#the sacred jedi texts

[phantom-of-the-keurig]

If you recognize this frame, you are entitled to a veterans discount at your local Waffle House

[aurekfonts]

Domabesh (an ancestor of Aurebesh)

[marklikely]

never felt more seen by a film in my LIFE than in fire island when those two guys are screaming over marisa tomei as mona lisa vito

[firecndblood]

thinking: elendil, aragorn, arondir, earen

[pertadhel]

he WOULD let people die if that meant saving the library of alexandria. that's a fact.

[comebackali]

[short-wooloo]

Video is low quality, but it needs to be put out there

Seen here: the Jedi texts in a drawer on the Millennium Falcon at the end of TLJ

I make this post because A TON of people consistently bring up the texts being destroyed in the film

They weren't

THE SACRED JEDI TEXTS WERE NEVER DESTROYED IN THE LAST JEDI

Rey had them the whole time

[fathercharlesoffdensen]

[knightotoc]

buy these -> take a selfie with them -> win every star wars argument on the internet

[thepapernautilus]

fuck a breakup you ever have your favorite fanfic author delist all your favorite comfort fics

[charcubed]

You could've added to my post, no worries haha!

If it was an ad-lib, it could have been in English footage that got sent to translators to be transcribed and translated into Spanish. My understanding is that that's primarily how Spanish translations get scripted; they don't have access to the English script but rather to English footage.

That's why I mention it as a possibility, and that's also half the reason why "release the tapes" ever became such a meme. There is a not-impossible scenario that a "me too" was put to film because it had to come from somewhere and that footage ended up in the Spanish team's hand somehow – but where that "me too" was said, whether Dean said it to Cas' face or said it while crying on the floor and the translators transposed it, is impossible to know for certain still.

The details of all that lore have just sort of gotten lost in the shuffle.

For reference, here are the original threads on Twitter with all the previous info from December 2020 when luxshine interviewed the voice actors and shared her expertise:

one | two

And there is also, of course, the fact that "Cas pulls Dean close" was scripted... and Jensen made a reference to that scene once of "two guys hugging it out" that sounded like he meant Dean and Cas hugging, not him and Misha. So, that is another haunting factoid.

I was about to reblog @charcubed 's post with my thoughts but I figured I'd better make my own post.

if it was an ad-lib in a take, it wouldn't have been on the script that gets sent to translators and the dub directors etc.

if it was written for later, why would it be used for that moment?

I also don't think it was written in the script, and I also don't know where I'm going with this, but I wish so hard that I could figure this out and put this to rest forever.

to make myself more disturbed, I'm just throwing in the fact that jackles REALLY wanted to show some affection to Cas in that scene, he has expressed it twice in different words, and his reunion idea is to bring up that goodbye right away, so did they pull another bloody hand print thing and were like, let us film whatever jackles thinks Dean would have wanted to say to Cas here? (but then how did it end up in the script that got sent to the translator? are we all going in circles?)

[teecupangel]

Imagine if Obi-Wan kenobi came across toddler desmond while he was being all hermit like on tatooine. Or what if desmond was a part of his batchmates as initiates at the jedi temple? (ghost kenway nonny)

Desmond would be such a headache as Obi-Wan’s batchmate though. Like, that man would question everything about the Jedi Order and its teaching. His instructors would have a full hand just dealing with him but they don’t necessary think that he’s a bad egg. If anything, he’s showing how serious he is in trying to explain how a Jedi should be.

They are worried that this might lead to unsavory rumors.

And it did.

Desmond’s constant questioning of the teaching and discussing (debating) with others about the doctrine and sacred texts had led to a rumor that Desmond was a prime candidate to becoming a Sith.

Desmond knows of this and just ignores it because he knows that he won’t be tempted by the Dark Side.

That doesn’t mean he was on the Light Side though. He was narrowly tipping the line and the Brotherhood had always ‘stayed in the dark to serve the light’.

To be completely honest, Desmond knows himself enough to believe that he would probably have an easier time mastering the supposed powers the Dark Side uses but that would be it.

Using what the enemy uses against them…

If that ends with him going on a separate path from the Jedi Order then that was that.

Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Nobody knows whose idea was it but Obi-Wan Kenobi, a batchmate of Desmond (no last name, orphan, unknown planet), was given the ‘mission’ as part of his training to keep an eye on Desmond. Not because they believe Desmond would become a Sith but to make sure he wasn’t isolated or felt alone.

In other words…

Obi-Wan was requested to be Desmond’s friend.

Desmond has no idea why this has happened.

Obi-Wan also has no idea why it has to be him.

But now…

They were going on a Jedi Order version of two unlikely students having a profound deep friendship in ‘highschool’.

Obi-Wan did not sign up for this.

Desmond did not want any of this.

But, my Force, were they now stuck with each other whether they like it or not.

[septima-severa]

A bit of jealousy spikes in Thrawn

I finished - rather hastily - a standalone story from the ongoing series of Thrawn x Dr Lani Kordes. I fully intended to make Thrawn a bit jealous, but probably don't have it in me to actually write our favourite blueberry man as someone acting harshly towards their partner.

Anyway, enjoy A Party Belowdecks to your heart's content (NSFW in the last part on AO3 only - because after an argument... whelp).

Another excerpt (the previous one is here)

The bedroom was dark and cold, making goosebumps erupt on your damp skin. He had remained in the other room; you could spy a flicker of light through the hatch he hadn’t bothered to close behind himself. Donning some warmer clothing, you decided to go to him.

Thrawn was sitting in his private lounging area, reclined against the backrest with his eyes closed, taking in a sharp breath from time to time as his muscles twitched and protested painfully – an old injury making itself known. You knew that even though he wasn’t watching you at that moment, he kept track of your whereabouts by listening to the padding of your bare feet – you were too sore from all that dancing belowdecks to put on appropriate footwear, relishing in the coolness of the floor.

He didn’t bother looking at you when you perched on the edge of his seat, right beside his outstretched legs, either. He let you observe him in silence for a while.

“Maybe I could help with the pain?” you piped up after you noticed his jaw muscles twitch for an umpteenth time. He cracked one eye open, focusing on you.

“Can your miraculous abilities heal?” he huffed, uncalled-for annoyance dripping from his words. They were slashing viciously into your mind, making you wince.

I’m not a walking book of sacred Jedi texts, you jerk. If Force could heal, I don’t possess that knowledge. You had to bite your tongue not to say it out loud, opting for a softer voice. “I was offering you a massage, Thrawn. Nothing more, nothing less.” You looked down at your hands folded in your lap. “But you would have to lie down on the bed; I reckon it might be more comfortable than the settee. If you can stomach me doing it, that is.”

His brow shot up questioningly, making you squirm and stammer over the things you wanted to say next.

“You… you seemed content to spend the night here instead of your own nest.” You had to pause and take a shuddering breath. “If that’s… because of me, I can find sleeping arrangements elsewhere.”

“With them?” he couldn’t help a spike of jealousy.

“With – what? No!” you finally met his gaze, eyes wide with disbelief before you rose to your feet abruptly, taking a step back. “Claim me, mark me, do whatever you want with me, I give my consent. But it pains me that you would think so lowly of me.” On a verge of tears, you wanted to flee, but his touch froze you on spot. You couldn’t tear your eyes from his fingers circling your wrist.

[letoscrawls]

As someone who knows almost nothing about these things (so yes, even the obvious): is there a way to catch up with the storyline of Jedi Fallen Order and the sequel? Like a gameplay to watch or something? I really want to know Cal Kestis' story in case he shows up in future shows or movies, and also i feel like i'm being restrained from seeing my child, idk he has insane "MY SON" vibes and i need to know more about him!! Please recommend some videos or anything I WANNA KNOW. give me the sacred texts please!!! love you all <3333

[eagna-eilis]

Ach-To and Irish Archaeology

The sequels were my entry into Star Wars and I never would have gone to see The Force Awakens if I wasn't an archaeology nerd.

During the production of Episode VII, a decent number of people with an interest in our archaeological heritage here in Ireland were quite worried about the impact of filming on one of our only two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the island known as Skellig Michael down off the coast of Kerry.

I went to the film to see if any potential damage was worth it, or if they'd do something unspeakably stupid with it in-universe. I wanted to see if it was respected.

And holy hell I was NOT disappointed. I think I walked out of TFA sniffling to myself about how beautiful the Skellig looked and how it seemed like its use as a location was not just respectful but heavily inspired by its real history.

See, Skellig Michael was a monastic hermitage established at a point when Christianity was so new that the man who ordered its founding sometime in the first century CE was himself ordained by the Apostle Paul. The fellah from the Bible who harassed all and sundry with his letters, THAT Apostle Paul. This is how old a Christian site the Skellig is. It predates St. Patrick by at the very least two hundred years.

The steps we watch Rey climb were originally cut NEARLY TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO. They have been reworked and repaired many many times since, of course. Still, the path the camera follows Daisy Ridley up is as much an ancient path built by the founders of a faith in real life as it is in the movies.

A hermitage was a place where monks went to live lives of solitude and asceticism so as better to achieve wisdom. The practice is common to many of the major world religions, including the myriad East Asian faiths which inspired the fictional Jedi.

It is said that the hermitage and monastery were originally built with the purpose of housing mystical texts belonging to the Essanes, one of the sects of Second Temple Judaism which influenced some of the doctrines of Christianity. They also, according to what I have read, characterised good and evil as 'light' and 'darkness' and were celibate.

As such, the use of the island in TFA and TLJ does not merely respect Skellig Michael's history, it honours it. It is framed as somewhere ancient and sacred, which it is. It is framed as a place where a mystic goes to live on his own surrounded by nature that is at once punishing and sublime, which of course it was. It shown to be a place established to protect texts written at the establishment of a faith, which it may well have been.

This level of genuine respect for my cultural heritage by Rian Johnson in particular is astonishing. I don't think anyone from outside the US ever really trusts Americans not to treat our built history like it's Disneyland. Much of the incorporation of the Skellig's real past into a fictional galactic history occurs in TLJ, which is why I'm giving Rian so much credit.

It's Luke's death scene which makes the honouring of Irish archaeological history most apparent though.

Johnson takes the archaeological iconography back a further three thousand years for his final tribute to my culture's beautiful historical temples. This time, he incorporates neolithic passage tomb imagery, specifically that of Newgrange, which is up the country from the Skellig.

I think if you understand what the image represents then it makes a deeply emotional scene even more resonant.

The scene I'm referring to is Luke's death.

As he looks to the horizon, to the suns, we view him from the interior of the First Jedi Temple. The sunset aligns with the passageway into the ancient sanctuary, illuminating it as he becomes one with the Force.

As for Newgrange, every year during the Winter Solstice it aligns with the sunrise. The coldest, darkest, wettest, most miserable time of the year on a North Atlantic island where it is often cold, wet, and miserable even in the summer. And the sun comes up even then, and on a cloudless morning a beam of sunlight travels down the corridor and illuminates the chamber inside the mound.

You guys can see this, right? The similarity of the images? The line of light on the floor?

Luke's death scene is beautiful but I think it's a thousand times more moving with this visual context. Luke's sequel arc isn't merely populated by a lore and iconography that honour the place where the end of his story was filmed, I think that incorporation of that history and mythology honours Luke.

We don't know for sure what the Neolithic people believed, religion-wise. We know next to nothing about their rituals. We know that there were ashes laid to rest at Newgrange. There is some speculation that the idea was that the sun coming into the place that kept those ashes brought the spirits of those deceased people over to the other side.

It's also almost impossible not to interpret the sunlight coming into Newgrange as an extraordinary expression of hope. If you know this climate, at this latitude, you know how horrible the winter is. We don't even have the benefit of crispy-snowwy sunlit days. It's grey and it's dark and it's often wet. And every single year the earth tilts back and the days get long again.

The cycle ends and begins again. Death and rebirth. And hope, like the sun, which though unseen will always return. And so we make it through the winter, and through the night.

As it transpired the worries about the impact of the Star Wars Sequels upon Skellig Michael were unfounded. There was no damage caused that visitors wouldn't have also caused. There also wasn't a large uptick in people wanting to visit because of its status as a SW location, in part I think because the sequels just aren't that beloved.

But they're beloved to me, in no small part because of the way they treated a built heritage very dear to my heart. I think they deserve respect for that at the least.

[jedimandalorian]

Dear Church of Ezrabine,

Today we are going to meditate upon the sacred text known as Ezra’s Duel with Danger, one of the most angsty Star Wars Rebels books in the series. It takes place after Droids in Distress and before Battle to the End.

In this book, Ezra has to cope with the depressing fact that Empire Day is also the date of his birthday. He has to overcome his resentment towards Tseebo who failed to save his parents and protect him when he was younger. Then, most challenging of all, Ezra must resist the and overcome the temptations and deceptions of the Dark Side.

On one of the worst days of his life, Sabine is the person who knows exactly how to cheer him up. She gives fifteen-year-old Ezra the first birthday present he has received since he was seven years old.

There aren’t as many Sabezra interactions to contemplate as in our other sacred texts, but we do have this mysterious little moment:

What could possibly be more important than Jedi training? For Ezra, it was whatever he was doing with Sabine. And no, he’s not “with” with her. Not yet, anyway.

Now for some major angst, dear Sabezra shippers. This is going to hurt. Ezra had a Force vision when he and Kanan were inside the Jedi Temple on Lothal.

Ezra goes from being happy that Sabine defended him to hoping that in a few years things would work out between them and they would be a couple to absolute heartbreak when Ezra hears Sabine say that “he’s just a little kid” who is scared and alone. She feels pity for him.

Ezra’s is so heartbroken that he starts crying. He may be young, but he really does love Sabine.

Ezra realizes that the conversation he heard wasn’t real. It was a Dark Side deception that was a manifestation of his worst fear: the fear that the people he loves most don’t feel the same way about him.

Here, we learn that Sabine is Ezra’s greatest weakness and by the end of Rebels and in Ahsoka Season 1, we see him realize that she is also his greatest strength. She is the person he can always count on. In the live action series we also witness how the reverse is also true. Sabine’s desire to be reunited with Ezra is her greatest weakness, but his love for her and confidence in her is what strengthens her emotionally, opening her up to finally being able to connect with the Force.

Sabine and Ezra belong together. Do not lose faith.

I have spoken.