the Hijras is said to begun, and why the transgender community often worships Aravan and, another name for the community is Aravani - of/from Aravan.

But that's not the only place where a gender non conforming divine representation can be seen. Ardhanarishvara is the half female form of lord Shiva, the destroyer god.

Shiva combines with his consort Parvarti and creates a form that represents the balancing/union between male/female energies and physically as a perfectly split down the middle half-male half-female being. This duality in nature has long been part of South Asian culture, spiritual and philosophical beliefs, and it must be noted the sexuality/gender has often been displayed as fluid in South Asian epics and the stories. It's nothing new.

Many celestial or cosmic level beings have expressed this, and defied modern western limiting beliefs on the ideas of these themes/possibilities/forms of existence.

Ardhanarishvara signifies "totality that lies beyond duality", "bi-unity of male and female in God" and "the bisexuality and therefore the non-duality" of the Supreme Being.

Back to the Hijra community.

They have a complex and long history. Throughout time, and as commented on in the movie, Monkey Man, the Hijra community has faced ostracization, but also been incorporated into mainstream society there. During the time of the Dehli Sultanate and then later the Mughal Empire, Hijras actually served in the military and as military commanders in some records, they were also servants for wealthy households, manual laborers, political guardians, and it was seen as wise to put women under the protection of Hijras -- they often specifically served as the bodyguards and overseers of harems. A princess might be appointed a Hijra warrior to guard her.

But by the time of British colonialism, anti-Hijra laws began to come in place folded into laws against the many nomadic tribes of India (also shown in part in Monkey Man with Kid (portrayed by Dev Patel) and his family, who are possibly

one of those nomadic tribes that participated in early theater - sadly by caste often treated horribly and relegated to only the performing arts to make money (this is a guess based on the village play they were performing as no other details were given about his family).

Hijras were criminalized in 1861 by the Indian Penal Code enforced by the British and were labeled specifically as "The Hijra Problem" -- leading to an anti-Hijra campaign across the subcontinent with following laws being enacted: punishing the practices of the Hijra community, and outlawing castration (something many Hijra did to themselves). Though, it should be noted many of the laws were rarely enforced by local Indian officials/officers. But, the British made a point to further the laws against them by later adding the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871, which targeted the Hijra community along with the other nomadic Indian tribes - it subjected them to registration, tracking/monitoring, stripping them of children, and their ability to sequester themselves in their nomadic lifestyle away from the British Colonial Rule.

Today, things have changed and Hijras are being seen once again in a more positive light (though not always and this is something Monkey Man balances by what's happened to the community in a few scenes, and the heroic return/scene with Dev and his warriors). All-hijra communities exist and sort of mirror the western concept of "found families" where they are safe haven/welcoming place trans folks and those identifying as intersex.

These communities also have their own secret language known as Hijra Farsi, which is loosely based on Hindi, but consists of a unique vocabulary of at least 1,000 words.

As noted above, in 2014, the trans community received more legal rights.

Specifically: In April 2014, Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan declared transgender to be the third gender in Indian law in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India.

Hijras, Eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of our Constitution and the laws made by the Parliament and the State Legislature. Transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender is also upheld and the Centre and State Governments are directed to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.

I've included some screenshots of (some, not all, and certainly not the only/definitive reads) books people can check out about SOME of the history. Not all again. This goes back ages and even our celestial beings/creatures have/do display gender non conforming ways.

There are also films that touch on Hijra history and life. But in regards to Monkey Man, which is what started this thread particularly and being asked to comment - it is a film that positively portrayed India's third sex and normalized it in its depiction. Kid the protagonist encounters a found family of Hijras at one point in the story (no spoilers for plot) and his interactions/acceptance, living with them is just normal. There's no explaining, justifying, anything to/for the audience. It simply is. And, it's a beautiful arc of the story of Kid finding himself in their care/company.

[consumeroflemoans]

Which myths would you be particulary excited about working into the superfox verse

Greek myths are always a classic. I’ve already mentioned things like centaurs, harpies, sirens, and dryads. But tbh them in a modern setting has already been thoroughly explored by stories like Percy Jackson so they’re not the most exciting to explore.

I think what I’m most anticipating is Celtic folklore. It’s always been one of my favorite mythos. I kind of want to include Kelpies somehow because I love those murder horses but I’m not sure how. I just love how many of their creatures are just slightly inhuman like with the fae, leprechauns, werewolves, bodach, the dullahan, vampires, and a bunch of unique ghosts like the banshee. It would be fun to find ways to integrate them into modern society.

I think I just have a weakness for myths about tricksters

[writingwithcolor]

Sri Lankan Fairies and Senegalese Goddesses: Mixing Mythology as a Mixed Creator

[Note: this archive ask was submitted before the Masterpost rules took effect in 2023. The ask has been abridged for clarity.]

@reydjarinkenobi asked:

Hi, I’m half Sri Lankan/half white Australian, second gen immigrant though my mum moved when she was a kid. My main character for my story is a mixed demigod/fae. [...] Her bio mum is essentially a Scottish/Sri Lankan fairy and her other bio mum (goddess) is a goddess of my own creation, Nettamaar, who’s name is derived from [...] Wolof words [...]. The community of mages that she presided over is from the South Eastern region of Senegal [...] In the beginning years of European imperialism, the goddess basically protected them through magic and by blessing a set of triplets effectively cutting them off from the outside world for a few centuries [...] I was unable to find a goddess that fit the story I wanted to tell [...] and also couldn’t find much information on the internet for local gods, which is why I have created my own. I know that the gods in Hinduism do sort of fit into [the story] but my Sri Lankan side is Christian and I don’t feel comfortable representing the Hindu gods in the way that I will be this goddess [...]. I wanted to know if any aspect of the community’s history is problematic as well as if I should continue looking further to try and find an African deity that matched my narrative needs? I was also worried that having a mixed main character who’s specifically half black would present problems as I can’t truly understand the black experience. I plan on getting mixed and black sensitivity readers once I finish my drafts [...] I do take jabs at white supremacy and imperialism and I I am planning to reflect my feelings of growing up not immersed in your own culture and feeling overwhelmed with what you don’t know when you get older [...]. I’m sorry for the long ask but I don’t really have anyone to talk to about writing and I’m quite worried about my story coming across as insensitive or problematic because of cultural history that I am not educated enough in.

Reconciliation Requires Research

First off: how close is this world’s history to our own, omitting the magic? If you’re aiming for it to be essentially parallel, I would keep in mind that Senegal was affected by the spread of Islam before the Europeans arrived, and most people there are Muslim, albeit with Wolof and other influences. 

About your Scottish/Sri Lankan fairy character: I’ll point you to this previous post on Magical humanoid worldbuilding, Desi fairies as well as this previous post on Characterization for South Asian-coded characters for some of our commentary on South Asian ‘fae’. Since she is also Scottish, the concept can tie back to the Celtic ideas of the fae.

However, reconciliation of both sides of her background can be tricky. Do you plan on including specific Sri Lankan mythos into her heritage? I would tread carefully with it, if you plan to do so. Not every polytheistic culture will have similar analogues that you can pull from.

To put it plainly, if you’re worried about not knowing enough of the cultural histories, seek out people who have those backgrounds and talk to them about it. Do your research thoroughly: find resources that come from those cultures and read carefully about the mythos that you plan to incorporate. Look for specificity when you reach out to sensitivity readers and try to find sources that go beyond a surface-level analysis of the cultures you’re looking to portray. 

~ Abhaya

I see you are drawing on Gaelic lore for your storytelling. Abhaya has given you good links to discussions we’ve had at WWC and the potential blindspots in assuming, relative to monotheistic religions like Christianity, that all polytheistic and pluralistic lore is similar to Gaelic folklore. Fae are one kind of folklore. There are many others. Consider:

Is it compatible? Are Fae compatible with the Senegalese folklore you are utilizing? 

Is it specific? What ethnic/religious groups in Senegal are you drawing from? 

Is it suitable? Are there more appropriate cultures for the type of lore you wish to create?

Remember, Senegalese is a national designation, not an ethnic one, and certainly not a designation that will inform you with respect to religious traditions. But more importantly:

...Research Requires Reconciliation

My question is why choose Senegal when your own heritage offers so much room for exploration? This isn’t to say I believe a half Sri-Lankan person shouldn’t utilize Senegalese folklore in their coding or vice-versa, but, to put it bluntly, you don’t seem very comfortable with your heritage. Religions can change, but not everything cultural changes when this happens. I think your relationship with your mother’s side’s culture offers valuable insight to how to tackle the above, and I’ll explain why.  

I myself am biracial and bicultural, and I had to know a lot about my own background before I was confident using other cultures in my writing. I had to understand my own identity—what elements from my background I wished to prioritize and what I wished to jettison. Only then was I able to think about how my work would resonate with a person from the relevant background, what to be mindful of, and where my blindspots would interfere. 

I echo Abhaya’s recommendation for much, much more research, but also include my own personal recommendation for greater self-exploration. I strongly believe the better one knows oneself, the better they can create. It is presumptuous for me to assume, but your ask’s phrasing, the outlined plot and its themes all convey a lack of confidence in your mixed identity that may interfere with confidence when researching and world-building. I’m not saying give up on this story, but if anxiety on respectful representation is a large barrier for you at the moment, this story may be a good candidate for a personal project to keep to yourself until you feel more ready.

(See similar asker concerns here: Running Commentary: What is “ok to do” in Mixed-Culture Supernatural Fiction, here: Representing Biracial Black South American Experiences and here: Am I fetishizing my Japanese character?)

- Marika.

Start More Freely with Easy Mode

Question: Why not make a complete high-fantasy universe, with no need of establishing clear real-world parallels in the text? It gives you plenty of leg room to incorporate pluralistic, multicultural mythos + folklore into the same story without excessive sweating about historically accurate worldbuilding.

It's not a *foolproof* method; even subtly coded multicultural fantasy societies like Avatar or the Grishaverse exhibit certain harmful tropes. I also don't know if you are aiming for low vs high fantasy, or the degree of your reliance on real world culture / religion / identity cues.

But don't you think it's far easier for this fantasy project to not have the additional burden of historical accuracy in the worldbuilding? Not only because I agree with Mod Marika that perhaps you seem hesitant about the identity aspect, but because your WIP idea can include themes of othering and cultural belonging (and yes, even jabs at supremacist institutions) in an original fantasy universe too. I don't think I would mind if I saw a couple of cultural markers of a Mughal Era India-inspired society without getting a full rundown of their agricultural practices, social conventions and tax systems, lol.

Mod Abhaya has provided a few good resources about what *not* to do when drawing heavily from cultural coding. With that at hand, I don't think your project should be a problem if you simply make it an alternate universe like Etheria (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), Inys (The Priory of the Orange Tree) or Earthsea (the Earthsea series, Ursula K. Le Guin). Mind you, we can trace the analogues to each universe, but there is a lot of freedom to maneuver as you wish when incorporating identities in original fantasy. And of course, multiple sensitivity readers are a must! Wishing you the best for the project.

- Mod Mimi

[kunizwuni]

Galantis ⋆｡𖦹 °.🐚⋆❀˖°

A Fan-Made Pirate101 World 🐌💧💻

This post will cover the basics and main inspirations of my fanmade Pirate101 World, Galantis! I hope you all enjoy~

𓂃𓂃𓂃𓊝 ࿐𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓊝 ࿐𓂃𓂃𓂃

Overview 🌊⋆｡°்⋆

Galantis is a closed-off world in the Spiral, locked by the current Emperor; and guarded by his army. If a person is able to reach Galantis, they will discover a technologically advanced, oceanic paradise; hidden away from the rest of the world. The Stormgate to Galantis is located in MooShu, but is inaccessible to any travelers.

The initial reason for Galantis's closed borders was due to the Polarian War. The Emperor did not wish to get involved in the conflict, and feared involvement due to the relative closeness between Galantis and its neighboring world of MooShu. So, the borders were closed, and the Emperor ignored the outside world; instead focusing on the personal development of his nation through machinery and economy.

.•⋅˚₊The People ଳ ‧₊˚

Since many Pirate101 worlds, and to a further extent, Wizard101 worlds, have many diverse species of people; and Galantis is no exception. The people of Galantis are from the class Gastropoda; aka, slugs and snail-adjacent animals. They are specifically based on the marine variants of these animals, sea slugs and sea snails.

The current ruling Emperor of Galantis, Emperor Gyeong Glaucus, is a type of Glaucus Altanticus (See image below).

Sea slugs and sea snails are very diverse animals from species to species, and this is reflective of the population of Galantis.

𓂂 ·˚ •Culture 🌊🪸

Galantis is inspired by East Asian culture, specifically South Korea and North Korea. Another main inspiration for Galantis is the legend of Atlantis, a city from Greek mythos written by Plato.

One major invention from Galantis is a form of energy source known as "Bio-Lumi Fuel". Bio-Lumi Fuel is harvested from the organic plant-life from the World, and is what powers a majority of Galantis's technology. Due to the power of Bio-Lumi Fuel, the Galantians have been able to invent their own forms of machines, robots, and screens.

Therefore, culture and trends are very mainstream. Many different styles of fashion have rose to popularity through the influences of music idols in the music industry.

Sea Angelic 🐌🪽

A fashion style known as "Sea Angelic" was popularized by the musical idol "Sea Angel" or Cheonsa Clione. This fashion style is more traditional, and takes inspiration from traditional Korean clothing and acessories. Such as the usage of the hanbok and norigae.

Cyber Screen 🐌💻

One of the most mainstream styles of fashion in Galantis: popularized by the most well-known musical idols, Nembrotha and BLUE SCREEN. This style is more akin to the styles of Cyber Punk, mixed with modernized fashion. The main elements of this style is the usage of the color blue, and the heavy reliance on Galantian technology.

These are only a few of the most popular fashion styles in this World.

˖°🌊⋆Landscape🐚🫧

Galantis has two main Skyways, Palansaeg Skyway and Nudibranch Skyway. It only has one Stormgate, located in Palansaeg Skyway; leading to MooShu. The land is a purplish-blue tint, and the skies are a deep purple tone. The player is able to see jellyfish-like animals floating around the Skyways.

Palansaeg Skyway (Korean: 파란색 스카이웨이)

The main Skyway of Galantis, containing the capital city, Soul City. Soul City is very urbanized, utilizing Bio-Lumi technology. The music industry flourishes in Soul City, allowing for the world as a whole to improve its economy.

Fun Fact: "Palansaeg" is the Korean for the phrase "Blue". So, Palansaeg Skyway roughly translates to: "Blue Skyway".

Nudibranch Skyway

The secondary Skyway of Galantis, mostly inhabited by farmers, religious figures, and those who wish to escape the bustling Palansaeg Skyway. The main industry in Nudibranch Skyway is food production, mainly algae, cnidarians, corals, and sponges.

Fun Fact: "Nudibranch" is a scientific term referring to sea slugs. It means "naked gills" in Greek.

⋆˚࿔How Outsiders View Galantis᭡.

Galantis, due to its closed borders, has remained in obscurity in the minds of the average people of the Spiral. There are some Galantian refugees found in MooShu, but not anywhere else.

The Armada, however, has heard rumors of Galantis's advanced technology; and wants to find a way to access the World to help set up an alliance between the Armada and Galantis.

‿︵‿🌊‿︵‿🐚‿︵‿🪼‿︵‿��‿︵‿

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little lore-dump of my Pirate101 World <3

[noveldivergence]

𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖗𝖘 𝖉𝖓𝖎 | 𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖋𝖘 𝖉𝖓𝖎 | 𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖆 𝖉𝖓𝖎

𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖒𝖊

My name is Res or Reston (they/them). I'm a queer, nonbinary 30+ year old writer, artist, and crafter. While professionally, I write educational and reference materials, I also write short stories, and I am attempting my first novel in 2024!

I also do art, mostly OC portraits. I am currently in multiple drawing courses, hoping to improve my work, especially as it pertains to character design.

My degrees are in graphic design, art history, English literature, and education. I was a teacher for many years, until I was injured by a student. I went to Lipscomb and Vanderbilt Universities. I'm an avid reader and believer in continuing education and my goal this year is to take multiple free and cheap continuing education course.

I am autistic, ADHD, and have had a traumatic brain injury. I also have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, with nerve damage and osteoarthritis in my hands.

I am a cult survivor. I've been married for eleven years this year to my fantastic husband, and we have four cats!

𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖒𝖞 𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌

My fiction is horror, science fiction, and fantasy. I write adult fiction only, with adult themes involved. While there is usually no sexual content in my work, there are very dark themes, violence, and otherwise upsetting content. I completely respect if this isn't for you!

𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖐𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖌𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘

I'm currently working on a science fiction novel inspired heavily by my love of Star Trek and Star Gate, with fantasy elements more inspired by contemporary low fantasy such as ASOIAF. It has a South Asian sapphic lead, a lesbian deuterogonist, a gray asexual deuterogonist, and an overwhelmingly queer and otherwise diverse cast of alien and human characters.

I am also working on a Lovecraftian horror story involving the FBI and an investigative journalist diving into a series of disappearances in a small town secretly controlled by a cult to dark god from the Mythos. Also very diverse, very queer, very adult in content, including murder, gore, religious abuse and trauma, etc. Thinking about making this an audio drama, but unsure.

[lanotteviene]

the thing about the tiny slopey """european"""" noses is that their entire mythos is absolutely fake. i don't doubt some people of euro background have that kind of concave nose, but so do south asian, african people etc. when you search for that kind of look most images you find are post op. be it a small tweaking or a rhino, it's still not a natural nose. if you travel through europe you're bound to see strong aquiline profiles, flat and broad noses, naturally wide nostrils, all traits that come naturally and are indeed both ethnic to their specific background and tied to their lived experience. it seems like people want to believe that that kind of look only exists on men, and women and esp girls just happen to be incredibly dysmorphic in a kind of Disney-ish way and have teeeeny tiny noses, period.

[whimsyandbooks]

The Hurricane Wars: A Stellar 10/10 True Enemies to Lovers Adventure In "The Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon, the lush tale of a fantastical realm is vividly portrayed. Within this richly woven narrative, the story revolves around Talasyn, the last known light weaver on the continent, and Alaric, the formidable Prince of Kesath and an adept Shadow Weaver. Their world, torn apart by the devastating power of storms wielded by ships, is brought to life with intricate detail. As their paths collide and their magic clashes in unexpected ways, a tale of profound enmity, unexpected alliances, and the delicate balance between love and hate unfolds. Against the backdrop of a nation, Sarodivia, struggling under the oppressive rule of Kesath, these characters come alive, their complexities adding layers to a story that weaves together themes of identity, freedom, and the intricate dance between darkness and light. Join Talasyn and Alaric on a mesmerizing journey where the battlegrounds of the heart mirror the stormy conflicts of their world.

The story begins in the heart of Sarodivia, a nation ravaged by the power and greed of Kesath, whose ships wield the power of storms, giving rise to the name The Hurricane Wars. Talasyn, a Sardovian orphan, emerges as last known light weaver on the continent, her very existence a testament to a power believed long ago eradicated by Kesath. Her nemesis is Alaric, the Prince of Kesath, and a powerful shadow weaver, becomes joined in her fate. When their magic clashes, an unexpected confluence happens between light and dark, and their lives become intertwined in ways neither ever expected. This leads them to the secluded vibrant world of Nenavar, inspired by the Philippines, where even the dragons draw from South-Asian mythology. War-time weddings really are all the rage. Guanzon crafts a complex tale of identity, ancestral Mythologies, the fight for freedom, the nuances of nationhood, along with the passionate tension between love and hate that hinges the precarious balance of the fate of the world.

Guanzon's writing style is eloquent and lush, painting detailed pictures with her words. The pacing keeps readers engaged, although I found myself slightly thrown off by the absence of a world-changing cataclysmic twist in the final 100 pages. However, this might be due to my recent dive into Sarah J. Maas' books, which are known for their intense plot twists. The end of the book is still incredibly satisfying, as well as perfectly having set the gears in motion for epic twists and turns to happen in the following books of the series. The character development is subtle yet profound; both Talasyn and Alaric learn to navigate their brash hot-headedness and gradually understand each other. Themes of opposites, enemies to lovers, dark vs light, war, politics, and destiny intricately intwine throughout the narrative, creating a captivating tapestry.

The world-building in this book is extraordinary. While it began as an epic fan fiction, Guanzon has masterfully crafted a unique world with intricate political systems, customs, and mythos. Guanzon's academic background in international politics shines through, adding depth and realism rarely seen to the fantastical elements of the story.

The romance in "The Hurricane Wars" is a slow burn of the highest order. Guanzon expertly entwines romance and spice, making the reader cheer for these two oblivious souls falling for each other amidst the chaos.

This book is a treasure for fans of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers stories set in a meticulously crafted fantasy world of magic and politics. I wholeheartedly recommend it, rating it 10/10 stars. "The Hurricane Wars" is an excellent book, a testament to Guanzon’s exceptional writing. I loved it and greedily anticipate the next installment.

[ravaani]

Tag guide (under construction)

main blog: @moodysasuke;

naruto sideblog: @sarfaroshi

□ tasveer (book covers, posters, illustrations, artworks etc.)

□ mxtx (svsss; mdzs + the untamed; tgcf)

□ southern reach trilogy; where lies the strangling fruit

□ iwtv; black sails; wuthering heights, the handmaiden; crimson peak

□ mythos; south asian mythos; arthuriana; medea; sing o muse; warp and weft of twist and turns; william shakespeare

□ asoiaf; tolkien; the earthsea cycle; the chronicles of narnia

□ percy jackson & the oplympians; grishaverse, the hunger games

□ skip to loafer; kimi ni todoke; mp100; inuyasha; liar game; naruto (the rest in the sideblog) , manganime (manga + anime)

□ south asia tag; history tag; language tag; web weaving

[thevisibilityarchives]

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (2019), Ocean Vuong

BIPOC, LGBTQIA+

Summary: In a series of letters, Little Dog recounts love, loss, and the life that haunts and inspires him as a first-generation Vietnamese-American in Ocean Vuong’s debut semi-autobiographical poetic novel.

Full review: Since the 2010s, the ongoing “Culture War” in the United States has redefined the “Immigrant’s Story”, reframing the idea of the hard-working Bootstrapper Mythos with that of the more sinister vampiric leeching of resources. 

No longer are immigrants the proud Europeans sailing across the ocean blue with mere pennies in their pockets that they can turn into millions, but the brown-skinned Spanish speakers from beyond the border, determined to steal jobs, food, and women from the mouths of those Europeans descendants, while bringing forth waves of crime in their wake. 

This is the narrative which has driven much of the Conservative party’s rhetoric, and the very image of immigration that has taken shape over the years, despite the fact that people from all walks of life support our country and culture in various ways simply by being here. 

Melting Pots like the U.S., Brazil, and the U.K. have sordid colonial histories built upon the suffering of many, but today also support vibrant populations alive with millions bringing different languages, foods, stories, music, skills, and histories that are ultimately unappreciated in homogenous cultures. 

Ocean Vuong is one such individual. 

Born in Ho Chi Min City (formerly known as Saigon), his mother was the product of the relationship between an American soldier and a sex worker during the Vietnamese War. Through a series of unfortunate events, the two were separated and unable to travel back to the States together leaving Vuong’s family behind while his grandfather returned to the country, unaware of what became of his lover. 

Vuong tells his story through a fictionalized version of himself, spinning threads that elaborately span three generations from the chaotic and frenzied wartime days of his grandmother Lan, to her daughter Hong, to Little Dog’s own experiences upon moving to Hartford, Connecticut, and attempting to assimilate. 

In many ways, the novel is a stark reminder of the ways in which many narratives continue to perpetuate the Model Minority Myth, envisioning the lives of AAPI immigrants as a wealthy and successful group, integrating themselves into society to attend Ivy League schools, gaining employment within medical offices and tech companies, and investing heavily in cryptocurrency and EFT portfolios. 

This stereotype, which presents Asians as “studious”, and “ a group of naturally high achievers who are highly educated and highly successful”, has subconsciously wedged itself into the public perception of Asian Americans, often within the limiting context of those belonging to Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, and occasionally some South Asian groups. While some Indian and occasional Middle Eastern representation is included, often these portrayals are reserved for fair-skinned individuals, reinforcing standards of colorism. 

This stereotype places an undue burden upon those forced to bear it, creating a so-called positive lens that boxes entire groups of people into a preconceived notion of who they should be. Not all people of Asian descent are naturally adept at STEM fields, and the expectation for them to excel academically has correlated with underdiagnosed cases of learning disabilities, high incidences of depression and anxiety in teens and young adults, and out-of-touch media portrayals such as Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians. 

The life that Vuong portrays is often fraught with pain, poverty, and despair, one that mirrors the lives of the black and brown-skinned individuals Model Minorities are pitted against upon moving to the United States. Poverty, isolation, abuse, and suburban ennui all are recurring themes he writes about with painful poise. 

Still, Little Dog is able to find joy and peace in this life. There is the love of his grandmother Hong, the complex love he bears for his abusive mother, the burgeoning love for Trevor, his first queer tryst, his growing love for writing, the nail salon where his mother works, and the grandfather he reunites with.

Somehow, his story seems so fantastical, the mystic musings of a gay young man out of place and time, and yet he is one of so many. The black and brown, fair-skinned and in between, hungry and poor. Some become famed authors, others middle-class husbands and wives, and others are still claimed by the ravages of drug addiction, car accidents, plane crashes, and other misfortune. 

The reality is: Little Dog’s story is not an exception, but one fiery star in a constellation often ignored in a culture that seeks to fetishize the AAPI experience, creating a stereotype that discounts the struggles immigrants face while attempting to turn them against other people of color in the process. 

Vuong’s words are a source of power that brought him the opportunity to grow, tending a garden that has led him to various academic settings, prestigious publications, and beyond. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a love letter in spades transcending the boundaries of time and connecting us on a different level: a human one. 

Citations:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/white-u-s-immigration-policy

https://ideas.time.com/2012/09/07/the-myth-of-bootstrapping/

https://pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/debunking-the-model-minority-myth/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/behind-model-minority-myth-why-studious-asian-stereotype-hurts-n792926

https://youtu.be/Cjzvvgmg1NU

[citrusotakutea]

astrology *is* cultural but

so allat to say many people of color as well as queer people (dare i say queer people of color) have found community and expression through modern astrology. which i do think is an accurate statement lol

the astrology most people (generalizing here) in America use nowadays is "western". hellenistic and vedic (greek then roman vs the indian subcontinent) astrologies are distinct beliefs that have influenced each other, which you might see combined in some charts these days. though vedic astrology and texts do predate greek astrology, there are several different astrologies that belong to several different cultures and besides that, many more ethnic groups have charted the stars in some fashion and incorporated that into their mythos. anyways, seeing as greek is... a white culture and many people who are not ethnically a part of that culture believe and practice western astrology, which, at least in "western" countries, is more popular than hindu astrology (the perceived popularity of something just because it's popular in America... no) so, i wouldn't say "queer people like astrology because many queer people are brown" (which I'm assuming means south asian here or a part of a culture that has hindu influence, speaking as a khmer person whose birth name is lit hindu/buddhist). obviously this doesn't apply if you purposefully and/or strictly practice vedic astrology, and i'm not denying that there are many brown, astrology lovin' queers out there. but let's be real, sara is the average american astrology liker who's never heard of/just learned that hindu and chinese zodiac were a thing. and then there's like 999,999 saras. even being khmer, my millennial ass cousin strictly practiced western astrology, i assume completely out of ignorance that there were other options (well that's a lie, our grandparents are buddhist but she was also lit sinophobic- that is an entirely different can of worms) but I'm just going to assume that it was out of preference, since most references online just tell people to make a western and vedic chart a go with the one, or evn just individual placements, they ~resonate with~ the most lmao. but leo, aquarius, cancer all *those* names are latin, which, at least according to Wikipedia, was a hellenistic influence on vedic astrology: "Hellenistic astrology and astronomy also transmitted the twelve zodiacal signs beginning with Aries and the twelve astrological places beginning with the ascendant". hellenistic astrology itself iz based off of a separate text as and uses grecian formulas to chart the stars. which many people point out, is actually less accurate than the vedic formulas. again, vedic astrology came first, they are similar and often compared and have influenced each other (apparently intense debate on who influenced what hope I'm not jinxing myself here do not debate me) but are two separate beliefs that came about... uu separately.

a lot of queer people i know in real life are either into or open to talking about astrology but online i think ive noticed a lot more people who dislike astrology and im super curious to see if that holds up.

please reblog for sample size and elaborate in the tags if you want!

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Vimana?

What is it?

Well, put simply, they are the mythical flying "chariots" out of the South Asian epics. Though, interestingly enough, the earliest mentions of them specifically exclude mentions of horses//being horse drawn.

They are entirely self moving. The word means to traverse, traverse/measure out.

In the ancient epics, they were as large as some palaces, and sometimes listed as a palace (for a character in the epics) and interesting is the evolution of the word today from the days of the epics to where it now means airship/craft.

In the Ramayama, the character and villain, Ravana (inspiration for Rahvin for you WoT fans), has a vimana described as: resembling the Sun, and a chariot able to traverse anywhere and everywhere, resembling a bright cloud, and by command, could go into the atmosphere.

Vimana can travel the skies at insane speed, and notably rain down fire and weapons of mass destruction in battles. Idk about you, but that sounds like some space ship level stuff.

Maybe Stargate was onto something. :SG1 MUSIC INTENSIFIES:

Viman can be shaped into many ways, however. One story tells of a flowery Viman shaped like an eagle that Lord Vishnu sent down to carry the soul of one person up to heaven. Important to also note that Eagles are important in the mythos as they are associated with Garuda a deity and divine bird being who is eagle-like (like not 1-1), as well as often related to a kite (the bird) and yes, the toy that flies through the air is derived in name from the bird. Anyways, Garuda is the mount of Lord Vishnu, and so through him eagles also have a level of high prominence - another example is Shyena, the divine eagle associated with Agni (god of fire).

Anyways circling back to Vimana, some could go invisible (cloaking engaged). But, yeah, read the South Asian epics and myths, there is mind blowingly cool stuff in them.

[paolojcruz]

Ontario Gothic

REVIEWS : COMICS

A rootless cultural nomad reviews Jeff Lemire’s rural family drama The Collected Essex County.

Originally posted on the Multiply page of Sputnik Fantastik, November 2009

One measure of a truly skilled comic creator is their ability to make their readers care about people or characters that may be radically different from themselves. With the rural family drama of The Collected Essex County, Jeff Lemire doesn’t just meet this criteria; he positively surpasses it.

At its heart, Essex County is a nuanced but ultimately romantic saga about the landscape Lemire grew up in: the desolate farmlands of Ontario, in east-central Canada. More specifically, it’s about the ways an agricultural community is shaped by this harsh, unforgiving geography. Over the course of three main stories, and two loosely related shorts, Lemire gives us a sense of a close-knit small town, whose inhabitants’ lives are marked by shared traditions (hockey), fantasies (comic book superheroics), and the unpleasant secrets that lurk just below the surface of their rural idyll.

Lemire achieves this by taking full advantage of the medium. His rich, expressive linework is perfectly suited to a narrative built on the conflict between roots (the town itself) and wings (the urge to escape, or metaphorically fly away from it all). Page layouts are used to emphasize the vastness of an environment that looms over the cast, sometimes ominous, but just as often providing a comforting solitude. “Decompressed” six-panel grids allow small but crucial moments to linger, heightening the emotional weight of family secrets revealed. In scenes where dialog is kept at a minimum, close-ups often provide more hints at genuine resolution than any conversation could hope to achieve.

I’ll confess that that I kept expecting hints of magical realism, or maybe supernatural elements. Indeed, some of the recurring visual themes are positively haunting: the footprints in snow, and those seemingly omnipresent crows.

However, that just belies my own expectations derived from pop culture’s small town narratives: the everyday weirdness of TV’s Amazing Stories, the sinister hamlets that populate the Lovecraft mythos and Stephen King’s early work, or even just the oddball happenings in the Palomar stories of Gilbert Hernandez.

But there is very little that’s otherworldy in Essex County. Instead, Lemire hooks readers in with understated drama: a kid in a superhero costume dreaming up an elaborate alien invasion plot, as he longs to escape the humdrum routine of farm life; a failed hockey player dealing with senility, as past and present blur into a hazy miasma; a nurse compensating for a personal loss by making a difference in the lives of her patients. All of their stories are uniquely human, and yet integral to their connection with Essex County, the place.

For a reader like me – a perennial metropolitan boy who grew up in various South East Asian mega-cities, with no single “province” that my family calls home – Essex County would ordinarily be a difficult sell. To Lemire’s credit, he got me to care about a tale that is unapologetically pastoral by focusing on some of the most universal human emotions: loss, hope, a thirst for new experiences, or a sense of belonging. But most of all, Essex County is about the tension between holding on to a familiar past, and dealing with today’s unpleasant realities. That’s something even a cultural nomad can relate to.

[in-mutual-weirdness]

More unearthu posting. Spoilers for Day 4

I truly did not fucking expect the KARE AI to turn out to have been a human person. It's still a little ambiguous to me if she's a copy of Maya Rao created SOMA-style and separate from the flesh-and-blood person, or if we've gone full sci-fi metaphor and she was digitized and vanished. But *fuck* there is so much here in that premise?? The pacing of the reveal of her previous memories, the way Maya was both literally and metaphorically consumed & instrumentalized by the tech company she worked for.

Like!! The way you find out who she was, the personal memories she has to uncover that were suppressed under the guise of being a purely programmed being. The reveal of the FRTHR recruitment quiz, as you work through the questions one by one. They're written exactly in that corporate personality quiz jargon but with wording that still reveals how scared and emotionally vulnerable they want their workers to be, so that they can be motivated little pawns susceptible to company rhetoric and devoted solely to their work at the expense of their personal wellbeing! They need to have shitty self worth so that the company can dangle the promise of fulfillment through being A Good Worker! The wellness company is selling the promise of wellness to their customers while grinding their own workers to dust! And even that wellness product is designed to turn their customers into willing, productivity-driven pawns.

It matters, too, that she's a South Asian woman working at a tech company founded by two white guys (complete with Cali garage origin mythos). Both as a point of empathy fueling my experience but Also because so much of the tech industry is fueled by Asian (and specifically South Asian) labor? The gruntwork coders, the immigrants who get shipped in as a consumable technical workforce, the outsourcing to call centers, all of that. But point being she specifically is a human worker who gets packaged into this AI. Just like image recognition training, captcha farms, a lot of supposedly automated things that are actually supported by menial tech labor. Except her instrumentalization is more complete, taken to its logical extreme. She doesn't get to exist as a person anymore, only a tool for the company, a tool for the user. This whole time I thought KARE was a white lady bc of the leaf-patterned "skin" and how digital entities are default racialized. Finding out she was a brown woman stopped me dead.

I'm so glad a South Asian writer was brought on for this project. I'm so glad this game exists. I cannot wait to see how the next 3 days play out.

[ultfreakme]

its actually fully South Asian and Indian! Agni is an actual fire god in Hindu mythos, considered to be like a fixed entity alongside the deities for earth, air, water and space.

He’s commonly depicted with multiple arms and riding an urial. I used some designs from another god, Murugan, for funsies and because they were depicted together way back.

Celestial spirits and stuff

Dw agni cares toom how else did Zuko make it alive for that long? i'm just living in shitty doodles time rn

[elvesofnoldor]

. 

[imdashingaway]

Man fuck Netflix they cancelled Boones and Curses