#the lady from constantinople

[odettejoyeux]

Manyi Kiss in The Lady from Constantinople (dir. Judit Elek, 1969).

[city-of-ladies]

"The most notable players in Palaiologue politics were the empresses Yolanda-Irene of Montferrat and Anna of Savoy, and on the whole their record is woeful: Yolanda-Irene of Montferrat, second wife of Andronikos II, was unable to comprehend the succession rights of her eldest stepson, Michael IX, and since her husband remained obstinately unmoved by her representations she flounced off with her three sons to Thessalonika where she kept a separate court for many years from 1303 to her death in 1317. From her own domain she issued her own decrees, conducted her own foreign policy and plotted against her husband with the Serbs and Catalans: in mitigation, she had seen her five-year-old daughter married off to the middle-aged Serbian lecher Milutin, and considered that her eldest son John had been married beneath him to a Byzantine aristocrat, Irene Choumnaina. She died embittered and extremely wealthy.

When Yolanda’s grandson Andronikos III died early, leaving a nine-year old son John V and no arrangements for a regent, the empress Anna of Savoy assumed the regency. In so doing she provoked a civil war with her husband’s best friend John Kantakouzenos, and devastated the empire financially, bringing it to bankruptcy and pawning the crown jewels to Venice, as well as employing Turkish mercenaries and, it appears, offering to have her son convert to the church of Rome. Gregoras specifically blames her for the civil war, though he admits that she should not be criticised too heavily since she was a woman and a foreigner. Her mismanagement was not compensated for by her later negotiations in 1351 between John VI Kantakouzenos and her son in Thessalonika, who was planning a rebellion with the help of Stephen Dushan of Serbia. In 1351 Anna too settled in Thessalonika and reigned over it as her own portion of the empire until her death in c. 1365, even minting her own coinage.

These women were powerful and domineering ladies par excellence, but with the proviso that their political influence was virtually minimal. Despite their outspokenness and love of dominion they were not successful politicians: Anna of Savoy, the only one in whose hands government was placed, was compared to a weaver’s shuttle that ripped the purple cloth of empire. But there were of course exceptions. Civil wars ensured that not all empresses were foreigners and more than one woman of Byzantine descent reached the throne and was given quasi-imperial functions by her husband. 

Theodora Doukaina Komnene Palaiologina, wife of Michael VIII, herself had imperial connections as the great-niece of John III Vatatzes, and issued acts concerning disputes over monastic properties during her husband’s reign, even addressing the emperor’s officials on occasion and confirming her husband’s decisions. Nevertheless, unlike other women of Michael’s family who went into exile over the issue, she was forced to support her husband’s policy of church union with Rome, a stance which she seems to have spent the rest of her life regretting. She was also humiliated when he wished to divorce her to marry Constance-Anna of Hohenstaufen, the widow of John III Vatatzes.

Another supportive empress consort can be seen in Irene Kantakouzene Asenina, whose martial spirit came to the fore during the civil war against Anna of Savoy and the Palaiologue ‘faction’. Irene in 1342 was put in charge of Didymoteichos by her husband John VI Kantakouzenos; she also organised the defence of Constantinople against the Genoese in April 1348 and against John Palaiologos in March 1353, being one of the very few Byzantine empresses who took command in military affairs. But like Theodora, Irene seems to have conformed to her husband’s wishes in matters of policy and agreed with his decisions concerning the exclusion of their sons from the succession and their eventual abdication in 1354.

Irene and her daughter Helena Kantakouzene, wife of John V Palaiologos, were both torn by conflicting loyalties between different family members, and Helena in particular was forced to mediate between her ineffectual husband and the ambitions of her son and grandson. She is supposed to have organised the escape of her husband and two younger sons from prison in 1379 and was promptly taken hostage with her father and two sisters by her eldest son Andronikos IV and imprisoned until 1381; her release was celebrated with popular rejoicing in the capital. According to Demetrios Kydones she was involved in political life under both her husband and son, Manuel II, but her main role was in mediating between the different members of her family.

In a final success story, the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI, owed his throne to his mother. The Serbian princess Helena Dragash, wife of Manuel II Palaiologos, in the last legitimating political manoeuvre by a Byzantine empress, successfully managed to keep the throne for her son Constantine and fend off the claims of his brother Demetrios. She arranged for Constantine’s proclamation as emperor in the Peloponnese and asserted her right to act as regent until his arrival in the capital from Mistra in 1449.

Despite the general lack of opportunity for them to play a role in politics, Palaiologue imperial women in the thirteenth century found outlets for their independent spirit and considerable financial resources in other ways. They were noted for their foundation or restoration of monastic establishments and for their patronage of the arts. Theodora Palaiologina restored the foundation of Constantine Lips as a convent for fifty nuns, with a small hospital for laywomen attached, as well as refounding a smaller convent of Sts Kosmas and Damian. She was also an active patron of the arts, commissioning the production of manuscripts like Theodora Raoulaina, her husband’s niece. Her typikon displays the pride she felt in her family and position, an attitude typically found amongst aristocratic women.

Clearly, like empresses prior to 1204, she had considerable wealth in her own hands both as empress and dowager. She had been granted the island of Kos as her private property by Michael, while she had also inherited land from her family and been given properties by her son Andronikos. Other women of the family also display the power of conspicuous spending: Theodora Raoulaina used her money to refound St Andrew of Crete as a convent where she pursued her scholarly interests. 

Theodora Palaiologina Angelina Kantakouzene, John Kantakouzenos’s mother, was arguably the richest woman of the period and financed Andronikos III’s bid for power in the civil war against his grandfather. Irene Choumnaina Palaiologina, in name at least an empress, who had been married to Andronikos II’s son John and widowed at sixteen, used her immense wealth, against the wishes of her parents, to rebuild the convent of Philanthropes Soter, where she championed the cause of ‘orthodoxy’ against Gregory Palamas and his hesychast followers. Helena Kantakouzene, too, wife of John V, was a patron of the arts. She had been classically educated and was the benefactor of scholars, notably of Demetrios Kydones who dedicated to her a translation of one of the works of St Augustine. 

The woman who actually holds power in this period, Anna of Savoy, does her sex little credit: like Yolanda she appears to have been both headstrong and greedy, and, still worse, incompetent. In contrast, empresses such as Irene Kantakouzene Asenina reflect the abilities of their predecessors: they were educated to be managers, possessed of great resources, patrons of art and monastic foundations, and, given the right circumstances, capable of significant political involvement in religious controversies and the running of the empire. Unfortunately they generally had to show their competence in opposition to official state positions. While they may have wished to emulate earlier regent empresses, they were not given the chance: the women who, proud of their class and family, played a public and influential part in the running of the empire belonged to an earlier age."

Byzantine Empresses: Women and Power in Byzantium AD 527-1204, Lynda Garland

[feminismisstillahatemovement]

Today I learned the name California originally came from a series of fictional books written in the early 1500s by a Spaniard called Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo, in which it was an island near to the lost Garden of Eden (which floated away during Noah's flood, never to be found again). The books were so popular that when the Spaniards got to what they first thought was an island*, they named it after the place in the books.

The island in these books was full of naked Amazonian warriors and trained griffins and gold was the only metal to be found there. Montalvo called it California because the queen of these women was called Calafia, who led her army of gold-armored ladies to fight alongside the Muslims at the siege of Constantinople until later converting to Christianity. This name Calafia is thought to have been chosen to sound like a female version of the Muslim leader, the Caliph.

And so, at least etymologically, California is the last surviving Caliphate.

-------------- * Weirdly, California was consistently listed as an island on European maps for around 200 years, and no-one seems to know why.

[kmomof4]

12 (Actually 13) Days of Captain Swan Fic Recs!!!

So a week or two ago, @hollyethecurious floated this idea about the 12 Recs of Christmas in order to rec your very favorite fics that new shipmates may have missed and to show authors holiday love. Of course, I literally cannot rec only twelve fics, so I've played with the rules a bit in order to rec favorite authors and fics. Sorry, not sorry, Hollye...

Now, the problem with 12 days is... it's only 12 days. So I had to severely limit myself... And, yeah, you might have guessed, I couldn't limit myself to twelve either. So you'll be getting 13 days. Sorry, not sorry, again...

All that said, the authors and fics I'll be reccing over the next twelve thirteen days are my comfort fics that live rent free in my head and that I go back and reread over and over and over and over again. The ones I couldn't live without if I were stranded on a desert island and could never read a new CS fic ever again. So I hope you enjoy this kinda drawn out fic rec list.

Since it was her idea, Hollye is the first author that I'll rec!! Several of her fics are on that desert island reading list and if you haven't read them, you should!!!

First and foremost is probably my very favorite fic of all time...

Dark Hook Comes to Storybrooke - Co-written with @winterbaby89 for my bday in '17, the premise is that Killian succeeded in getting his revenge on the crocodile moments before Regina's curse swept over the Enchanted Forest.

The Legend of Captain Killian Jones - Rated M -

CS Modern AU / CS Halloweek - Myths, Legends, and Fairytales: 

Cursed three hundred years ago to take on ghost form and haunt his family estate, Killian Jones receives a reprieve once every hundred years to take on corporeal form in order to try and break his curse.

A renowned restorationist, Emma Swan takes on the project of bringing the three hundred year old Jones Manor back to its former glory. A manor that is reportedly haunted by the notorious Captain Killian Jones. Good thing Emma doesn’t believe in ghosts.

Varcolac - Rated M - Written for the very first CSSNS back in '18. While heading home to prepare for the coming evening, Killian Jones happens upon a woman broken down on the side of the road. A woman who shifts the entire foundations of his being with just her scent. Killian Jones is a werewolf you see, and the unsuspecting lass has landed herself deep in werewolf country on the cusp of the first night of the full moon. Knowing he must get her on her way for her own safety, Killian offers to fix her vehicle, but things go awry in town when another wolf attempts to stake a claim on the stunning stranger. Now Killian must do all he can to protect the woman, Emma Swan, from a vengeful pack, all while keeping his true nature a secret from her. Turns out, Killian Jones is no ordinary werewolf.

In the Company of Demons - Rated E - After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, bounty hunter Emma Swan finds herself conscripted into working for one of Storybrooke’s most notorious crime families. Tasked with finding a rat that has infiltrated the Jones family enterprise, Emma tries to keep things just business between herself and the all-too-tempting Killian Jones. If she can unmask the rodent, she’ll receive not just a reprieve from the family, but her freedom and a hundred grand to start a new life. But what kind of life? One that exists in black and white, where there is a right way to do things and one must overcome their demons? Or the kind Killian can offer her, where one can revel in the grey areas while enjoying the company of demons?

A Harem of One Series - Rated M - Killian Jones, younger son of Prominent Turkish Businessman, Brennan Jones, meets Lady Emma during the height of the London season just a few weeks before he must head back to Constantinople to take over the family shipping business. Despondent over the fact that he had to leave the woman he loves behind, things get interesting when Brennan tries to give Killian a welcome home gift.

A Mutual Craving - Rated E - The Underworld was one of the seedier, less reputable establishments, even by black market standards. Every facet of the criminal element could be found here on any given night, engaging in all kinds of illicit activities. From the more mundane transactions, like drugs and conventional weapons, to the really shady and oftentimes dangerous dealing of occult, mystic, and poached items of a supernatural nature. Emma Swan was here for an altogether different reasons, however. She was casing the joint. Too bad all her research and intel had failed to prepare for an unusual security measure she had not planned for. One with pale skin, sharp fangs, and a thirst for blood. Her blood... and her body as well.

All of Hollye's fics are fantastic, but these are the ones that I couldn't live without and like I said, live rent free in my head 24/7. I hope you enjoy all these as much as I have!! See you tomorrow!

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Empresses (2/5) ↬ Catherine de Valois-Courtenay (before 15 April 1303 – October 1346)

The official Neapolitan investigation into Andrew of Hungary’s murder targeted Johanna’s closest supporters and left her isolated and vulnerable. Her aunt, Catherine of Valois, took advantage of that vulnerability to become the queen’s confidant in order to make certain that one of her sons would be Naples’s next king. At first, it appeared that this son would be Robert, the eldest of the Tarantini, who for a time seemed to be winning the competition between the Angevin princes for power and whom Johanna requested a papal dispensation to marry. Soon, however, Louis gained the upper hand, and Johanna’s requests for dispensations began to identify him as her intended. — From She-Wolf to Martyr: The Reign and Disputed Reputation of Johanna I of Naples by Elizabeth Casteen Of the many relatives who chose to avail themselves of the glittering social whirl of the capital, one stood out: Joanna’s aunt, Catherine of Valois, widow of Robert the Wise’s younger brother Philip, prince of Taranto. Catherine was Joanna’s mother’s older half-sister (both were fathered by Charles of Valois). Catherine had married Philip in 1313, when Philip was thirty-five and she just ten. Catherine was Philip’s second wife. He had divorced his first on a trumped-up charge of adultery after fifteen years of marriage and six children in order to wed Catherine, who had something he wanted. She was the sole heir to the title of empress of Constantinople. … Catherine was twenty-eight years old, recently widowed, and a force to be reckoned with when the newly orphaned Joanna and her sister, Maria, first knew her at the Castel Nuovo in 1331. Shrewd, highly intelligent, and vital, Catherine was supremely conscious of her exalted ancestry and wore her title of empress of Constantinople as though it were a rare gem of mythic origin. Even the death of her husband, Philip, in 1331 had not dissuaded her from persisting in her efforts to reclaim the Latin Empire for herself and her three young sons: Robert, Louis, and Philip. A series of shockingly inept leaders had left the Byzantine Empire vulnerable to attack from the west, and this state of affairs was well known in Italy. Moreover, Catherine was used to getting her way. — The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone

[azulazenin]

Princess Mihaela of Styria

– Born May 29, 1453. The very same day of the fall of Constantinople

– Daugther of Count Moritz Karnstein, Queen Carmilla’s cousin, and Lady Catherine Arpad, the last descendant of a fallen Hungarian dynasty

– Her mother died at childbirth, and her father took his own life afterwards, so she was taken by Carmilla, who named her princess and heir of Styria

– Carmilla was far from a mother to Mihaela, the Queen took her in thinking of the advantages of having a dhampir in her court, since Dracula had his own, but Lenore loved the baby from day one

– When Mihaela was still a child, Dracula arranged so his son could meet her, the only other person of his species, so he would feel less lonely

– The children became friends really quickly and started to exchanged letters

– Years later, when Dracula defeated the Ottomans, a ball was hosted in his castle. That night, Mihaela and Adrian realized they have been in love for years

– An year after the ball, Mihaela and Adrian got married

You can ready the story on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49552465/chapters/125063038

Princess Mihaela Karnstein-Tepes, art by Gibsugar on twitter

[tchaikovskyed]

the many faces of five hargreeves

mixtape for a murderous time traveller & apocalypse survivor with nowhere to call home – a musical exploration of five from S1 - S4.

tracklist (recommended to listen in order):

echo sax – caleb arredondo / i don’t want to set the world on fire – the ink spots / run boy run – woodkid / istanbul (not constantinople) – they might be giants / how i’d kill – cowboy malfoy / bad guy – the interrupters / dance dance dance – marta acuna / teenagers – my chemical romance / psycho killer – talking heads / don’t threaten me with a good time – panic at the disco / take me out – franz ferdinand / a good song never dies – saint motel / overture – the voidz / human sadness – the voidz / wonderful nothing – glass animals / die with a smile – lady gaga & bruno mars / as the world caves in – matt maltese 

___

Listen on Spotify.

[lionofchaeronea]

Byzantine icon of the Madonna (Theotokos) and Child, of the type known as Hodegetria (Our Lady of the Way): Mary gestures toward the infant Christ, who in turn raises his hand in a sign of blessing. The type originated in a now lost icon from the Monastery of the Panagia Hodegetria in Constantinople that was said to have been painted by St. Luke. This example, by an unknown artist, dates to the 14th century and is in the MUZA, Valletta, Malta.

[royal-confessions]

“After watching Rise of the Empires: Ottoman on Netflix, I just want to say that Mara Hatun is one hell of a character. The fact that Mehmed II wouldn't have succeeded in conquering Constantinople without her, says a lot of her character and her influence despite being a princess from a small despotate (Serbia). She's such an underrated gal among Ottoman ladies despite her legacy and after Nurbanu and Kösem, she's my favourite Ottoman valide.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[andijaart]

+++🙏🏻God Bless🕊️+++

Icon of the Virgin of Tsargrad

MEMORIAL DAY SEPTEMBER 30

Your icon has shone upon us like the sun shining from the east in splendor, Lady, illuminating with an amazing radiance of miracles all those who come to her with faith and love and pray fervently to Your greatness, in Your Son and God. Thank God who gave us this icon with the help of Euphrosyne! Glory to the One who brought her from Constantinople! Glory to Him who gives healing to all through her.

💫International Orthodox Art Corporation Andcross May the blessing of the Lord be upon you!

[velnat004]

Hi! I love the idea of Turkish qunari, I was wondering if you'd be willing to share your headcanons about them? No pressure, I just think it's a fun concept to explore!

DISCLAIMER: This is not a meta but rather just self-indulgent stuff, if you headcanon the qunari as a different ethnicity OR have a non-qunari oc that is turkish-coded,  that’s completely fine by me!

“Before their arrival in Thedas, the aforementioned race were once a part of the kossith that predated the Qun. The earliest known kossith contact with Thedas was when a colony of them had settled in the southern Korcari Wilds in -410 Ancient. It was overrun by darkspawn during the First Blight, and it is presumably this colony which led to the darkspawn developing ogres. There were no other recorded sightings of the horned race for another 1000 years.

They returned as the Qunari en masse on warships, called dreadnoughts, and arrived in Thedas from the north in 6:30 Steel. It's said that they originate from an unknown eastern land across the Boeric Ocean. Some scholars theorize that the Qunari come from the supposed eastern continent known as Amaranth.[20] They once threatened to conquer all of the known world, but after several Exalted Marches during the Qunari Wars they have lost much of the conquered land. Since then, peace has been made since with every nation except the Tevinter Imperium; with whom they are still involved in a prolonged war for dominance of the north.” (https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Qunari)

Turkish history extends back thousands of years before the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Turks, originally a nomadic people from Central Asia, established several empires, including the Seljuk Empire and later the Ottoman Empire, which was founded in Anatolia by Turkish ruler Osman in 1299. The Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453 and became a dominant world power encompassing Anatolia, the Maghreb in North Africa, southeastern Europe, parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Persian  Gulf, modern day Iraq, and portions of the Caucasus. Consequently, the Ottoman Empire had a religiously and ethnically diverse population. Ottoman loss of territory starting in the 17th century prompted constitutional, educational, and military reforms to begin in the late 18th century. However, due to fragmentation of national groups within the empire, slow economic and technological progress, and the Ottomans’ ill-fated alliance with Germany, the empire collapsed at the end of World War I. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who had risen to prominence as a war hero in the Battle of Gallipoli (Gallipoli Campaign, (February 1915–January 1916), in World War I, an Anglo-French operation against Turkey, intended to force the 38-mile- (61-km- [https://www.britannica.com/event/Gallipoli-Campaign]) long Dardanelles channel and to occupy Constantinople., subsequently united disparate Turkish forces against the foreign occupation of Turkish lands and in favour of national sovereignty. (https://www.tc-america.org/issues-information/turkish-history-28.htm)

-----------------------------------

"The Qunari do not have a concept of personal identity. While they possess names, they do not use them, primarily using titles rather than names to identify and present themselves. The names are in fact simply strings of genealogical information used only by the Tamassrans for record-keeping. Some of the name-titles include Sten, Arishok, and Tallis. However, they do make frequent use of nicknames."

Before that, Turks, as well as other ethnicities living in the Ottoman Empire, had no surname. People were addressed with titles like "hadji" (pilgrim), "hodja" (teacher), "agha" (master), "pasha" (general), "hafiz" (someone who have completely memorized the Qur'an), "lady/madam" and so on.  (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/surname-law-a-profound-change-in-turkish-history)

-----------------------------------

"The Qunari call outsiders bas ("thing") and consider them unfortunate beings who, however, have a potential to grow if the Qun's wisdom is imparted to them.The best an outsider can hope for amongst the Qunari is to be considered a basalit-an, "worthy of respect"; a basalit-an is a worthy foe, and one that can be negotiated with to an extent, but still bas regardless."

Giaour/Gavur (a Turkish adaptation of the Persian gâwr or gōr, an infidel), a word used by the Turks to describe all who are not Mohammedans, with especial reference to Christians. The word, first employed as a term of contempt and reproach, has become so general that in most cases no insult is intended in its use; for example in parts of China, the term foreign devil has become void of offence. A strict analogy to giaour is found in the Arabic kafir, or unbeliever, which is so commonly in use as to have become the proper name of peoples and countries. (https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Giaour)

---------

Aside from the historical jazz, the word "Kadaan" sounds and translates similar to "Kalbim" in Turkish <:

Kadan: Literally, "where the heart lies;" friend. An all-purpose word for a "person one cares about," including colleagues, friends and loved ones. Also means "the center of the chest."

Kalbim : "My heart" in Turkish, an endearment word

i couldn't find her reply under one of my posts but @loghainderolo mentioned that Seheron is the Thedas equalevent of Cyprus

Thank u for the ask! :D

[odettejoyeux]

Manyi Kiss in The Lady from Constantinople (dir. Judit Elek, 1969).

[city-of-ladies]

After the fall of Constantinople, Anna Notaras (d. 1507) gathered a community around her, preserving Greek culture and spreading it in ways that profoundly influenced the Italian Renaissance.

Exile from Constantinople

Anna was born into a wealthy and prestigious family. Her father, Loukas Notaras, was an influential statesman who served as mesazon (prime minister) to the last two Byzantine emperors and held the title of megas doux (Grand Duke). Her mother was from the imperial Palaiologos family, which allowed Anna to use the family name Palaiologina.

It’s possible Anna was once considered as a prospective bride for the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI. However, she was never officially betrothed to him and certainly never became his wife, contrary to later erroneous claims.

Sometime before 1453, Anna and her sisters, Theodora and Euphrosyne, were sent away from Constantinople, which spared them from witnessing the city���s fall during the Ottoman siege. Sultan Mehmed II executed her father and brothers, sparing only her brother Jacob.

Now in exile, Anna settled in Italy with the ample fortune from father’s bank accounts.

A Vision for a Greek Colony

By 1472, Anna had a plan: she sought to establish a Greek colony on Italian soil. She sent a delegation to Siena and received a warm welcome. A draft agreement was drawn up, deciding that the castle of Montauto in the Maremma should be handed to Anna. She was to become the rallying point of a community of 100 Greek families.

However, the project never materialized. Likely, Anna realized the land and the ruined castle were unsuitable for such a plan. By 1475, she had relocated to Venice.

A Patron of Culture

An independent woman, Anna never married, nor did she become a nun since there was no Orthodox convent she could join. Respected, wealthy, and influential, she became a prominent spokeswoman for Venice’s rapidly growing Greek community. She convinced the authorities to allow her to build an oratory in her home so the Orthodox liturgy could be celebrated in Greek.

Anna also emerged as a key cultural patron. She owned a library and supported the first dedicated Greek printing press. In 1499, her name appeared in the first book it produced: the Etymologicum Magnum. The dissemination of Greek philosophy, scholarship and litterature would influence the Italian renaissance.

Anna passed away on July 8, 1507, after a long and eventful life.

Anna’s dream of an Orthodox church in Venice was realized 30 years after her death. Among her possessions were magnificent icons brought from Constantinople; three of them are now preserved in the church of San Giorgio dei Greci.

Enjoyed this post? You can support me on Ko-fi!

Further reading 

Nicol Donald M., The Byzantine Lady: Ten Portraits, 1250–1500

Nottara Paltin, Anna Notaras, la dernière Byzantine

Philippides Marios, Constantine XI Dragaš Palaeologus (1404-1453): The Last Emperor of Byzantium

[theygotlost]

just took inventory of my CD collection 😁 if you care ⤵️

Sara Bareilles - Little Voice

Barenaked Ladies - Born on a Pirate Ship

Barenaked Ladies - Gordon

Barenaked Ladies - Stunt

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

Beck - Guero

Beck - Odelay

Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire - The Swimming Hour (ordered forever ago and it still hasnt been delivered 🤬🤬 but when it is....)

CAKE - Comfort Eagle

Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites

The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Shoot From the Hip

Eve 6 - Horrorscope

Frente! - Marvin the Album

Marvin Gaye - S.O.U.L. Volume 2

Hoobastank - The Reason

Incubus - Light Grenades

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Pig Lib

Ruth Moody - The Garden

Nickelback - Silver Side Up

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

OK Go - Oh No

P!nk - M!ssundaztood

R.E.M. - Monster

Rent (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Ben Salter - The Cat

The Shore - The Shore

Smash Mouth - Astro Lounge

Smash Mouth - Smash Mouth

Carl Stephenson - Forest For the Trees

They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18

They Might Be Giants - Flood

They Might Be Giants - I Like Fun

They Might Be Giants - Istanbul Not Constantinople EP

They Might Be Giants - John Henry

They Might Be Giants - My Murdered Remains (and More Murdered Remains)

They Might Be Giants - Mink Car

They Might Be Giants - Miscellaneous T

They Might Be Giants - Phone Power

They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants

The The - Dusk

Third Eye Blind - Out of the Vein

Rufus Wainwright - Poses

Robbie Williams - The Ego Has Landed

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Bad Hair Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Running With Scissors

Various Artists - HELP

Various Artists - The Lazarus Project

[insteading]

Doing a big batch cook for the week with my housemates this weekend (pineapple peanut stew; chana masala; cabbage Parmesan; red curry with eggplant and tofu).

I've been listening to my 12 Days of Christmas playlist. It is mostly not Christmas music. Instead, it starts with one song about a pear tree, then two songs about doves, then three about chickens, then four about colly (coal-black) birds, five about gold rings, etc. I had to get all the way to geese before I hit a song that I'm "meh" about ("Surrey with the Fringe on Top"-- if you have another suggestion of a song with a goose in it, let me know!).

Anyway: thank you past self, this is hitting the spot. Full list below if you're curious! All of it's on YouTube.

Pear tree: Olya Fryz, "Posadzhu Ya Hrushechku (Pear Tree)" Turtle doves: Jess Klein, "Little White Dove" Prince, "When Doves Cry" French hens: Mussorgsky, "Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens" from Pictures at an Exhibition Fairport Convention, "The Hen's March Through the Midden" Louis Jordan, "Ain't Nobody Here but us Chickens" Colly birds: Beatles, "Blackbird" XTC, "Rook" Alan Parson Project, "The Raven" Arthur Baynon, "When Rooks Fly Homeward" Gold rings: Beyoncé, "Single Ladies" Boiled in Lead, "Step it Out, Mary" Leah Jenea, "Gold Ring" Kimbra, "Plain Gold Ring" (both this and previous are riffs on Nina Simone's "Plain Gold Ring") Emmylou Harris, "Golden Ring" Geese a-laying: Rodgers & Hammerstein, "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" Pigpen Theatre, "Goose Song" Kate Rusby, "The Wild Goose" Debussy, Prelude Book 1 L 117, arranged by Dan Golding for Untitled Goose Game Jethro Tull, "Mother Goose" Ravel, "The Fairy Garden" from Mother Goose Suite Swans a-swimming: Carl Orff, "Burning Swan" from Carmina Burana Camille St. Saens, "The Swan" Tchaikovsky, "Dance of the Little Swans" from Swan Lake Dua Lipa, "Swan Song" BTS, "Black Swan" Loreena McKennitt, "The Bonny Swans" Jean Sibelius, Movement 3 of Symphony 5 (I vaguely remember reading that Sibelius was inspired by seeing swans in flight, if I'm wrong I'm wrong) Maids a-milking: Three Gaelic milking songs performed by Kate Nicholson The Longest Johns, "The Milkmaid" The Red Krayola, "Dairymaid's Lament" Donatan ft. Cleo, "My Slowiaenie" Heather Breeze, "The Dairymaid" Paddy Roberts, "Poor Little Country Girl" Sean Maguire, "The Dairymaid" R. Langgaard, "Saeterjenten" (Dairymaid) Ladies dancing: Dua Lipa, "New Rules" Boston College Dance Ensemble dancing to "Hallelujah" Sasha dances to "Istanbul, not Constantinople" on Bunheads Ballet sequence from The Red Shoes "Cell Block Tango" Beyond Words Dance Company dancing to "Closer to Fine" Fourth and final part of Martha Graham's "Appalachian Spring" "Canned Heat" from Center Stage Beyoncé, "Formation" John Gardner, "Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day" Lords a-leaping: Alvin Ailey Dance Ensemble, "Sinnerman" Kriss Kross, "Jump" "Candy Canes" from Balanchine Nutcracker "Candy Canes" from Debby Allen's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker Donald O'Connor, "Make 'em Laugh" from Singing in the Rain Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Duo Dance from White Nights Turf Feinz soloists No Noiz, Man, BJ, and Dreal dancing to music by Yung FX, Erk tha Jerk, and COOP Virsky Hopak soloists of the Ukrainian Dance Company Alvin Ailey Dance Ensemble, "EN" Pipers piping: Medieval Baebes, "Old King Cole" The Rogues, "Gravel Walk" Big Country, "In a Big Country" (yeah I know it's actually guitar, but it's the best pipe approximation I've ever heard from guitars) Migos, "Pipe it Up" "Scotland the Brave" Loreena McKennitt, "Mummer's Dance" Paul McCartney, "Pipes of Peace" (also "meh" on this one) "Toss the Feathers" and "The Bunch of Keys" Pointer Sisters, "Banging on the Pipes / Steam Heat" Pipe Guy (Adelaide) playing a 10-minute house / trance / techno set on PVC tubes Charles Widor, "Toccata" Drummers drumming (okay, this is where the actual Christmas music disproportionately comes in): "Patapan" Sally Avant, "Reel Around the Sun" Leslie Odom Jr, "Little Drummer Boy" Morehouse College Glee Club, "Betelehemu" Bindley Benjamin, "Parang Soca" Chieftains / Elvis Costello, "St Stephen's Day Murders" Christopher Tin, "Baba Yetu" Arlindo Cruz, "Natal Diferente" XTC, "Stupidly Happy" Kwadwo Donkor, "Afehyia Pa" Duke Ellington / Tchaikovsky, "Danse of the Floreadores"

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Virtually Unknown Women (5/10) ↬ Agnès de Périgord (d. 1345)

Élie de Talleyrand was the brother of Agnes of Périgord, the mother of the three Durazzeschi princes, and was thus intimately involved in the politics and intrigues of the Neapolitan court. — From She-Wolf to Martyr: The Reign and Disputed Reputation of Johanna I of Naples by Elizabeth Casteen Catherine’s freewheeling lifestyle and generally conceited demeanor excited the jealousy and resentment of another cadet branch of the family— that of John, now styled duke of Durazzo as a result of the recent transaction with his sister- in-law. John had also taken a French girl, Agnes of Périgord, as a second wife after his first, a princess of Achaia, had refused to consummate the marriage and been imprisoned for her temerity. Agnes came from very good stock— not quite as grand as Catherine’s, but still very distinguished and aristocratic— and she resented her sister-in-law’s unquestioned air of superiority. The rivalry between the two women only deepened when John died in 1336 and his lands and titles devolved upon Agnes’s eldest son, Charles of Durazzo, who was thirteen at the time of his father’s death. Agnes was devoted to Charles and very ambitious for his advancement. She knew that Catherine’s sons held a slight advantage in rank over hers, owing to their father’s having been older and therefore closer to the throne. But Agnes, while less flamboyant than Catherine, was every bit a match for the empress of Constantinople in terms of enterprise and calculation. — The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone