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sca-nerd · 1 month ago

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Hi!! unlike a lot of the asks youve gotten lately, i dont have any advice or answers for anyone, but i do have a few questions for you!

im not worried about titles or how id be treated in the SCA as a trans person given the demographics of my area, but i AM kind of worried about things like clothing. i know there are some somewhat neutral options but having to be historically accurate kinda kills my usual method of blending historical clothing into androgyny, do you think theres any leway for things like that or would it be up to my local group entirely what theyd allow?

i was also wondering if the SCA is always so focused on such a specific geographic history (everything ive seen is either very english or somewhat scandinavian), or again is it up to the individual as long as its time period accurate? i think my local group would be the canton of seashire/barony of ruantallan so im sure theres at least a few people whod want to deviate, i just want to join a group like the SCA but i dont have much love for the english....

i also have a disability that makes it hard to travel and do stuff like pitch tents, i sometimes have to skip events. is that something id be able to compensate the group for in other ways if i need a little extra understanding sometimes? i dont feel right asking for help and not paying it back when its my own fault.

thanks for always helping us when we want to know things, ive wanted to join a group like this for so long but the SCA seems so strict that a two hour drive for someone who cant drive wasnt worth it, but now im moving and this new group gathers down the road from where im moving to so i figure maybe id try looking into it again! (im sorry this sounded like an email 🙃)

Hello, friend!

I have great news for you. :) The only requirement for garb in the SCA is that you make SOME attempt at pre-16th century clothing. That's it. That's the rule. Some people interpret this for themselves as being as strictly as historically accurate as they can, while others interpret it as doing what they can with the resources they have. It all depends on how you want to play your game. The other good news it that, just like today, people then played with fashion to fit their specific needs. So if you want to adjust your garb to something that is more comfortable for you, then by all means - do it!

When it comes to fashion among the populace, there are definitely trends that happen. But, like I mentioned before, there's also necessity in fashion. There was a little ice age happening from approximately 1300-1800, and so fashions tended to be layered and well... warm. That doesn't really work in some of our modern climates. In warmer Kingdom's you'll see a lot of Roman or Anglo-Saxon happening in the summer. In the winter, Viking tends to take over. You also find that fashions that are easier to make and wear are usually preferred over ones that are more complicated, expensive, or just unsuitable for the event.

In my Kingdom, there was a trend for a little while for each of the reigns to be themed. We've had a Persian reign, a Landsknecht reign, a Viking reign - and then the populace made garb to coincide with the theme of the reign, which did add some diversity to looks. Right now, I've noticed that Landsknecht is definitely on the rise in our particular area after Viking had a bit of a strangle hold for a while. It still does, really, because it's such an easy fashion to make, and can be comfortable in all climates depending on the material you use (linen for summer, wool for winter).

Everyone has their skills and talents, as well as their limitations. You can absolutely find something to contribute to your group based on your own capabilities. Coordinating the hospitality, offering to watch little ones, heck - even being in charge of making the field space reservations would be ways that you can contribute to the group event experience. If you are a crafter, an artist, a performer, or even filling an officer position or assisting an office with their duties. And if you're none of those things, that's fine, too. Events are more fun just having people there to share the experience with. No one will begrudge you for not doing something you are incapable of doing. If they do, then forget them - I'm your SCA Mom now, and you can come play with me.

I'm so glad that you're closer to a group and are going to be able to be involved! I hope that you have an amazing time - please let me know when you go and how everything went! I'm so excited for you.

Welcome to the dream!

#mysca #society for creative anachronism #sca #ask sca-nerd #newcomer #newbie

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skaldish · 1 year ago

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odd question: did the norse people ever worship or venerate the warriors of Valhalla? or was it just a goal to aspire to?

The Old Norse people worshipped their ancestors, some of which went to Valhalla, and some who were definitely heroes. But I don't think they worshipped "the warriors of Valhalla" as an archetype, or as paragons to emulate. Valhalla wasn't even viewed as a goal to aspire to. Rather, it was a consolation prize for dying far from home.

Prior to the Viking Age, the Norse people believed they rejoined their family and ancestors after they died. However, this was dependent on the fact they would be buried in the family grave or barrow.

But going a-viking meant risking death far from home, and this death would most likely happen while out at sea or during a skirmish.

In order to reconcile the question of "Where do we go if we can't be with our families?", the Norse people concluded that if they died out at sea, they went to Njord's hall, and if they died in a skirmish, they went to Odin's or Freyja's hall. This way, they had the comfort of knowing they would still be with their gods and people if they perished far from home.

It's important to keep in mind that the vikings were not exactly a warrior class; as in, "being a warrior" wasn't their job. They were pirates. And like all pirates, their goal was to retrieve goods, either by trade or by raid. Most vikings had every intention of making it home alive, and just like being a skilled sailor improved these odds, so did knowing how to put an axe through a man's skull.

Dying while going a-viking was honorable for the same reason that successfully returning home with goods was honorable; it's the fact that a person risked their life to travel very far away and gather resources for their family and community. It's an honorable deed.

But just because this death was honor-worthy doesn't mean it was a goal.

First of all, let's consider the practical aspect here: In a pre-industrial era, no one in their right mind would waste an entire ship on a crew that didn't plan to come back in it.

Secondly, "dying gloriously on the battlefield" only has widespread cultural importance in imperial nations; nations motivated by dominion, conquest, and establishing their widespread rule. Not only were the Norse societies not imperial, they didn't even have a centralized military, let alone the manpower to fight the rank-and-file wars we associate with the term "war."

So I guess the short answer to your question is "neither." Heroes were definitely venerated, but the notion that becoming ulfhednar makes someone the worthiest of all worthies is a retroactive interpretation.

#vikings #norse paganism #ulfhednar #norse heathenry #asatru

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kiweegamez · 3 months ago

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I’m kinda scared to see what the first hypnofury looked like with how you briefly mentioned they evolved from it

MEET THE……

ROCKLOBBER!! (Coloured Alts below)

The Rock Lobber is the unlikely relative of the Nightfury, somehow? It is also the pre-evolution of the Hypnofury fury. These 2’4”ft dragons were known for their habit of lobbing rocks at Vikings or potential threats, they are either found in rocky areas by the sea (where they lay their eggs) or just roaming in the forests, usually being found near rivers. They make a snorting sound much like a pug due to how compact their snout is, but in some rare cases they have been said to croak or bellow out. They are exceptional swimmers, given their fin shape on their tail, just don’t get in the way, they have terrible coordination. Not to mention they can survive in cold areas due to the amount of body fat they constantly have. They mostly eat fish or beetles, sometimes small rocks. They mostly waddle around and can surprisingly sprint short distances. As their bodies are too big for their smol wings they cannot fly, but they use their wings to propel them in the water or to gather piles of leaves to hide in. Their sharp claws on their feet also allow them to burrow and make a comfy little hidey hole. Even in your walls.

These lil’ guys were hunted for sports, Vikings often catching them for their durable hides, as they offered resistance to Scauldron’s boiling blast. To them it’s like a warm shower. Rock Lobber’s also like Hobgobblers! These two lil’ freaks are often seen together and are equally thoughtless.

Rock Lobbers also cannot breathe fire or anything really, they just put water in their mouth and spit at you. But still, they will lob rocks at you. Especially if you annoy them. If they were to ever be domesticated like the dragons we know in love in Berk, they would be the equivalent of having a big snuggly reptile pug, they would also like sunbathing.

Sounds of what I imagine a RockLobber sounds like:

youtube

Coloured Alts.

🔽||Related Posts||🔽

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sarcophagid · 4 months ago

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Night Watch 2024 Letter - Breakdown and Personal Thoughts

my personal thoughts and initial analysis of ithaqua's letter!

these are mostly just my own opinions and will bounce off some pre-existing ideas i have, so feel free to let me know if you'd like anything clarified or if you want to discuss your own thoughts!

readmore because it's very long:

A Stack of Unsent Letters to Home (2024) (It's speculated that this stack of 18th-century letters was frequently examined. The papers are worn and damaged to varying degrees. Below are excerpts from the organized and restored legible text.)

The 18th century line really throws me off. IDV's main events and manor games take place in the 1880s-1910s, and this detail states that the letters were written before 1800, which wouldn't make much sense if we assume both Ithaqua and Lagertha lived at the time of the manor games. It's also not a mistranslated '1800s' because the original Chinese version also states '18th century'.

Avoiding rambling as best as I can there are two main ideas this brings to mind:

The plateau of Leng is considered old itself, with practices that are possibly centuries behind 'modern' practice for the time. Lagertha and the Vilulf clan seem to be based off of vikings which were also figments of a much earlier past. This could be an effort to ease the time gap by setting the story earlier.

However, I still severely doubt either Ithaqua or Lagertha have lived all the way from the 1700s to the 1900s. As aforementioned, I have no concrete proof, but it's just not sensible for either of them to be supernatural beings themselves, given the thematic importance of Night Watch being a human disguised as a monster. If we assume the 18th century thing is true, then they died. If we assume it's not true, then Ithaqua is alive and Lagertha's fate is unknown.

EDIT: I started this analysis before Brynhildr Vilfulf dropped. Her weibo lore seems to imply Ithaqua's story did in fact take place 200 years ago, but I will leave this part up because I'm petty and the detail bothers me for reasons I will expand on in a later post.

[I] The star cluster of Vilulf will fall into the fourth house, symbolizing the law of "disintegration." This powerful force compels the life chart to discard the old and embrace the new—not in a gentle manner like a snake shedding its skin, but rather with the sudden breaking of a dragon bone, causing thousands of tons of iron and wood to sink to the depths of the sea. —The prophecy of the star atlas foretells suffering. My brave Ragnar, how have you fared? You were still young when I left Medan, yet I believed you would ultimately choose to follow the old man and navigate the oceans. I have no idea where to send this letter, but I trust that the power of the universe will carry my thoughts to you as I write under the moon.

I will have to check the original chinese text to see if there's any nuance I missed for many of these terms TOT. I think I may make a separate post looking into these specific terms, but for now I will look at the general idea.

Lagertha seems to be describing the movements of a fictional star cluster associated with the Vilulf clan, fortelling of a sudden, possibly dangerous event that would change the trajectory of her life (most likely foreshadowing meeting Eta/Ithaqua).

As stated on the wiki, Ragnar and Lagertha are based off of Viking folk figures who were married. But in this letter, she seems to talk about him more as a younger relative than a spouse (I'm going off the wiki's old note on the chinese translation but I will come back to confirm/deny). The 'old man' could be another relative and also possibly a clan leader.

I hope that when you gaze up at it, your spirit will be stirred to heed my guidance: Ragnar, do not attempt to conquer lands with ships. Our era has passed. Ragnar, gather our people and leave the Indian Ocean. Head north to Scandinavia, where you can rest and recuperate for at least a century.

The Vilulf clan is presumably Scandinavian. Lagertha in Viking legend is also from Norway. The Vilulf clan isn't explicitly stated to be Vikings, but they seem a bit inspired by general writing stereotypes associated with them.

They also engaged in some sort of "conquering".

Ragnar, I do not wish for you to abandon your beliefs, but please understand that the rationality and morality of humanity form the true foundation of a just society. A well-ordered world is the only environment where true freedom can thrive, and it is this discipline that will illuminate the world with the light of civilization.

Lagertha has clear and firm ideas about morality and order. She believes that people require a sense of structure and logic to adhere to, and sees civilization in a positive light. This is a detail I will come back to later with more context.*

Anyways, her ideas constrast Ithaqua's philosophy of giving up civility and humanity in general - he believes these things to be unhelpful, false, harmful. Ithaqua most closely associates them with the society in Leng, and the society that Nathaniel represented. But we now see that Lagertha was also a very order and structure oriented person, just in a different manner.

[II] Back then, the old man often said that in the brief span of life, you and I would eventually be gone; he urged us to be bolder. I understood that he was imparting the values of our family—honor, freedom, adventure, and the spirit of resilience. Yet, his words also inspired me to explore an alternate path in life. I found solace by the shore, wisdom in books, energy in the city, and peace in the wilderness. Amid the winds of the grasslands, I discovered a different kind of faith that resonated deeply with my soul. Had the old man known, he would have deemed me a traitor and perhaps even broken my legs. But the call of the north was undeniable, and it held true transcendence and meaning, guided by the sea of stars.

The Vilulf clan values freedom, she also mentioned freedom in the previous letter. There's a degree of tragic irony given what eventually happens.

Lagertha followed the same faith as the other Vilulf clan members, but after travelling north, she converted to a different one. It is possible this is the same faith as the dominant, christianity-analogous religion in the Plateau of Leng. This detail is corroborated by the weibo description of her as "devout/god-praising" and Ithaqua finding it illogical and hypocritical to claim she was transgressing against it.

However, my journey was far from smooth. The remote northern lands were as perilous as the sea, filled with their own brutalities and sins. Each time I offered seed pods to pregnant women or rowan berries to those in need, I felt the watchful eyes of the local church committee upon me. The already tense atmosphere became dangerously charged, forcing me to move on before I could linger too long.

I'll tentatively assume Leng is the product of a few creative liberties, because there aren't many countries farther north than Norway that are also a close match for the British-esque culture in Leng.

Her practice of offering medicine and berries was most likely misconstrued as witchcraft, and her being an outsider also likely contributed to the distrust.

Ragnar, you might think I am struggling. Lagertha, who once fought valiantly before you, now lives like a deserter, avoiding bloodshed. Yet, I find myself questioning whether my true self ever existed at sea. The concept of "my true self" is fluid, and the quest to "become my true self" is a journey without end.

*To expand on the aforementioned detail about valuing civilization and morality: Lagertha's past, and the Vilulf clan in general are no strangers to violence, conflict, and potentially disorder. At least some of this conflict arises from a practice of 'conquering' or otherwise invading other lands. There's not enough details nor do I plan on making statements on anyone's political views from this scant knowledge, but it's clear that Lagertha underwent a significant personal shift after leaving her clan, where she now adopts a less violent lifestyle, valuing order and civility.

EDIT: Brynhildr Vilulf's new weibo post gives some more context - the Vilulf clan was considered socially separate from the other clans, disliked for their isolation and rejection of other clans norms. However, this is not necessarily a negative trait, as they also did not have the prejudices of that time.

This is purely personal interpretation, but "true self" is very interesting considering the issue posed by Ithaqua and Nathaniel's birth - two identical people have drastically different personalities and values because of mostly environmental factors - implying a "true self" is not concrete, but rather a mutable identity that changes over time. The fact that Lagertha transitions from the lifestyle associated with the Vilulf clan to a much more peaceful one is another example of this concept.

[III] I believe I have discovered a piece of the "meaning." I have named him Eta. The star η Ursae Majoris hangs in the northern sky, serving as my guide.

Eta is the 7th letter of the Greek alphabet, and his character day is Dec 7.

The star is also known as Alkaid, and Beidouqi in Chinese (North Dipper Seventh, as the star is considered the 7th star in the constellation).

Ursa Major is also related to the "mother bear" constellation.

Remarkably, this star has led me to this young life. He is intelligent and tenacious, possessing the courage and strength to stand firm. Unlike you, his strength is deeply internalized, making him perhaps more like me.

Ithaqua canonically not the beefiest guy around, but from his design that was probably inferable TOT.

The old man valued character above lineage, and he would surely recognize Ithaqua as a member of our clan. So, when you come to visit, please remember to address him by his name: Eta Vilulf. As for me, I might not be able to wait for your arrival, as the star atlas indicates I must travel far after three years. But he is still so young. Will a few years together be enough for him to learn to thrive on his own?

[IV] Dear Ragnar,I am truly happy to hear that your astrolabe is back on track! This is a promising sign. This opening implies that she had gotten a response from Ragnar, but her letters were unsent, so I'm not sure if they communicated through some other way. Eta has kept me from stargazing for quite some time, possibly because he was worried about my strange behavior when I predicted that my star cluster would fall into the fourth house. He tends to treat me like a fragile being who can't manage even the simplest tasks. I wonder how he would react if he knew his mother was the second mate on the Medan. But I digress. You are on your way to the peninsula, are you not?

As stated on the IDV wiki, 'Medan' may be a reference to the ship 'Ourang Medan' which disappeared in Indonesia (this would've been in the Indian Ocean).

Ithaqua has always been a bit protective of Lagertha… he also might be skeptical of Lagertha's astrological predictions, given he would rather her not stargaze.

It also seems she predicted the event of the attack as referenced earlier, but chose to stay.

This change has taken fifteen years longer than I initially expected.

I have a tentative guess at Ithaqua's 'canon' age: In the previous letter, Lagertha said that she predicted she had to leave Ithaqua after three years. Adding this to her prediction, it's been at least 18 years since she found Ithaqua as an infant. However, this letter was also probably unsent, and most likely was written close to the time of the hunters attack.

This is in line with Ithaqua's weibo post saying that the attack happened when he "became an adult". Ithaqua probably remained as Night Watch for any time between a few months - a few years, but this is a bit more evidence that he's a 'young adult'.

Perhaps I should adjust my interpretation: everything has a natural trajectory toward improvement. "Disintegration" can signify both the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. By recalibrating the ego's inertial patterns, one can harness a powerful regenerative force. Just like the treasures controlled by Pluto can only be unearthed amid peril, as long as you stay steadfast in the face of danger, you will ultimately prevail. Perhaps the danger I foresaw is not destruction after all; it may nurture life and grant me a few more years with him. Forever your family, Lagertha Vilulf

As a final general note, this series of letters solidifies Lagertha as a character who's very spiritual, and has an open minded and optimistic viewpoint on her predictions even when they don't seem to bode well. But as the audience, we know what happens eventually

#ithaqua #idv ithaqua #idv #eta vilulf #lagertha vilulf #meta

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shakemelikeasnowglobe · 1 year ago

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F1 driver duos and the booktropes I associate with them

Max and checo: not a booktrope but you know those oscar bait movies about a person pursuing something to his own destruction being the best but also being doomed like I,Tonya yep those movies both of them are those movies

Lewis and george: gay book writen by a white woman who was raised on yaoi and tumblr shiping 2014, Its painfully British and might be a larry stylinson fanfic has a cute dog and the author is eventually canceled on Twitter for the age gap.

Carlos and Charles: not a book again but telenovela romantic pairs, Charles is the good boy the protagonist will end with carlos the second evil boyfriend who will eventually team up with the vilaness to break them apart.

Oscar and Lando: just heartstoper core mindless teen fluff who will win the GlAAD award of unburied happy coming of age gays

Lance and Fernando: all the daddy Dom mafia millionaire boss ceo booktok brainrot but somehow in both ends of the relationship.

Yuki and Daniel : like early 2010s young adult pre teen emotional coming if age Novel writen by someone trying so hard to be John green it will include some profound analysis about life and meaning tumblr would love for the quotable phrases then Hate it because they eventually realize the characters did some fucked up shit.

Bottass and Zhou: that one book your very obnoxious book friend will recommend saying it's very good but it's just a soft thriller from 1980 about a teenage boy obsessing and stalking his low key weird neighbor and about 300 pages of heavy handed love and murder metaphors involving deers bears and bunnies by the end you really don't understand what is about but the subtext it's actually good

Pierre and Ocon: both are secondary love interests on a book that once was a wattpad original they only exist so the actual main love interest looks good so they are an inch above absolutely dreadful still main love interest is so bad they are considered good by the haters.

Logan and Alex: both are wattpad Born lover boys in different books Logan it's the secondary love interest who was actually the good option but he is against a tatoo covered dark haired asshole so he loses meanwhile Alex is in those quirky mindless fluff books that it's almost all pining he id basically a manic pixie dream boy.

Hulkenberg and kmag: weird mommy erotica you will find in that old single aunt room about vikings and pirates or both hallmark style holydays books about finding love for the ripped blond lumberjack in a small town, or a gay erotica actually written by a gay man who skips the fluff and its mostly about hot ripped blondes getting down to business.

#formula 1 #formula one fandom #max verstappen #checo perez #lewis hamilton #george russel #oscar piastri #lando norris #lance stroll #fernando alonso #yuki tsunoda #daniel ricciardo #esteban ocon #pierre gasly #logan sargeant #alex albon #nico hulkenberg #kevin magnussen

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broomsick · 1 year ago

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Holy spaces & shrines in the modern norse path

Before we dive into the oh-so-diverse topic of holy spaces, let me first specify a few practical tips!

I’m very much aware that the definition of the term “holy” is deeply subjective and varies depending on one’s opinions. I’ll elaborate on a few of my thoughts on the topic further!

In no way are you bound by any rule regarding this aspect of paganism.

I will base my post off of my research, granted, but also on my personal experiences and practices!

Now, what makes a holy space sacred? Not necessarily "holy" per say, but simply sacred.

The very first factor to consider is, what is sacredness? Lots and lots of pagans engage mostly in solitary practice, so much is true. Which is why lots of us find ourselves gravitating towards spaces others may not necessarily find any sense of "sacredness" in. The corner of your room where you tend to pray the most? Sacred. Or the spot in your garden where you perform your harvest ritual every year! It’s the connection we feel to the space that makes it sacred in the first place. But a space being holy depends on whether or not we choose to anoint it in such a way.

When something is sacred to me, I tend to feel a sort of spiritual pull. A swelling of the heart, if you will, like the feeling I get when faced with a breathtaking landscape. The feeling of spiritual connection to a particular spot is the first intuition one needs to tune into when choosing a holy space. After all, staying in tune with one's intuition might be one of the most important aspect of any spiritual practice.

Within nordic practice, a holy space is often called vé, a sacred enclosure. Vé's are attested in numerous toponyms as well as ancient texts, such as Beowulf, or the Skáldskaparmál. Their omnipresence in Scandinavian toponyms might, when considered through a pagan lense, signify something quite interesting: the holiness of a space depends on the space itself, its location, rather than what's inside it— or rather, how grand and ornate it is. When building a holy space for oneself, one does not need lavish decoration, or an elaborate shrine with the gold foil and the statues.

However, there are a few steps one can follow in order to anoint a space as holy, if one wants to reconstruct a few practices from pre-Christian Scandinavia. Although I'll specify that as always, no rule is set in stone when it comes to neopaganism. The choice to abide by them or not is entirely up to the practitioner. And in any case, even as I was gathering these few ideas, it was clear that, as always, pre-Christian practices centered around holy spaces vastly differed depending on the place and the time. Regardless, I think it's fun to do some research on the topic in order to reconstruct on our own terms a holy space in the nordic tradition.

The first step? Having a good knowledge of your area. Both before and during the Viking Age, holy places were more often than not located outside. It can be a great help to know where to find the greenery in one's area. Is there a beach near home that the public has access to? How about a large park where you can spend some time alone without being bothered? Even your backyard does the trick! Anywhere you can see the sky and breathe the open air is already perfect. Now, the Germanic tribes would generally worship near an object of particular importance, such as a grove, a body of water, a clearing in the forest, a hill... Although this doesn't seem to be very present in historical attestations, and considering I'm devoted to Yngvi-Freyr, I'm an especially big fan of worshipping in plains, or fields!

I think it's important for me to note that if you are lucky enough to live near a body of water, you can choose to engage in one of the most popular forms of offering in nordic historical practice: throwing offerings out to sink into the water! This practice was especially widespread, evidence of it having been found as far as Britain and Iceland. Evidently, if one chooses to engage in such a practice, it's important to respect the ecosystems and stick with offerings that won't damage them (acorns, stones, flowers and the like). As for an outdoors shrine located in a forest, or near woodland, it would have been customary during pre-Christian times to center a holy space around a tall tree, perhaps representing the World Tree Yggdrasil.

Considering lots of neo-pagans prefer to keep their practice discreet, it goes without saying that the holy space of your choosing does not need to be especially big, nor especially decorated. It can be as small as it is humble! One of the spaces where I most like to worship is the little corner of the yard, tucked under a cedar tree, where I rebuild my hörgr every year, as soon as the snow melts for good. Nothing too flamboyant!

Now, the second step to building a little outdoors shrine for yourself is to choose a representation of the deity to adore. It's said that the human-like appearance of this representation mattered little to the Germanic tribes, whose representations of the Gods could be rather simple, and not especially ornate. For this reason, it would be perfectly logical to even choose an object associated with the deity in question to serve as the main representation placed in the sanctuary. If we're talking about Freyja, a falcon statuette, or feather could do the trick! As for Fenrir, any wolf imagery could work as well! In the case of Thórr, one could replicate the case of Donar's Oak and choose to center their shrine around a particular tree (the rowan are the oak would make the best choices, if one is to pick a tree sacred to Thórr). These are just examples, and the possibilities in this regard are limitless. This "main" representation can be used as the center of your sacred space, and given offerings during rituals or celebrations. In my case, I like greet this representation both when "entering" the sacred space and when leaving it, as a sign of respect!

If one so desires, it's possible to set up some kind of "delimitation" in order to mark the entrance of the sacred space, or its outline. I like to place either ribbons on nearby branches, or litter stones here and there to lie in a loose circle (we wouldn't want to block the rays of the sun from reaching the earth and keep the greenery from growing). In order to signal the entrance of shrines, the Germanic tribes would generally use heaps of dirt or pillars of stone, among other things.

Another intresting element one might include in their sacred space is the presence of fire! Whether this be a bonfire, incense, a simple candle or even just a handful of ash, there's lots of ways to include the "element" of fire into a modern day shrine. It's a means of warming up the space, so to speak: tending a fire in the shrine is akin to having a hearth in the home!

Ideas for common, historically attested offerings: Ethically-sourced animal bones, gold or golden jewelry, tools, representation of the Gods, beads and beaded jewelry, alcohol, food and meat…

Now, let's pull away from the history lesson and let's dive into modern, neo-pagan practice! I'd wager some of you are wondering, how exactly can one keep a whole shrine, but make their practice as low-key as possible?! After all, I know firsthand that solo practice is especially common among neo-pagans. So my answer to this question is, who said anything about keeping? One piece of advice I've already given to a few fellow pagans in the past is to create a little portable shrine all to yourself! Let me explain myself: you arrive at your chosen location, you put down a basket full of decoration and you put up a temporary space in which to worship for an hour or two. You take out a deity representation, a few candles (if they're allowed on site!), a handful of offerings and a cloth on which to place them. And when you're done with the ritual, you pack up your things and make sure you leave the site as clean as when you first found it. In other words, what I’m suggesting is the possibility of gathering a few designated worship items in order to make oneself a portable, personal little shrine! It might seem like a silly idea at first, but I’ve discovered it’s not only a fun habit, but it’s also greatly helpful on a tight schedule to have a quick and easy way to engage in outdoors practice.

As always, I wrote this post aiming to help fellow pagans find ways to balance historical practice and modern, solo practice! I hope these few ideas did the trick, and wish you all a good and plentiful spring season!

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#heathenry #norse paganism #spirituality #norse gods #polytheism #deities #deity work #paganism #pagan #norse polytheism #history

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whencyclopedia · 5 months ago

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Exploring Norways' Forgotten Stone Circles & Petroglyphs

Right outside the cities of Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg in South-East Norway, there are two archaeological, intriguing and beautiful sites, the Hunnfelt, a monument consisting of several stone circles and burial sites, and the Begbyfelt, a large collection of petroglyphs. The sites are encoded with a rich and still not fully understood history stretching from the early Bronze Age (1700-1100 BCE.) to the Viking Age (790-1100 CE).

South-East Norway and the county called “Østfold” is not especially famous for its historical value in Norway. Nor is Norway in any way as aware of its pre-historic monuments, stone circles, and other stone structures as, for example, Great Britain. There is great interest for sites such as Stonehenge (England) and The Standing Stones of Stenness (Scotland) both locally and internationally, with thousands of tourists visiting every year but very few travel to explore the Hunnfelt, Begbyfelt and similar sites in Norway. Even parts of the local population are in the dark about their region's hidden treasures. But that does not mean there is not a lot to explore. In fact, Østfold is the county in Norway with the largest number of petroglyphs from the Bronze Age (1700-500 BCE), and the region contains the most concentrated historical monuments from both the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (500 BCE- 500CE) in Norway.

The Hunnfelt

After a little bit over an hour's ride from Oslo, as you drive onto a narrow and bumpy road and park at an abandoned parking lot in between a field and a forest, you would never anticipate what awaits you right behind the trees. Nothing suggests to you an entrance to a site of historical importance.

However, after only a few steps into the woods a large clearing opens up and nine stone circles become visible as they wind up a slight slope. The stone circles at Hunn are not as monumentally impressive as larger stone circles such as Stonehenge, but the site is in many ways equally mysterious as no one is completely sure what they were used for. The whole Hunnfelt is known as a burial site as it also contains several burial mounds, dating mostly from Pre-Roman (500 BCE) to the Late Iron Age (550-1050 CE), but it is not clear if the circles were a part of the burial site or if they were used for some other purpose. Due to the fact that the locals for a long time have named the site “Tingstedet”, translating to “the place of the law”, it has been thought that the site was used as a place for legal judgment or law-making. However, the archaeological finds of the burial sites have weakened this theory. Today it is more commonly thought that the circles were just a part of the burial complex or that it was a ceremonial site for pagan worship, possibly linked to burial, the celebration of seasons or one or more of the Norse gods and goddesses. The reason for the stone circle monument's longitudinal alignment along a North-South axis is also unknown.

Entering the clearing and just standing there for a few moments to admire the beautiful monument and breathe in the fresh Norwegian air leaves you feeling peaceful, but still curious as to what the site was originally used for by its ancient builders. At the site, you are free to walk wherever you like, or you can follow the trails through the different circles to the top of the slope where there are several bigger mounds. The stones in the standing circles vary in height as some reach up to the hip, while others almost to the shoulders. Most of the circles consist of 12, 13 or 15 individual stones.

You can sit down in the grass or on one of the stones in the mounds and just enjoy the beautiful view of the site and surrounding nature or you can walk over to one of the information boards that have been placed in different spots around the site to provide more detailed information about the mounds and circles, and also the archaeological excavations conducted at the site. The area had been known for a long time before the first excavation was conducted in 1894 CE. After the first excavation, several other unofficial excavations took place. A systematic excavation was conducted between 1950 and 1953 CE, involving many international archaeologists. During this work, rich finds were discovered in the burial mounds spanning from Late- Roman times to the Viking Age, as well as residence and agricultural residues from the late Stone Age (4000-1700 BCE) and Bronze Age. Later, it was also established that the oldest burial mounds date from the Bronze Age. There are even more of these mounds and circles if you continue to walk further into the forest around the clearing with the main stone circles. The Hunnfelt is really a unique site with an enchanting atmosphere, where you can spend hours learning and exploring while surrounded by beautiful nature.

#History #16th #1894CE #1950 #WHE #[#]

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temariskadi · 3 months ago

Text

"The Chains, We Serve"

Chapter 3 - Trapped by the Past

Askeladd/Original female Character, hurt/comfort, action/adventure, pre-canon, canon compliant, hurt comfort, eventual smut, secret relationship

Trigger warning: canon-typical violence, graphic description, explicit sexual content,

summary: In autumn of 995, Askeladd decides to sail homeward after a successful raid, only to be ensnared by a storm and encountered by hostile pirates As his ship needs repair, he docks at the village of his old companion Ulf before he can finally return home. However, his friend is away and Askeladd has to put up with someone else, he once revered. Bound by memories of admiration and a longing he cannot ignore, Askeladd embarks on a precarious path, torn between his desires and the inevitable consequences. AO3

Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I

For the rest of the day, Askeladd brooded over how Skadi had fooled him so easily, or, as she so kindly put it, he “sulked”. He had half the mind to sulk even harder just to spite her. But he was sure she would only relish that. Indeed, her mood was especially good today. On their way to the harbour, he had already noticed how well liked and admired she was by everyone. When they met with the harbour master, she did the talking, and Askeladd had to admit it was probably for the best.

The harbour master was an old man, maybe in his sixties, but his weather-beaten skin made him look even older. His white hair was thin, and his last wisps of hair were tied back in a ponytail. This look certainly didn’t suit his appearance. Askeladd wondered if the old man couldn’t accept the fate of his receding hair; therefore, he clutched at his old warrior’s tail.

The blonde Viking frowned, leaning against an old barrel. He despised people who clung to things long gone—not out of belief, but because they feared facing the truth. He’d seen it before. He’d seen what happened when people didn’t take the world for what it was. Whenever the shipmaster gave him a side glance, it was clear that this disdain was mutual. The old man didn’t even give him the courtesy to hide his contempt, grimacing every time he looked at the captain. He even refused to talk to Askeladd; however, he seemed to enjoy talking to Skadi. The master explained to her in detail what part of the ship needed repair, why, and how he intended to do so. His hands gestured wildly as he explained, his wooden leg tapping out an uneven rhythm. Clack, clack, click. It was kind of mesmerising.

A warm giggle pulled Askeladd back to reality. To his surprise, Skadi was laughing at one of the old man’s jokes, placing her hand on her mouth as if she were a delicate little girl. She giggled, nodding along as the old man explained even the obvious. Skadi, who had outwitted him just yesterday, suddenly let herself be talked down to. Why? Askeladd frowned. That wasn’t compliance. That was control.

“Thank you, Master Ebbe. Captain Askeladd is surely glad you can repair his vessel.” Skadi chimed and bowed her head slightly after she gave Askeladd a stern side glance.

“Surely” was his only answer when he noticed the expectant grimace of the old man. Without another word, but with a bright smile, Skadi turned and walked back to the village. In order to catch up with her, Askeladd needed to jog a few steps.

“Since when do you call me ‘Captain Askeladd’?” He muttered, catching up.

"You do command a ship, don’t you?" Skadi’s unreadable gaze met his.

“Tell that to Ebbe. Maybe he’ll stop looking at me like I drowned his dog.”

"If you want your ship fixed, best not to argue," she said simply. "Ebbe has his own way of seeing things."

Askeladd looked at her with raised brows.

“He hates strangers.”

“Oh, of course!” Askeladd said sarcastically, “Very convenient for the harbour master of a growing trading village.” He rolled his eyes but still noticed how the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

“He is the best in his craft in 100 miles. I don’t care how whimsical he is. You just need to know how to handle him.”

“And you do,” Askeladd pointed out. This explained her earlier behaviour. She just played along to make use of the skills of that old fool. As they walked along the harbour, he noted the slight change of her expression, depending on the people crossing their way. To most people, common villagers and fisher men, she showed a warm and welcoming smile, while others, saw a more distant but graceful expression.

He trailed behind, watching the way people lit up when they saw her. Not forced smiles or fearful bows—actual respect. Rare thing. He’d seen men grovel to lords they hated, but this? This was different. Strange. He wasn’t sure if it was impressive or just unsettling. The way back to the ship took longer than necessary because every few steps someone stopped them to talk. Sometimes for a request, rarely for a complaint, mostly to chat idly or to pay one’s respect. Skadi didn’t seem bothered or annoyed by this, while Askeladd used every stop to take food from the nearby stands. One of the few positive effects of walking with the beloved Lady was that nobody cared for him or wanted to argue with Skadi’s entourage. When they finally reached his ship, he was on his third apple and threw another into the hands of one of his men, who looked quite confused.

Skadi said her goodbyes and offered her “genuine” assistance, if Askeladd needed anything, but he only huffed and stared at his mastless ship. His mind was racing, and he considered every option he had now. His men knew better than to distract him, carefully walking and working around him. Eventually, a big hand landed on his shoulder, forcefully pulling him out of his thoughts.

“You know even you can’t repair a ship with thoughts alone?”

“If I could do that, I’d be as far away from here as possible,” Askeladd answered unamused, and his broad friend laughed heartily, shaking him before Björn gave him a clap on his back.

“Never seen you this rattled over a woman.”

Askeladd scowled. “I’m not rattled.”

Björn chuckled. “Yeah? Then why’s she got you by the balls?”

“She doesn’t.”

“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” Björn smirked.

Finally, Askeladd turned his gaze away from the broken ship, staring menacingly at the giant Viking.

“Do you find this situation amusing, Björn?” He hissed between his teeth, making sure the other men didn’t notice his argument with his first in command. His friend simply grinned at him.

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone match you. And it’s a woman?” He laughed. “I fucking love it.”

Askeladd sighed and pinched his nose. Before he could respond, Björn slapped his back again, this time even harder, making him stumble forward.

“I just know you’ll come up with some unlikely plan, probably gaining us some gold with it.” Björn chuckled, adding with a more serious tone, “You just do what you always do, boss.”

______________________________________________________________

Just do what you always do. What was it that he always did?

The crisp autumn wind blew loose leaves from the nearby trees and incited the fire in front of him. Askeladd sat on a meadow, still in sight of the harbour and his ship. The village had not consumed this untouched spot of land, but he was sure that on his next visit, small houses would likely stand right here where he sat now. However, to come back, he first had to leave this annoyingly peaceful and thriving place.

Even though Ingrid had managed to accommodate his men in several different houses, the crew preferred to spend most of their time together on this meadow close to the ship and their belongings. They had lit three fires - one big and two smaller ones - to fight off the growing chill of night. Most of his men gathered around the bigger fire, chatting, drinking and laughing, while a few tended to an unidentifiable stew over the smaller flames. Meanwhile, Askeladd sat slightly away from the turmoil at the third fire. Alone and still deep in his thoughts.

He tapped his fingers against his knee, then stopped. Shifted his weight, then stopped. He’d run out of distractions. No rampage, no escape, no silver tongue to talk his way out of this one. Just the crackling fire, the cold beer, and a problem that refused to be solved with his usual methods.

Staring deeply into the flame, Askeladd thought through every possible choice he had when a dark shadow sat down next to him. The shadow held a jug of beer right in front of his face, and he took it mindlessly.

“Still thinking?” the shadow asked calmly, and Askeladd simply nodded while he took a deep gulp. Both stayed silent for a while.

“Well… I was thinking about our problem, as well,” the other began thoughtfully.

“So? Came to a conclusion?”

Askeladd only gained a deep grumble for an answer, and he felt the gaze of his friend on him, even though the fire only illuminated his face partly.

“What is it, Björn?” he finally asked with a sigh.

“What’s the deal with her?”

Askeladd’s grip tightened around his mug. “Nothing worth mentioning.”

“Really?” Björn asked challengingly, “Because it seems to be worth some gold. She hates you."

Askeladd only shrugged.

“Our problem seems to be worse because of that.”

The blonde huffed, still staring into the fire.

“Women normally like your slimy behaviour. Why doesn’t she like you?”

Now, Askeladd looked at Björn with raised brows but still shrugged.

“Ask me something easier.”

“How did you meet?”

There was a long silence between them. Askeladd didn’t answer, and neither did Björn press any further. It could have been a silent night if it hadn’t been for the chatting and shouting of his men.

"You ever try to stab a wasp’s nest, Björn?"

"No?"

“Then don’t.” In the corners of his eyes, he saw Björn turning his head towards him. Even in the dark, he knew the berserk showed a frown. Askeladd sighed and rubbed his eyes, keeping them closed as if that helped with his memories.

“Have you heard of the Battle of Maldon?” he asked without waiting for an answer. It was a rhetorical question. Of course he had heard about this famous battle. The Saxons had been utterly defeated and forced to pay tribute to the Vikings.

“We’ve met right then and there.”

“At Maldon?” Björn asked surprised, “Was she with her husband?”

“They weren’t married back then.”

“Then…did her father take her with him?” He asked confusedly, “I’ve heard of one highborn idiot who took his family with him everywhere…. feared they might be killed when he was gone. Well…they were killed after he was torn apart in a battle.”

Askeladd chuckled but shook his head, taking a sip of his beer.

“Why was she there then?” Björn asked impatiently.

“Why are people at a battlefield, Björn? To fight.”

“You are shitting me, are you not?” Björn’s mug hit the ground with a dull thud. He turned fully, squinting as if Askeladd had spoken in some foreign tongue. Askeladd only grinned.

“I’m not. Believe me, I wish I was,” he said.

“She fought in a battle? Not just any battle, but the Battle of Maldon? And she fucking survived?”

This time Askeladd turned to his friend with his knowing half smirk, the one that always annoyed Björn to no end.

“It comes even better, Björn,” he said conspiratorially, “it was neither her first nor her last battle. And she did not just survive.” Askeladd paused as he found the excitement and confusion of his friend amusing. “She even killed more men than I did.”

Björn let out a whistle while Askeladd shook his head again. That was only four years ago, but it already felt like a lifetime had passed. He cringed internally thinking about his younger, ignorant self.

His friend stared at him for a long time. His lips were slightly parted as if trying to form a word, he hadn’t quite grasped yet.

“She’s a shield maiden…” Björn whispered in awe, looking at Askeladd as if this realisation changed everything.

“Well, she was back then,” Askeladd said with a shrug. “Come to think of it…she never used a shield.”

Björn ignored his little joke, sitting up straight with an excitement that Askeladd didn’t share in the least.

“So, she’s a warrior!” The berserk exclaimed with a voice so loud, some men at the other fires turned their heads.

“Was,” Askeladd said.

“I’ve never met a shield maiden! I thought only existed in stories told of old hags.” Björn punched Askeladd’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?”

The blonde rolled his eyes at the clearly unfounded excitement. He needed something stronger than beer if he really had to talk about that.

“There’s not a lot to talk about. We thought at the same battle, we survived, she married a…” He looked for a suitable word to describe Ulf until he settled on the easiest yet wrong term. ” …friend of mine. So, she’s not a shield maiden any longer, and we’re sitting here at the fire.” Waiting while she plays us like fools.

The tall Viking huffed and picked up his beer.

“Don’t think someone just stops to be a shield maiden.” It was more of a grunting than a solid argument. Like a child who didn’t like the ending of a bedtime story and tried to make up his own.

Again, a silence fell between them, and Björn seemed to be deep in thought. Askeladd simply drank his beer and tried not to think any further about that time long ago. He ran a hand down his face, exhaling slowly. He wouldn’t think about it. He wouldn’t— Laughter and shouting erupted by the fires, the sharp crackle of burning wood snapping him back. He could count on his men causing mayhem any given time. Sometimes these idiots were useful; he had to admit that.

“Why is she so angry at you?” Björn cut through their silence, bringing Askeladd’s attention back to their conversation.

“Hmm. I don’t think she is,” Askeladd said and was granted a disbelieving glance from Björn.

“She fucking despises you.”

“You don’t need to be angry to despise people. I despise a lot of people who never wronged me.”

Even though Askeladd was honest about that, his friend wasn’t convinced.

“Did you kill someone from her family?”

Askeladd shook his head, “Already dead back then.”

“Did you fuck her sister?”

He shook his head. “She had only one brother and again: already dead.”

Björn’s grin widened. “Fucked him, too?” he slapped Askeladd’s back, laughing. Björn, after recovering from his joke, continued thinking.

“Killed someone she wanted to kill?”

Askeladd looked at him, frowning. Now Björn was thinking about reasons why he would despise someone.

“Don’t think so. She would’ve killed me back then.”

Björn’s eyes widened at this response, and he smiled broadly, “She’s really a handful.”

“Obviously,” Askeladd mumbled, and before Björn had the chance to dig deeper, they heard screaming. Two men bickered with each other, which immediately led to someone being thrown into the fire. With an annoyed grunt, Björn stood up and went to the burning men, shouting orders and insults.

Askeladd laughed quietly. Even though he hated those Danish bastards, who followed him, at least they saved him this time. The fire popped, embers glowing and fading in the wind. He took another sip, but the beer had turned bitter. No use fighting it. The past had him now. That one day in August.

______________________________________________________________

Loud shouts and clashing of weapons made his own groans nearly inaudible. He had gutted a Saxon just before the man’s spear could run him through. His lungs burnt under the exertion of hour-long fighting. His muscles felt sore, and blood and sweat clung to his skin, wet on some parts, dried and cracked on others. He tried to breathe deeply, filling his lungs with much-needed air, but it seemed as if the hot summer sun had burnt it all away. Who decided to fight in the summer? On the hottest day of the year? Idiots, all of them.

Askeladd knelt on the ground, next to the man he had just killed. The chaos of the battlefield still raged around him, deafening his own loud gasping and his thoughts. He looked around while he tried to regain his strength, fully aware that he was an easy target for anyone who’d notice him. This was not his first fight, not his first battle. But it was by far the biggest battle he had ever taken part in. Saxons against Vikings, fighting at the Blackwater River. Should be called Redwater now, he thought, trying to stand up. Why did he think it was a good idea to fight here with all these bastards? Following the great number of ships and men seemed logical for him back then. Making himself known to others, raiding Saxon lands, and asserting his claim of his father’s inheritance. It made perfect sense to fight here and do all that. The only problem was that he had underestimated the toll of a real battle of armies. His chances of survival dwindled by the minute.

His legs obeyed at last. He pushed himself up, sword in one hand, shield in the other. Only then did he realize—he was at the front lines Too close. Thirty meters ahead, a Saxon leader shouted orders. And Askeladd was right in his sights. How the hell did I end up here?

Askeladd looked around for a way to carefully withdraw to safer areas of the battle. Whatever safe meant while being surrounded by death.

“Don’t yield!” A commanding voice shouted in Norse, “Shield wall! We’ll kill that bastard.”

Without a doubt, the Viking soldiers around Askeladd stood side by side, holding up their shields and therefore creating the ordered wall directed to the Saxon leader before them. With a loud groan, Askeladd let himself be pushed into place inside the shield wall. Even in his exhausted state of mind, he questioned the wisdom of this order. They didn’t hold the upper hand and were surrounded by enemy soldiers. Targeting one man and his entourage was risky in this situation, and what use was a shield wall when there were already enemies behind? But he was right in the middle of this disaster, and just sneaking away was no option. The Viking “honour” forbid it, and unfortunately, the commander of this moronic attack knew his face. Fucking idiots and their fucking honour.

With all his strength he pushed against his shield. Screams. Metal scraping. The wall surged forward, shields crashing against shields. When Askeladd failed to close the small opening between shields in time, a spear splintered through and sliced into his arm. He cursed and stepped back with gritted teeth. Someone else took his spot, before the Saxons could break through. The shield wall still stood.

He ignored the insults at him and took a stand in the second row, warm blood dripping from his throbbing arm. This wasn’t looking good. Not only his injury, but the whole situation. It was obvious that the Saxon commander was more strategic than the fool who yelled for them to advance. Askeladd looked around, noticing how the Saxons slowly cornered his group with long spears. They were blocked off from the rest of the troops, and the idiot of a chieftain, who still screamed to advance, didn’t even notice. Another thing he hated about Norse men. They always looked forward and rammed their heads against walls or spears. A panic slowly rose within Askeladd as he tried to find a way out, but even though his mind was racing, no solution came to his mind. He couldn’t die like this. That was not his plan at all.

“Shield up!” A distant voice called over the battlefield and Askeladd turned around. He must’ve imagined it. No Norse warrior seemed to care for the predicament of his group.

“Shield up!” Sharp, commanding – but young? He made out a single figure, running fast, weaving between fights, corpses and sword strokes. Heading straight for Askeladd. The warrior was now a few meters away from him but still ran at full speed.

“Shield up!” he heard again and this time, Askeladd understood. He knelt down, feet digging into the mud, holding his shield with both hands over his head. The shield blocked his vision, but he could make out boots running towards him, then jumping forcefully. Boots hit his shield, and for a second, the weight almost send him stumbling, but he tossed his shield upwards. With a loud battle cry, the other was gone – soaring over the wall and the spears. Askeladd turned around to watch and realised wide-eyed who he had tossed in the air. Was that really…?

Chaos broke out behind the lines of the Saxons as the Norse warrior attacked them from behind. They turned around to fight back but were too slow to even raise their weapons in defence. Askeladd watched in awe how they were cut down one by one, while his own group advanced with their shield wall, walking over the dead or injured. He shook his head to come back to his senses, and with a scream, he took a place within the wall. Keeping their eyes on the banner of the Saxon leader, they marched forward and killed anyone who dared to move. When they finally reached the position of their target, they lowered their shields and stood in surprise. A head rolled to their feet. Silence. The Saxons froze, their leader’s blood pooling at their boots. One by one, their weapons wavered. Some dropped them altogether and ran for their lives. Baffled, Askeladd looked up. A figure stood over a headless corpse, one boot resting on the remains. The same warrior he had tossed over the lines. Blonde hair tied back. Black armour, gleaming. Ice-blue eyes, and a smirk sharp enough to cut through flesh.

“A woman?!” Askeladd said absentmindedly; someone quietly corrected him.

“A Valkyrie.”

#askeladd #vinland saga #askeladd x femoc #vinland saga fanfiction #askeladd fanfiction #pre canon #eventual smut #secret relationship #hurt/comfort

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estoned-png · 6 months ago

Note

As a DenEst historian I can confirm that Den and Est would have met during the viking ages or at least a century or two prior to the crusades, especially because the events of the viking ages and post-viking-age pre-crusades affected what happened during the crusade era (that being that Den really really wanted to get Est).

-HetaEstoniaHQ

first of all WOAHH look at me very vaguely knowing history🤓☝🏼 but yeah theres so much that can be explored in their relationship just because of their super long shared history i wish more people focused on them not just in modern times like fics and headcanons and stuff‼️and if no one else does it i fear i will have to do my research and write them myself

second of all HIII IM A BIG FAN OF UR BLOG

#denest #hws estonia #hws denmark #aph estonia #aph denmark #hetalia headcanons

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loki-zen · 5 months ago

Text

Finally found a combination of game start and game settings on CK3 that keeps my attention and doesn't feel constantly in danger of hard-to-retrieve calamity; this has involved turning the difficulty sliders down so low the game no longer qualifies for achievements but this genuinely feels like the only way I'm going to be able to learn what all the moving parts are and how they interact instead of lurching from crisis to crisis and frequently just not having the funds to do anything.

Definitely a steep curve kinda game if you've not played predecessors or maybe other paradox games just because there are so damn many things to pay attention to and a lot of the central mechanics are kinda... Opaque? (Also if you play the "easy" recommended start tutorial setting, you get vikings wrecking your shit every five minutes)

Like, I read what the game gives you for the inheritance rules a bunch of times and nowhere does it actually spell out that pre-emptively granting your kids titles can take them out of the inheritance scrabble, even though this seems to be a core mechanic of the game before you can get unitary inheritance (which is most of the game). I knew from reading guides that it could do that but was trying to figure out precisely how it worked; in the end I resorted to just saving and doing it and seeing what happened. By what the in game text actually says, you'd expect that the titles you still have when you die are divided up, without reference to what titles your kids already have.

Also, I've at least once had an army lose to an army of slightly smaller size on Very Easy! I would've thought that the damn purpose of a Very Easy mode might be that you could ignore, idk, terrain advantages and matchups between unit types or whatever it is that lost me that one while you're still figuring out how to play the rest of the game.

Anyway it's an inverted-genders Byzantine Empire in the late era run in which I'm an original character that starts out in charge of Athens. I'm grateful that I do actually seem to have access to a form of non-partiate inheritance now bc I apparently just will not stop popping out babies; you'd think frequently being away traveling/leading armies and/or having a homosexual partner would put the brakes on this a bit but apparently not!

But yeah I get that managing the inheritance thing is supposed to be a core mechanic of the game its just that, again, I feel like I'd benefit from being able to spend a few generations working out how you actually go about building up a kingdom until that stuff takes up less brain space and I have room to worry about the complex dynamics of making sure there still is a kingdom generation to generation.

#ck3 #i am bad at this particular sort of video game

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morlock-holmes · 7 months ago

Note

The people you’re arguing with re: pre-modern quality of life, are all broadly rationalist-adjacent, and are therefore deeply committed to arch-Whig-History and will never concede that anything was better for anyone ever before this exact moment in time.

for what it’s worth, I get your point - comparative social status is really great, and people who had a lot of it might’ve been very unwilling to give it up in order to certain material benefits of industrial society.

For a total no-brainer post-industrial example - anyone who’d trade being a trust fund playboy in the early 20th century for being a lower income wage worker today is a fool. There is no way you could legitimately argue that the internet is better than a life of relative leisure, high status, and wealth.

the further back you go, the trickier the argument gets, due to things like antibiotics, motorized transport, etc all being pretty handy, but I absolutely would go to bat that the median Regency English gentry or noble had a better quality of life than the median lower income American, in many respects.

go back to the Iron Age, gets a little trickier, but idk, I might still say that a high status Viking leader had a better life than I do, but it’s a smaller chunk of society the further back you go. Wealthy Romans seemed to be having a pretty decent time, tbh

I do think I’m more sensitive to relative status than some people. That said, I also think a lot of the Whig History fans I’ve known were part of the current socioeconomic top 10% and just didn’t realize how much it sucks to not have that status. Especially looking at a guy like John Green going in on it, like yeah John, of course you don’t rate being nationally known and respected for making a living pursuing your life’s passion, you’re doing that now

Well, I have another side to things, though you get most of it.

I mean, I don't want to overestimate wealth here. Part of my point is *also* that, assuming what we read of Diogenes is true, he was probably more fulfilled as a human being than Elon Musk, and Elon Musk is the world's richest man in the safest and most technologically advanced time in human history while Diogenes lived in a god damn jug.

Like, people who idealize or become nostalgic about the past are very, very often asking,

"Why do I feel so [angry/tired/hopeless/trapped] despite the fact that I have easy access to [insert material comfort here]"

And the response is very often to say, "Because you are fundamentally irrational. [Insert material comfort here] is actually the most important advancement in all of human history."

Like, in that conversation one person says,

"You live better than anybody in pre-industrial times."

And when I say, "Well, I don't know, Leonard Da Vinci and Gengis Khan seemed like they did okay"

A second person comes along to say,

"Well, those are inherently scarce positional goods, you can't expect social advances to make those more prevalent, what modernity actually gives us is travel, a library, a well-stocked sewing room, a hundred paintings you painted yourself"

And when I say, "Yeah I don't have that stuff either" a third person says,

"Yeah, obviously you can't expect to get that stuff, modernity gives you flush toilets, iPads and childhood vaccines."

And first of all yeah, I know, I said that, and second:

*Boy* have these rose-y eyed optimists spent a *lot* of time telling me what sorts of human pleasures I really ought to stop expecting to have more of.

I mean "wasn't stillborn" is quite literally the *absolute bare minimum* that a person can expect out of life.

Remember how in the 50s some kid would hate peas, and his parents would force him to eat them and if he complained they'd say, "You ought to be grateful for those peas, there are starving children in Africa"?

Turns out that "You'd better learn to be thankful for this because it's all you're gonna get and you could have it a lot worse" isn't actually optimistic or empowering.

And that sentiment lurks just below the surface of a lot of these odes to modernity.

PS - If you asked that pea hating child whether he would want to trade places with that starving African child he might well say, "Well, at least *he* isn't being forced to eat these awful peas!" and I think there is some justice to that response even if it doesn't represent a literal desire to experience a famine.

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robotective · 3 days ago

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(Here we go!)

The year is 2260, a young looking woman in what looks like Pre War Renaissance Fair type clothes is wandering the Commonwealth. In the fog covered town she's currently in, her eyes glow like embers. Revealing her silhouette easily to just about anyone. Including the batch of feral ghouls now tailing her. She'd heard them approaching, but didn't have much energy left to deal with them. She was biding her time, hoping to find a place where she could have an easier time catching them all by surprise. This way she could avoid what would likely be a lengthy fight, especially so head on. Soon enough however, she found herself cornered by another feral batch. Now with two groups on her six and twelve, she was hosed.

"Welp, suppose I had a good run if this is it. But I'm not going down without giving it my all.", she said to herself before taking out a war club of her own making. Based on some stories she'd heard about her viking ancestors, and the clubs that rattled in battle. She swung her club in a circular motion, making that very sound, "Freyja give me strength."

A few well placed shots from a smoking revolver dropped her unfortunate suffering chasers " and for the love of god please find peace" he quipped somber

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raayllum · 2 years ago

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Callum 🤝 Stoick

“For you, my dear, anything.”

Everyone loves to draw comparisons between Callum and Hiccup (when they’re pretty fundamentally different people beyond the obvious surface level similarities) but sleep on this comparison! Love it

Gonna go on a deep dive cause Hiccup is one of my favourite characters ever but I've never written meta about him so

In some ways, Hiccup and Callum are similar - especially in terms of how they present. They're both goofy, more than a little awkward, deeply curious and compassionate, extremely loyal once you've earned/have their loyalty, a bit flighty and sometimes focused too much on the big picture in lieu of missing the little things. They both grew up feeling like the wrong fit for their environment/culture and it takes bonding with a mysterious, dangerous enemy and subsequent life changing adventure for them to start figuring out where they belong (and how). I think they'd get along splendidly and would absolutely show off flying tricks

However, they are also radically different, mostly because Hiccup is far more rebellious (and particularly in early HTTYD1) far more selfish than Callum is.

Due to a vicious cycle of "I want to prove myself to the village" -> "I mess up" -> "Village is annoyed by me" and a lack of other tangible options of places and circumstances to go into, Hiccup is about as bullheaded as it gets. Even before he meets Toothless, he's not super concerned about being a Viking according to his people's standards, and we don't know if he actually tried at being a traditional Viking very hard before he switched to machinery and inventing (I've also leaned towards not, but that's up for interpretation). He simply wants them to recognize that he can be a Viking, too, by his own standards - and in some ways better and more effectively than they can because he's using his smarts and not just his ('nonexistent') brawn. He's effectively beholden to no one but himself, especially since his relationship with his father is so strained and Gobber does his best, but is understandably not a perfect substitute / cannot be everything a 15 year old boy needs or wants to have socially. This is also why Stoic's scoldings are so ineffective, because pre-Toothless Hiccup doesn't really care that much if he royally mucks things up for the Village time and time again if it's in pursuit of praise/recognition - which is not entirely unreasonable (we all want attention/positive reinforcement) particularly for a teenager, but it is short sighted and immature.

Then he meets Toothless, and learns 1) how to put something and someone else heavily above his own wants & needs, and 2) how to contribute to the village in a way that would be beneficial for everyone, not just the people (beginning of the movie)/himself, or for the dragons/himself (when he was planning to run away), but for all of them, irregardless of himself. This journey is ultimately what's culminated in the third movie by finally living up to his father ("How do you become someone that great, that brave, that selfless?") by willing to do with Toothless what Stoic was willing to do with him: to let him go, so that he'd be Safe. The first thing Hiccup ever did, that set him on an entirely new path after all, was to set a dragon free. I always thought it was very fitting that was his final act as well.

And it's this journey from selfish slightly sarcastic but intelligent, sympathetically immature teenager to a wiser, selfless, less independent but more reliable adult, aided by the events of the films, the memory/inspiration of his father, everything about Toothless and his love/support of Hiccup, and Astrid being about as devoted to Berk as it gets (which is absolutely something Hiccup needs) that allows him to be a great Chief. He's able to put the greater good of his family and people above what he may personally want in the short term ("I was so busy thinking about the world that I wanted, I didn't think about what you needed") to prioritize his goals in the long term ("And we'll guard the secret until the time comes that dragons can return in peace").

And due to all of this, Callum starts out in a fundamentally different place, because he always has an internal and externally imposed responsibility from the start: Ezran. "Take care of your brother," are Harrow's final, parting words to him, after all, and we see Callum take this with him throughout the series, whether it's trying to be assassinated in Ezran's place, promising to return and help him once Zym is brought home, or rushing to defend him when he thinks there's another plot against the king. This is also where we see Callum's selective loyalty creep in. While Callum would make a great general due to his tactician skills and ability to think ahead, he is ultimately too reckless and obsessive to make a good king - or in the Hiccup comparison, Chief. Although both are leadership roles, having Ezran / others there to temper him occasionally as a general is crucial - he needs that safety net (or someone to tell him to keep his eyes on the road) which him being the final authority on the throne would not provide ("I may be queen but even I can't stop those two when they've set their minds on something") that not being on the throne can marginally provide. This is also one of the reasons why I don't think either Callum or Rayla are really suited to a long term life at court / as royalty, but post for another day <3

Callum also has more of a temper and more of a nasty temper toward his loved ones as well that Hiccup really doesn't have a shred of - he'll be sarcastic and a bit snippy but he'll never aim for the jugular, y'know? (Hiccup is also more marginally prone to self blame probably because he's grown up enough to take full responsibility for his actions after a childhood of mostly shirking/dismissing them, but like side tangent)

So like Callum's consistent sense of responsibility keeps him tempered and more mild mannered and less rebellious (and him and Harrow have a much better relationship than pre-HTTYD1 Hiccup and Stoick, which absolutely helps; each may have resembled each other more in HTTYD2 esque dynamic if Harrow had lived to see Callum mature / grow into himself a bit more) but also leaves him far more selectively loyal / focused on his own bubble most of the time.

Like Hiccup is just loyal enough (aided by Astrid) to his People to like be able to do the ins and outs and enjoy it overall? And I've never gotten the same sense from Callum at any point in the series (which "I'm beholden to my inner circle, not some silly kingdom" - thank you TOX). And I do think the way Callum would want to change the world is more magic based - teaching other people how to connect and harness magic - is more in line for him overall but again: post for another day (and we'll have to see where canon goes). Because of Toothless, Hiccup's bubble expands to Astrid and the gang and his father, fully, and stays expanded; Toothless gave him the family & support he needed to no longer need Toothless to stay in the same manner. For Callum, his bubble is Ezran, expands to Rayla as well over the course of arc 1 at first because of Ezran and because of their own bond - and it doesn't really expand with the same intensity to basically anyone else (see Callum being worried, sure, about Soren in 4x06/4x07 but also a lot more focused in general in how Soren's absence is affecting Rayla and thereby focusing on reassuring her)

Callum is also just way more of a loose canon, at least to me. Trying out the lightning spell just because in 1x05 with no safety net, staying way too long at the Great Bookery in 5x04 when they absolutely could've just come back after stopping Aaravos and co., and again: he just has an edge to him that Hiccup doesn't? It's hard to describe and I don't think there's necessarily a reason behind besides "they're two different characters with accordingly different characterizations" but I can't see Hiccup doing dark magic or being tempted by it - even if it was to save Toothless, or something? He's just too much of a bleeding heart/animal lover and a lot more Ezran on that level

Long characterization aside, I actually think Rayla and Hiccup are probably more similar in that rebellious / witty streak to your disappointed more restrictive tougher mentor (Runaan, Stoick) but that Callum 100% has Stoick's devotion to Valka down pat. "For you my dear, anything," the slow approach in asking but not assuming she'll be his wife again, the forgiveness and understanding of Valka and Rayla staying away all that time, the "I don't want another. Your mother was the only woman for me. She was the love of my life" excuse me while I go cry.

#httyd #how to train your dragon #thanks for asking #analysis series #analysis #mandaloriandragontrainer #characterization #tdp #the dragon prince #tdp callum

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