#welsh warfare

[gawrkin]

Cath Palug's Power Level (& Kay's)

(Source: Pa Gur yv y Porthaur)

Here is the excerpt portraying the hero Cai ap Cynyr, later known as Sir Kay, defeating the dreaded monster, Cath Palug (meaning "Palug's Cat" or "Clawing Cat").

And it's a pretty fearsome beast - over 180 in a single night died to it before Kay came to kill it himself. But reviewing it for a bit I noticed the translation says "Nine Score Chieftains" and I thought "wait does this mean a hundred and eighty war leaders and not simply champions? Does that mean Cath Palug also killed their retinues?".

In the history of Welsh Warfare, the Teulu (meaning "family"), was an important and primary element of Military power, being the personal household guard under the patronage of a Welsh lord. The size of these Teulu warbands, depending on the wealth of a chief, could range anywhere from 50 to 120 warriors. (Llywellyn ap Gryffyd had a teulu of 160 men)

So, I took a close look at the original Welsh text:

...and identified the words being translated are "kinlluc" and "kinran"

Afterwards, I went over to the online Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru/A Dictionary of the Welsh Language (HERE) to clarify their meaning:

So yes, the poem is referring to 180 war leaders getting slaughtered overnight by the monster cat. But, the implication here is that, reasonably and common sense-wise, the chieftains brought along their warbands to hunt a wild animal.

This means, if we choose to interpret the poem saying Cath Palug killed both the chiefs AND their teulu (around say a hundred warriors each), then we are looking at anywhere up to 18,000 warriors and their leaders being massacred by Cath Palug in a single night.

Which gives us a sense of scale of how powerful Cath Palug and its slayer, Sir Kay, must have been.

(Probably still not as powerful as Arthur, given his battle with Twrch Trwyth...)

[gingersnaptaff]

Y Mab Darogan 1

(Stained glass window depicting Cadwaladr and his flag in Llandaff Cathedral, Charles Powell, 1919)

(King Arthur (top left), St Tewdrig, and St Cadwaladr, stained glass window in Llandaff Cathedral. Situated in the North Aisle, Charles Powell, 1919)

'The awen predicts they will make haste;

We shall have treasures, possessions, and peace

And broader leadership and lively leaders;

And after war, dwellings in every area;

Men fierce in fight-clamour, furious warriors,

Swift in attack, slow to leave defence-

Fighters that scatter foreigners as far as Caer Wair'

- the opening first lines of Armes Prydain

Something a bit different today but I thought I'd yell about ‘Y Mab Darogan’ or The Prophesied Son, who was seen as a messianic figure in Welsh literature and was appellated to four* (!) different lads (including King Arthur). This will be a long one so please have a snack and a drink at hand. You're gonna need ‘em.

Now, Y Mab Darogan as a concept first crops up in the 10th Century poem ‘Armes Prydain’ (The Prophecy of Britain) from the Book of Taliesin. Andrew Breeze postulated that the poem was written in about ‘940 AD.’ Taliesin’s status as ‘a seer’ write Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams in their introduction to The Book of Taliesin: Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain means that ‘it is not at all surprising’ to find a collection of Prophetic poems alongside the others within Llyfr Taliesin. ‘Its themes,’ Lewis and Williams further write, ‘are recycled in several later poems looking forward to a reunification of the British - usually Under the leadership of Gwynedd - and the advent of a heroic deliverer.’

It's a call for all Celtic nations (Welsh, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Britons, Manx) to come to arms against the Anglo-Saxon invaders - as can be seen in the lines 'long-haired champions, masters of war/ Will come from Ireland to drive out the Saxons.', 'Both loyal men will come from Alt Clud, / A resplendent army to drive them from Britain' 'A powerful host will come from Llydaw (Brittany),' 'Let the Cymry rise up, a war-like company' and 'On all sides shame will be the Saxons destiny' and, although it doesn't feature King Arthur proper it's writing kinda alludes to his death.

To zoom through some background, Hywel Dda (yes, he of Law fame) was seen as very much toeing the line to the Angles - who y'know were (and kinda still are) Wales’ traditional enemies. Now, for ol’ Hywel, this had meant that when Edward the Elder ruled over Wessex had had to cleave to him to ensure that Wales didn't get battered within an inch of its life as had all other Celtic nations in Britain (so the Gaels, the Picts, etc, etc). However, once he was out of the picture and his son, Athelstan, had taken over, an alliance of the kingdoms of the Strathclyde*, Dublin, and Scotland had all risen against him. In a break from tradition - y'know, the whole Men of the North business where it was acknowledged and expected that the Welsh would aid their compatriots - Hywel vehemently denied the three kingdoms’ aid leading to their defeat at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.

Obviously, this pissed A LOT of Welsh lads off.

I mean, yeah, it'd piss me off too. if I expected a battle only to find out we weren't getting one cuz some lawmaker lad had to keep his neighbours happy I'd be LIVID. So this poem was written! No word if Hywel read it, but I imagine his Goodreads review would've been a firm one star.

In it, it refers to ‘Thus they'll avenge Garmon's* friends with force/ Four hundred and forty years on' and, according to the Annales Cambriae (my absolute beloved) in 537AD there was: ‘The Strife of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut perished; and there was plague in Britain and Ireland.’ which means ‘404 years’ after that is 941. Therefore, the poem is very much looking forward to the annihilation of the Saxons in 941 which kinda happened because Edmund had to accept a humiliating treaty at Leicester in 941, giving the north-east of England to the Viking leader Olaf Guthfrithson.

Also, the poem invokes two famous leaders - Conan of Brittany, and Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon of Gwynedd - in the line: 'Cynan and Cadwaladr, warlords in the armies' Cadwaladr is seen as hot shit - basically on par with Arthur as a ‘Great Deliver’ figure for the Welsh - and, somehow, the Welsh Dragon has become known as Cadwaladr's flag. Cadwaladr is also important because Henry VII (yeah, HIM) claimed descent from him. The hoped-for leader is seen as returning from exile - just as Cadwaladr is said to have done and Henry VII would later do once he'd hot-footed it to France to get aid - or arriving from over the sea - as Owain Lawgoch would later unsuccessfully attempt to do in the 1300’s - and ‘on their return they … overthrow corrupt or alien rulers within Wales, and rally other Welsh kingdoms to resistance and ultimate victory over the English.’

Now, as I previously alluded to, King Arthur is pretty much absent from the early corpus which makes up the ‘Mab Darogan’ legend. The ‘fierce resentment’ of the Armes Prydain makes no mention of him, and, therefore, we must look elsewhere.

We find it in the Gwyddelian composed Historia Brittonum. He's specifically indicated as fighting the Saxons (ons of the main tenets of the job, I think we'll all agree) and doing… okay. T. Charles Edwards states, ‘The victories of a Gwrthefyr, or an Arthur, might be glorious but they had no future,’ and, I think, it is this utter glory and utter ineffectualness that highlights the two main tenets of what makes you mab darogan, well, y mab darogan.

Arthur ‘echoes the achievements of Gwrthefyr’ in his chapter and so brings with it another key building block of y mab darogan. He is an echo of what has coms before and what will - hopefully, futilely - come again. A warrior will rise and lead through Britons - the Welsh, the natives of the land - to a brief taste of freedom before slipping away in a haze.

Furthermore, T. Charles Edwards states, ‘Perhaps the main concern of the author of Historia Brittonum is to encourage the Britons to come to terms with defeat of loss and territory.’ Arthur, like Macsen Wledig before him, is a rallying point for the Welsh. A flashpoint. Arthur is the ‘British Dux’ or warlord, the rebellious leader at will bring the Saxons to heel.

The legend of him being Y Mab Darogan amongst the Welsh is thought to have taken widespread hold after this. He's seen as a rallying cry for various rebellions and poets made use of his stature to advance various other disaffected Welshmen's causes. The Anglo-Norman text ‘The Description of England’ states that ‘openly they [the Welsh] go about saying,... / that in the end, they will have it all; / by means of Arthur, they will have it back... / They will call it Britain again’ So this would firmly put him in the bracket of The Welsh Lord and Saviour, kiss fuckin kiss. Furthermore, Daniel Helbert in his essay, ‘The Prophetic Hope in Twelfth Century Britain,’ states ‘at the close of the twelfth-century, the idea that King Arthur would return from the grave and lead his people to victory was not a new one,’ for the power and popularity of this legend both within Britain and on the continent as a whole (i.e. in Brittany where Arthur - and, later, Owain Lawgoch - is also seen as a somewhat Messianic figure in his own right) had an ‘allure’ to it. This suggests that, to me, the ‘Breton/Briton Hope’ was always a powerful sticking point in people's heads. Arthur had already left an indelible mark on culture, be it Welsh, Anglo-Norman, or otherwise, and people would use it in whatever ways suited them.

But I also must caution against believing this outright. *sigh* Arthur is Welsh*, yes. The building blocks of his myth are Welsh. I do not dispute that. However, O.J. Padel says that no contemporary Welsh source of a prophecy concerning Arthur's return to Britain has been found, and Charles T. Edwards further states: ‘Although the use of a Welsh battle-poem has been suspected, perhaps rightly no such source is likely … And if there was such a poem celebrating Arthur's battles, its date remains entirely uncertain.’ While there exists plenty of poetry on Arthur's ‘descendants’ as it were, Owain Lawgoch and Owain Glyndŵr, there is nothing particularly concrete for Artie and, furthermore, we must both rely on non-Welsh texts AND Henry VII's propaganda during the Wars of the Roses when he was challenging the Plantagenets for the English throne.

(Personally, Arthur just likes to be a tricksy bastard and I wish he'd CEASE AND DESIST. Bro, I went to ur fuckin Grotto in Corwen* when I was a kid. You OWE me.)

Conversely, Arthur has been used to legitimise the English’s rule over the native Britons. Edward I, after his conquest of Wales, used ‘Round Tables’ to celebrate and justify his conquest of Wales - one of many Big Kicks in the Teeth for us, ngl, other than letting the Prince of Wales be a baby because he only babbled*, and having the true last Princess of Wales, Gwenllian, be shut up in a monastery when she was a baby - and the consequent ‘reunification’ of Arthurian Britain. The Galfridian texts also were even used to justify Edward's claim over the Scottish throne - after the House of Dunkeld came to an untimely end with Margaret, the Maid of Norway's, death at sea when she was only 7 - as Arthur conquered Scotland. Geoffrey of Monmouth, I'm hitting your ghost over the head with a boot. One with iron toe caps. And smeared in dung. Arthur's use as a colonial tool by both the Normans’ and the Plantagenet dynasty cannot be overstated. To do so is a great disservice that doesn't do anybody - least of all the Celtic countries who had their great mythological king beaten into this oppressive tool to try and bring them to heel - any favours.

Aled Llion Jones writes in Darogan: Prophecy, Lament, and Absent Heroes in Medieval Literature that the imagined victory of y mab darogan represents a ‘return to a united, unified legendary state of organicism’ which was once conjured in a long-lost son called ‘Unbennaeth Prydain or ‘The Sovereignty of Britain. Furthermore, Brud and Brut (that's Prophecy and History for all you non-Welsh speakers out there) were near-homonyms in medieval Welsh and the Brut y Brenhinedd - ‘Chronicles of the King's,’ which are an adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae - was framed as being the story of how British lordship over Ynys Prydain had been gained, flourished, and lost to the Saxons. Prophecy, therefore, provided how it would ultimately be won back by those who would come after Arthur.

But, I mean, Wales would have to wait to find out who their next Mab Darogan would be. Next week: Owain Lawgoch's Hot Shit Tour of France: How he Became Y Mab Darogan, Fucked About in Guernsey and Got Assassinated When He Was Cutting His Hair.

Some notes!

*Garmon is St. Garmon the Gaulish Bishop who visited Britain in the first half of the fifth century

*You could make the case that Owain Gwynedd could be seen as Y Mab Darogan considering his various run-ins with the Normans. However, you could say that about The Lord Rhys also and, if we’re getting into the meat of it, neither of those two lads are even seen as having faulty alarm clocks. Or chillaxing beneath a mountain.

*Strathclyde wasn't incorporated into Scotland until the 11th Century when it was annexed into the Kingdom of Alba. It would still be known as Ystrad Clud at this time.) 

*Technically, Brythonic which is the forerunner to the Britons but, like, the language of the texts he is primarily featured in is Old Welsh. I know he's seen as an English figure but that's wrapped up on years and years of colonialism.

*That baby was later known as King Edward II whose reign was less than impressive, but extremely gay. Nice to see him committing to the Remarkable cosplay ngl. (Idk if he ever did that. I just think it's fun to imagine he did. Bet he was Lance.) 

*The Grotto was so fuckin fun. If I can dredge up a photo of the Red and White Dragon fighting then I'll fuckin slap it up because ooooh, baby, it was SO COOL. Also, they had an animatronic Arthur asleep under a mountain. ANYWAY.

*Myrddin/Merlin was also associated with prophecy in the early Welsh texts particularly those about the mab darogan.

Background Reading and Sources:

Land of My Father's by Gwynfor Evans

The History of Wales by J. Graham Jones

Wales: England's Colony? by Martin Johnes (A Banger.)

The Book of Taliesin by Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams

The Arthur of the Welsh by Rachel Bromwich (T. Charles Edwards is included in it. Strongly recommend it.)

The Earliest Welsh Poems by Joseph Clancy

Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature by O. J Padel

The Welsh Triads by Rachel Bromwich

Lastly a quick aside: this is my theory but it is entirely possible that Arthur disinterring Bendigeidfran's head in Branch 2 of the Mabinogi could be seen as him taking up the 'heroic deliverer' role from an earlier Celtic hero. Certainly, while his head remained buried at Gwynfryn (White Hill, speculated to be Tower Hill in London) 'no oppression would ever come from across the sea to this island while that head was in its hiding place.' Bendigeidfran, like Arthur, was seen as the High King of Britain, and there is certainly an echo of Arthur about him. Arthur, in a fit of hubris, disclosed the head of Bendigeidfran from its resting place because 'it did not seem right to him that this Island should be defended by the strength of anyone, but his own.' And this 'was known as one of the Three Unfortunate disclosures,' so the Mabinogion says.

I'm not an academic but it is perhaps something to think about.

[ladydeath-vanserra]

𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝙱𝚒𝚘 𝚄𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎:

if ur gonna follow or interact with my blog pls realize I am very critical towards most acotar content, especially if it involves Rhysand. I am more-or-less a Rhys Anti until further notice and I am hard-core side eye towards Cassian until Rhysand is held accountable for being a shitty person for more than like *checks notes* two pages

I'm not a Tamlin Stan, nor do I particularly care for him, but I have been engaging in thoughtful criticisms of his actions often which involves character analysis so you v likely will see that pop up every now and then

ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏʀɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴏꜱᴇꜱ

Nesta Archeron

Lucien Vanserra

Eris Vanserra

Feyre Archeron / Anti Feyre Archeron

Elain Archeron / Anti Elain Archeron

The Archeron Sisters

Anti Rhysand

Anti Cassian

Azriel / Anti Azriel

Anti Amren

Anti Morrigan

Anti Inner Circle

Tamlin / Tamlin Critical

Jurian

ᴄʀᴇꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄɪᴛʏ

Bryce Quinlan / Anti Bryce Quinlan

Hunt Athalar

Ruhn Danaan

Aidas

ᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ

Aelin Galathynius

Manon Blackbeak

Dorian Havilliard

Rowan Whitethorn

Aedion Ashryver

Anti Chaol Westfall

ᴘʀᴏ ꜱʜɪᴘꜱ:

Neris

Azris

Nezriel

Lucnes

Elucien

Brysta

gwynlain

tamsand

ᴀɴᴛɪ ꜱʜɪᴘꜱ:

Anti Nessian

Anti Feysand

Anti Elriel

ᴀᴛʟᴀꜱ ʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ᴄᴄ

ᴀᴛʟᴀꜱ ʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ᴄᴄ2

ᴀᴛʟᴀꜱ ʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ᴄᴄ3

ᴍᴇᴛᴀ ᴘᴏꜱᴛꜱ:

Class Warfare + Class Traitors in ACoTaR

SJM + Eugenics + Ableism in her Writing

Inequality + Slums in Velaris

Rhysand Sexually Assaulted Feyre UtM

acotar tiktok meta

acotar meta

Classism in Acotar

Eugenics in Acotar

Eugenics in ToG

Yt Feminism in Acotar

Mor SA'd Cassian

Hybern Ireland - the Vilification of Ireland in Acotar

ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ | ᴀᴜꜱ:

BPD Nesta

Autistic!Nesta

Slavic Archeron Sisters AU

Scottish!Tamlin

Welsh!Rhys

Disabled!Cassian

Justice for Poor Cassian and Poor Archeron Girls

Glasses!Elain Propaganda

aroace lesbian elain

ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ:

ᴀʟʟ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ:

Neil Josten

Andrew Minyard

ᴛᴠᴅᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ:

Can we Stop the Overt Vilification of Esther Mikaelson and the UwUization of Mikael Mikaelson

Stop Hating on Finn hes too Babygirl for This

TVD TikTok Edits

ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟꜱ:

Klaus Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson

Dahlia Mikaelson

Esther Mikaelson

Finn Mikaelson

Vincent Griffith

Freya Mikaelson

Rebeckah Mikaelson

Kol Mikaelson

Mikael Mikaelson

ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴅɪᴀʀɪᴇꜱ:

Damon Salvatore

Caroline Forbes

Anti Stefan Salvatore

Elena Gilbert / Anti Elena Gilbert

Katherine Pierce

Lexi Branson

Shelia Bennett

Jeremy Gilbert

ᴍɪꜱᴄ.

It's loving Portia Featherington Hours

[pfctipper]

US War Department Field Manual 72-20, Jungle Warfare: Patience, though not an American characteristic, can be learned and developed through constant practice | Major Dick Winters, Beyond Band of Brothers: ‘I could understand him and help him understand me, as well as understand himself’

hello the fic that hasn't left me alone for nearly two months is on ao3 now! it’s over 40k words, absolutely abuses italics and em-dashes, and has made me late for multiple work calls, but here it is

everyone say thank you harry welsh for being such a useful plot device

[whencyclopedia]

Edward the Elder

Edward the Elder (r. 899-924) was the son of Alfred the Great (r. 871-899) and the King of the Anglo-Saxons in the early 10th century. He is known for his military victories over the Vikings of East Anglia and the East Midlands and for consolidating his dynasty's control over southern England.

In 865, about a decade before Edward was born, the Great Heathen Army invaded England, destroying the royal dynasties of several English kingdoms, including East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria and establishing Viking rule across these territories. It fell upon Edward's father, King Alfred of Wessex, to lead the English resistance. He defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington in 878 and agreed to a peace treaty with their leader, Guthrum (d. 890), who retreated east to rule over much of the territory conquered by the great army, commonly referred to as 'The Danelaw'. Alfred would spend the next two decades fortifying Wessex, reforming the army and promoting learning and literacy amongst his subjects. He also brought Mercia under his overlordship, after which he took the title 'King of the Anglo-Saxons', denoting his rule over both the Mercians and the West Saxons.

Edward succeeded his father in 899. Most of what we know of his reign comes from a collection of land charters and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which presents him as a relentless and successful warrior-king. His epithet, 'the Elder', was not used during his life but was later used to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Edward the Martyr, King of England (r. 975-978). Though well-regarded as a ruler by medieval chroniclers and modern historians, Edward often remains in the shadow of his more illustrious father. However, there has been more interest in Edward recently due to the TV series The Last Kingdom, in which he is portrayed by Timothy Innes. Yet, the show depicts Edward as a king struggling to step out of his father's shadow, with many of his achievements being accredited to the show's protagonist, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

Early Life

Edward was born c. 874-877. His parents, Alfred and Ealhswith (d. 902), a Mercian noblewoman, were married in 868. In addition to Edward, the couple had four more children: Aethelflaed (d. 918), who married the Ealdorman of Mercia and later ruled Mercia herself; Aethelgifu, who became the Abbess of Shaftesbury; Aelfthryth (d. 929) who married the Count of Flanders and another son, Aethelweard (d. 920). The earliest mention of Edward in contemporary sources comes from Bishop Asser – a Welsh priest and scholar at Alfred's court – in his work the Life of King Alfred. Asser recounts that Edward spent his youth at the king's court, studying religious and secular texts and was taught to show "humbleness, affability, and gentleness towards all." Edward was also trained in warfare, and while still in his teens, led the West Saxon army to victory over the Vikings at the Battle of Farnham in 893. Around the same time, he appears to have become a regular member of the king's council and married a woman named Ecgwynn, of whom we know little about, although the couple had a son, Aethelstan (d. 939), and a daughter, Edith.

Great Viking Army in England, 865-878 CE

Hel-hama (CC BY-SA)

In the final years of his father's reign, Edward was granted the title 'rex' (king), suggesting he had been appointed co-king alongside his father or, more likely, was given his own kingdom in Kent to provide him with experience ruling before he succeeded his father. Primogeniture (father-to-son succession) had not firmly been established in Wessex; succession was still elective to a certain degree, with the crown passing to the aetheling (prince), favoured by the nobility. Edward's main rival for the throne was his cousin Aethelwold (d. 902), the son of Alfred's brother, King Aethelred of Wessex (r. 865-871). As much of the West Saxon nobility owed their position to Alfred, they were naturally inclined to support Edward's succession, but his experience in warfare and royal administration went a long way to secure their support.

Continue reading...

[tellmeallaboutit]

Writer's game

I got tagged by @reallyhatethiswebsite thank you <3

I'm tagging @coreene @beesht @littleplasticrat @magthara @dodorimo no pressure

When did you start writing?

Eight or nine. Just a couple of pages, I think, it was a fantasy / sci-fi piece. My mother adored it and got me to the local writing club. They said they are concerned about my mental health.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Ha. No, actually. I like horror, I like transgressive fiction, dark fiction, dark fantasy, experimental fiction, sci-fi / cyberpunk, and that's exactly the genres I write in.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I fancy myself (I am not) a mixture of Irvine Welsh and Clive Barker. Those are the two I could re-read forever. Other notable mentions include Bret Easton Ellis, Anthony Burgess, Laird Barron, Cormac McCarthy... yeah, all men, I know. I think about that a lot. I don't have many reassuring thoughts on this point.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Ah, just my study. I work there, I write there, I eat there, I live there. It's scandinavian style, white walls, no decorations.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I am discipline kind of gal. Sit down and write in total silence. Grind through. Embrace the pain. Pain purifies.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Sex, violence, power, money, parental abuse, humanity's inability to escape itself, how reality and fantasy intertwine and are they really that far apart, politics, left vs right, class warfare, toxic masculinity, breeding / inheritance / children, sadomasochism (NOT modern BDSM culture, that's something very different), sexual assault, sexual abuse, toxic relationships, gender wars, drugs, addictions, suicide.

They don't surprise me anymore, lol.

What is your reason for writing?

Not enough dark fiction in the world. Never enough. More.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

My favourite one is when the reader shares their own experience, gives me a bit of insight of their own psyche and why they reacted to my words in a certain way. I am very interested in people. I am eager to hear all the life stories.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

As someone adequate and friendly and approachable. Idk actually how I come across... feel free to tell me.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Naturalism, keeping tension and plot-building.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Some pieces I re-read many years after, some pieces I consider flops, I have strengths, I have weaknesses, I have moments when I am super insecure and moments when I am super proud. So ambivalent, I guess.

[channelsurfer02]

You know, my personal version of Juliana from Pokémon Scarlet’s character, Juliana Ysgarlad (truly I am a bastion of creativity lol), has a whole thing where she is the one member of the crater friends group that has social skills. Everyone else has either average or lower social skills, while Juliana just casually interacts and befriends everyone, even teachers. Just, max charisma build. This charisma also translates into her having a past as something of a schoolyard scam artist, as at her previous school, she would scam her classmates and even went as far as setting up a gambling ring in the school's basement. She actually got away with most of this and is a bit paranoid that Director Clavell knows (he doesn’t). She doesn’t do this stuff now, since her and her mom’s financial situation is way better now, though she still tends to make bets with her friends, will look for any way to make money out of habit, and is prone to trying to wring any cash she can out of a situation, will bullshit people for shits and giggles, and is, by her own admission, the absolute LAST person you want to give any form of political or administrative authority because she would become ludicrously corrupt.

She also, despite all appearances, is only a year younger than Nemona and is VERY sensitive about her height. Suffice it to say, she is NOT fond of how Arven calls her little buddy. She also really likes collecting hats. Like, REALLY likes collecting hats.

Also, she has common interests with each of her friends. Like Nemona she loves battling, though she gets more of a thrill out of the whole “outwitting the opponent” angle than Nemona’s battle mania. Appropriately, a lot of her battle strategies involve baiting her opponent, predicting their next move, and using psychological warfare. Predictably, she had trouble with Larry and Grusha given their respective personalities. She also initially agreed to be friends with Nemona because her parents were clearly loaded, what with them meeting outside of her family's massive house. However, Juliana quickly came to appreciate Nemona's energetic personality and was fairly receptive to her battle junkie tendencies. Juliana also may or may not have developed a slight, itsy-bitsy, positively minuscule crush on her rival over the course of the gym challenge, which she is making zero progress on since her approach to romance takes a page out of Kaguya Sama Love is War and all the subtle, flirtatious mind-games that entails, while Nemona also has a crush on her but is oblivious to both Juliana's advances and her own feelings.

Like Arven, she loves good food and enjoys cooking. The two often trade recipes and even go hiking together after all they get all the herba mystica. She also enjoys lording her and Arven's status as the most in-shape members of their friend group, as Nemona has canonically cruddy endurance and Penny is a former hikikomori, while Arven lives a pretty healthy lifestyle and hikes a lot and Juliana has had a long and storied history of "free-style competitive cardio" at her old school. Juliana refuses to elaborate on what she means by this when Arven asks her.

Like Penny she’s a massive anime and video game nerd, though she’s more prone to attending nerdy social events like conventions and hanging out at nerdy stores (she frequently drags Penny to go to such things). She also will never let Penny live down her not figuring out that "Clive" was Clavell (she also constantly called "Clive" Clavell during operation starfall and only called him Clive after the mission was done just to annoy him). She also was genuinely disturbed that Penny went as far as to hack the Pokemon League Point System, since for all of her con artistry and delinquency, Juliana never actually did anything that big or that illegal. She also has a Welsh accent, since she’s from Galar originally and Gloria already has a monopoly the whole “Scottish pokegirl” thing in the fandom.

This is her team, by the by:

Calicifer the Skeledirge, Eclair the Clodsire, Oswald the Azumarill, Foxglove the Breloom, Phosphora the Kilowattrel, and Quixote the Farigiraf.

As for her appearance, I imagine she has the hair color, skin tone, and hair style she's depicted as having in official art, though the haircut's a bit fuller and shaggier in terms of the front bang and the back fringe things. Also, unlike her usual art, this version of Juliana has blue eyes. In terms of her outfit, I imagine her wearing the summer uniform shirt and tie, the spring uniform pants without suspenders, the winter uniform jacket worn unzipped with the sleeved rolled up to the elbows, pattern C engineer boots, black finger-less gloves, and a Gatsby Cap with Wabash stripes.

[scotianostra]

Bruce and de Bohun, were fightin’ for the croon,/ Bruce taen his battle-axe and knocked de Bohun doon.

An old Scottish rhyme handed down through the centuries, it's origins were from the first bit of action recorded at The Battle of Bannockburn on 23rd June 1314. In the 1930′s Wishaw firm, Battleaxe confectionery marked this by putting this verse on the wrappers of their Battle-axe toffee, I love the patriotism of firms like this.

The rhyme tells of the Bruce dispatching of the 22 year old English Knight Sir Henry de Bhun had given the Scottish troops a massive morale boost.

On the first day two English cavalry formations advanced towards the Scots who were positioned beyond the Bannock Burn. As they crossed the stream, the English formations encountered a body of Scots, among them Robert the Bruce himself, the most notable knights in these type of situations were recognisable by their attire, our King would have stood out among those around him with the Lion Rampant in red with the rest or tabard being a bright yellow, as seen in the pics.

As soon as the English sighted the Scots without warning, Henry de Bohun, the nephew of the Earl of Hereford, raised his lance and charged at the unsuspecting Bruce. Bruce turned to face him and, at the last moment as the two passed side by side, he swiftly pulled his pony aside, dodged the lance and split Bohun's head wide open with his battle axe. The effect of seeing the English knight fall dead at the feet of their King raised the Scots’ morale incredibly. The Scots then rushed upon the remaining English who struggled back over the Bannock Burn.

After being chided by his generals for risking his life in single combat, King Robert’s only regret was that he had broken the haft of his good axe in the duel.

If de Bohun had killed or captured Bruce, he would have become a chivalric hero. So, spurring his warhorse to the charge, he lowered his lance and bared down on the king. Bruce, an experienced warrior, didn't panic, but mounted "ane palfray, litil and joly" and met the charge. Dodging the lance, he brought his battle axe down on de Bohun's helmet, striking him dead. Elated, the Scots forced the English cavalry to withdraw.

Two of Edward's experienced commanders, Sir Henry Beaumont and Sir Robert Clifford, attempted to outflank the Scots and cut off their escape route – very nearly surprising the Scots. At the last moment, however, Thomas Randolph's schiltrom dashed out of the wood and caught the English cavalry by surprise.

A ferocious melee ensued. Without archers the cavalry found they were unable to get through the dense thicket of Scots spearmen, even resorting to throwing their swords and maces at them, until the Scots pushed them back and forced them into flight.

The Scots had won the first day. Their morale was high and Bruce's new tactic of using the schiltroms offensively rather than statically, as Wallace had used them at Falkirk, appeared to be working. Yet Bruce must have been contemplating a strategic withdrawal before the set piece battle that would inevitably follow in the morning.

For the English the setbacks of the first day were disappointing. Fearing Bruce might mount a night attack, they encamped in the Carse of Balquhiderock. The following day they still hoped to draw Bruce into a full-scale, set-piece battle where their decisive Welsh longbowmen could be brought to bear rather than let Bruce return to guerrilla warfare.

At this critical moment, Sir Alexander Seton, a Scots noble in the English army, defected to Bruce bringing him vital intelligence of Edward's army: its confined position and the low morale within the English camp. Bruce decided to risk all in the morning and face Edward in open battle.

At dawn the Scots ate their breakfast and advanced out of the wood to face the enemy. Medieval battles were seen as the judgement of God; it was important to have the saints on your side, and so, in the midst of the Scots schiltroms, Abbot Bernard of Arbroath carried their ancient lucky talisman, the Breccbennach (or Monymusk Relquary), which held the relics of St Columba.

Bruce himself made a speech invoking the power of St Andrew, John the Baptist and Thomas Beckett. Then, according to the chronicler Walter Bower: "At these words, the hammered horns resounded, and the standards of war were spread out in the golden dawn."

Abbot Maurice of Inchaffrey walked out in front of the army, led mass and blessed the Scots as they knelt in prayer. On seeing this, Edward II is reputed to have said: "Yon folk are kneeling to ask mercy." Sir Ingram de Umfraville, a Balliol supporter fighting for Edward, is said to have replied: "They ask for mercy, but not from you. They ask God for mercy for their sins. I'll tell you something for a fact, that yon men will win all or die. None will flee for fear of death." "So be it", retorted Edward.

An archery duel followed, but the Scots schiltrom rapidly took the offensive in order to avoid its inevitable outcome. Edward Bruce's schiltrom advanced on the English vanguard, felling the Earl of Gloucester and Sir Robert Clifford, while Randolph's schiltrom closed up on their left.

The English knights now found themselves hemmed in between the Scots schiltroms and the mass of their own army and could bring few of their archers to bear. Some broke out on the Scots flank and rained arrows into the Scots ranks, but they were quickly dispersed by Sir Robert Keith's Scots cavalry; the rest were badly deployed, their arrows falling into the backs of their own army.

In the centre of the field there was ferocious hand to hand combat between knights and spearmen as the battle hung in the balance. At this crucial point Bruce committed his own schiltrom, which included the Gaelic warriors of the Highlands and Islands. Under their fresh onslaught, the English began to give ground. The cry "On them! On them! They fail!", arose as the English were driven back into the burn.

The battle's momentum was obvious. A reluctant Edward II was escorted away. As his royal standard departed, panic set in. The Scots schiltroms hacked their way into the disintegrating English army. Those fleeing caused chaos in the massed infantry behind them. In the rout that followed hundreds of men and horses were drowned in the burn desperately trying to escape.

The battle was over. English casualties were heavy: thousands of infantry, a 100 knights and one earl lay dead on the field. Some escaped the confusion: the Earl of Pembroke and his Welsh infantry made it safely to Carlisle, but many more, including many knights and the Earl of Hereford, were captured as they fled through the south of Scotland. Edward II with 500 knights was pursued by Sir James "the Black" Douglas until they reached Dunbar and the safety of a ship home.

The capture of Edward would have meant instant English recognition of the Scots demands. As it was, they could absorb such a defeat and continue the war. For the Scots it was a resounding victory. Bruce was left in total military control of Scotland, enabling him to transfer his campaign to the north of England.

Politically he had won Scotland's defacto independence and consolidated his kingship – as former supporters of Balliol quickly changed sides. In exchange for Bruce's noble captives Edward was forced to release Bruce's wife, daughter and the formidable Bishop Wishart, who had been held in English captivity since 1306. For the Scots soldiers there was the wealth of booty left in the English baggage train and the exhilaration of victory.

Now's the day, and now's the hour;

See the front o' battle lour;

Today a different Army of Scots are making knew alliences in Germany at The Euros, let's hope and pray the National Football team show just a wee bit of the Spirit of Scotland and beat the Hungarias so we can celebrate and hopefully move forward into the next round for the first time ever.

[audreyscribes]

What are some special qualities that Celtic (Tuatha/Gaulish/Welsh/other religions that fall under such a banner) demigods would have opposed to their Greek/Roman counterparts?

Alright before I go and answer this, I wanna put a DISCLAIMER:  I am not of Celtic descent nor was I raised with Celtic influences or culture in my life. I am only an amateur enjoyer of celtic mythology that I have occasionally picked up and looked at over time. My answers are a reflection of my own knowledge and interpretation for this ask. This will not a representation of the culture or mythology. It will be a very personal opinion. 

Also for intents and purposes, I will be comparing contents and contexts of Celtic mythology against/with Greek/Roman mythology for examples and references. I will also be using the Celtics as the general group name for simplicity sake. I know there is differences according to each religion/aspects so I apologize in advance. I wanna say that this will be my own take on what fictionized Celtic demigods would be like because based on what I could find so far, Celtic demigods don’t really have anything like supernatural powers or anything….well if they’re really demigods; since a lot of Celtic/Welsh mythology was rewritten during the Christianity take over and the Celtic/Welsh deities became ‘mortals’ as kings, queens, or what you could say as Celtic demigods. For example, Cu Chulainn could be considered as a demigod of Lugh? But there is evidence that he is Lugh as an incarnation? That said, neither do any Greek demigods really nor were recorded to have inherent large powers either. So in terms of ‘special qualities’ may be have will be an inspired take or be theorized in the realm of like the PJO books where those demigods do inherent powers according to their godly parents’ domains, while taking in the culture, stories, and mythology from the source and adjusting accordingly. 

Celtic deities and their ‘domains’ aren’t as the same in context as say Greek gods. This is due to the culture and belief that the Celtics have in what was most important to them and how it was important for them. Moreover, the Celtic deities don’t appear as rigid in function as gods, compared to the Greeks and Romans. So in terms of powers and how it applies to the demigod is also different then Greek demigods. 

For example, a lot of deities had some connection or are part of warfare. Like Lugh and Teutates  are all what you could call as Gods of War, but despite Caesar and the Ancient Romans trying to codify them into their own mythology, they could not seamlessly replace them with Mars, unlike Ares. 

This is because Lugh is the god of Justice, War, Kingship, Craftsmen, skills, trade, and harvests; Teutates is the god of the tribe. Lugh is considered a king and it wasn’t unheard for them going out to war on the battlefield than to say ‘command’ most of the time, and Teutates and Lugh were warriors then soldiers, who were also ‘protector of the tribe’. 

So if you were to write a Celtic equivalent to a child of Ares or Athena or any war god, they would be warriors rather than soldiers, that instead of protecting a state or place, they would be protecting their people; therefore they’re more outwardly protective and fight for their beliefs and responsibility for those under their care. 

I think the Cetic demigods have more access to magic then the Greeks/Romans? It feels like the Greeks and Romans demigods don’t really access the magical capabilities unless they’re designated as magical classes, like the children of Hecate or like Medea who is specifically a witch or like Circe. 

I wouldn’t say the Celtic deities can pull of magical miracles out of nowhere, since we gotta give magical training where it's due. Maybe asking for blessings or protections more often than not? Then again, that can be just rituals that are specifically Celtic.

Otherwise, there’s not really much of a difference in terms of abilities? If they’re a demigod child of an attribute god (light, fire, water, etc) they could have the ability of using that attribute. You just have to portray the attributes in the Celtic’s perspective or any other religion/culture. 

Though there is the angle where the Celtic demigods are actually their godly parents as incantations as demonstrated in Cu Chulainn and him being Lugh? If that makes any sense. Like the demigods are both their own person but they are also their parent god at the same time that is both them and also separate? 

And there’s also the aspect of celtic demigods being embolden by their feats and reputations, and that adding to their power. Like unlike Greek gods and demigods having epithets based on aspects, Celtic demigods take their feats and epithets and become them. Like Cu Chullainn’s journey from being born as Setanna and becoming and solidifying himself as Cu Chullainn.

This is probably not the answer you’re looking for but my Celtic mythology knowledge is not that in depth so I can’t pick out the nuances too much.  I can’t really answer it well enough but I tried.

[raremoths]

A few years after falling ass-backwards into writing original fiction because I didn't have enough available players to run all the TTRPG ideas I was scribbling down, here I am - taking my first steps into fanfiction on very shaky legs. (I blame The Algorithm for setting me on this path.)

Current focus is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and I made this account entirely to peruse and lurk, but now I have writing (in progress) that I want to throw out there. I am totally unfamiliar with using AO3 or Tumblr as an active content creator, so I am happy to hear tips or suggestions and open to constructive critique.

I now have an AO3 account - catchingraremoths - and I just posted the first two scenes of a WIP tentatively titled "Maritime Salvage Law" which features an eventual Ghost/Soap/OC triad relationship, attempted use of Welsh, and tactical cuddling.

[gawrkin]

The Weapons of the Welsh

[....]

From a Description of Wales, by Gerald of Wales. Link

[....]

From The Itinerary of Archibishop Baldwin through Wales/Journey through Wales, also by Gerald of Wales. Link

Additional Information:

NOTE: Some other sources online also say the Glaives has roots with the Hungarians. The term Glaive is also synonymous with another medieval weapon, the Fauchard. For what its worth, "Glaive" has relations to both the Latin and Celtic words for "Sword" (Gladius/Glavus, Kladiwos/the Irish Claideb, the Welsh Cleddyf)

[calypsoscyclone]

~ Hate Themed NPTs ~

~ for @tons-of-moths-in-a-box ~

Than* , Drystan* , Tavarious , Nero* , Alastor* , Huxley , Deidamia* , Enyo* , Bellona* , Tempest

sor/sorrow dea/death hae/hate ix/ixs dae/daem via/vias fae/fear tyr/tyrs scare/scares hex/hexs rage/rageself

The Hate , (Term) of Malice , Embodiment of (hate / malice / sorrow / etc) , (Prn) Who Strikes Fear , One with a Blackened Heart

Greek for Death*, Welsh for full of sorrow*, A feared Roman Emperor*, Greek for tormentor*, Greek for destroy or to destroy*, Greek for destructive warfare*, Latin goddess of War*

[ladydeath-vanserra]

New Blog Bio:

I do not tolerate pro-israel, zionist shit anywhere near me. I don't tolerate anti semitism anywhere near me. I will not tolerate anyone who is upholding or supporting the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinians. if you do, BLOCK ME

if ur gonna follow or interact with my blog pls realize I am very critical towards most acotar content, especially if it involves Rhysand. I am more-or-less a Rhys Anti until further notice and I am hard-core side eye towards Cassian until Rhysand is held accountable for being a shitty person for more than like *checks notes* two pages

I'm not a Tamlin Stan, nor do I particularly care for him, but I have been engaging in thoughtful criticisms of his actions often which involves character analysis so you v likely will see that pop up every now and then

likely you will find:

anti Rhysand

anti/critical IC

anti/critical/pro feyre

anti/critical Cassian posts, maybe MAYBE pro cassian

critical/pro Azriel- I'm pretty neutral towards him

anti/critical/pro elain content [often. w/o being tied to a ship]

pro Lucien

pro Nesta

pro Eris

most pro tog characters

anti/critical chaol (he just annoys me with his high horse)

Pro Ships:

Azriel/Eris/Nesta

Tamsand (lmao)

Feylin [book one]

Elucien

Nesta/Lucien [idk the ship name]

Feycien

Feyssian

Mesta

most tog ships

aelin/manon

malide

chaorian

Anti Ships:

Nessian

Feysand

Elriel

lysaedion

chaolena

My Specific ACoTaR Meta:

SJM + Eugenics + Ableism in her Writing

CoN + the Eternal Perpetuation of Abuse and Toxicity

SJM and the vilification of Ireland in acotar and tog

SJM could have had the HLs give their power to resurrect her wo Rhys forcing them if she played by Faerie Rules

Rhys physically assaulted Nesta

Class Warfare + Class Traitors in ACoTaR

Rhysand + Morally Grey Behavior

My Meta / Aus / etc Posts

tag -> #justice for poor cassian and poor archeron Sisters

tag -> #glasses!elain propaganda

tag -> #slavic archeron Sisters au

tag -> #fix cassians characterization challenge

tag -> #scottish!tamlin

tag -> #welsh!rhys

tag -> #disabled!Cassian

tag -> #my acotar world building

tag -> #appropriated faerie lore in acotar

tag -> #hybern Ireland

tag -> #white feminism in acotar

tag -> #eugenics in acotar

tag -> #eugenics in tog

tag -> #classism in acotar

Other Acotar Meta:

Mor SA'd Cassian

tag -> #acotar tiktok meta

tag -> #acotar meta

tag -> #racism in acotar

tag -> #Nesta is not an alcoholic send tweet

Other:

A Synopsis of The Ballad of Tam Lin

Other Fandoms:

TVDverse:

leave season 1 Caroline ALONE. she deserved better 🥺

Damon and Rose's Friendship that is ALL

"He's the 'good brother'. I'm the 'bad brother'" Salvatore Brothers meta

Esther is Mikaels victim too stop this irritating 'Esther is the real villain'

tag -> #can we stop the overt vilification of Esther Mikaelson and the UwUization of Mikael Mikaelson

tag -> #tvd tiktok edits

tag -> #Damon Salvatore

tag -> #Caroline Forbes

tag -> #Vincent Griffith

tag -> #Shelia Bennett

Bridgerton:

It's Loving how Nuanced Portia is Hours

tag -> #Portia Featherington

Shadow and Bone / Six of Crows:

The Darkling Meta

tag -> #David kostyk

Once Upon a Time

tag -> #cora mills

The Hunger Games / A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

Coriolanus Snow Meta

tag -> #thg tiktok meta

tag -> #coriolanus snow

tag -> #reaper ash

tag -> #wovey

Percy Jackson

tag -> #nico di Angelo

completely irrelevant:

tag -> #rural iowa

more to be added!

[une-sanz-pluis]

Moreover, Henry might be assumed to have experienced profound frustration at his failure to obtain the personal satisfaction which he hoped would follow his seizure of the throne. It seems likely that he soon discovered that the duties and trials of kingship could not provide him with the opportunity to use his particular talents or to achieve personal fulfilment. If we cannot assess accurately how Henry's character or qualities fitted him for the task he had under- taken in 1399, we do at least have some idea of his accomplishments and of what gave him pleasure. Henry was essentially a man of action. He enjoyed the formalized aggression of the tournament and the authentic violence of warfare. We also know that he enjoyed foreign excursions, whether as 'crusader', pilgrim or privileged traveller. When he decided to take the Crown, Henry may have thought that as well as securing the position of the House of Lancaster, he could not only satisfy his subjects but gain fulfilment himself by following the chivalrous pursuits to which he had always been attracted. But there was too little money for grandiose foreign ventures, and too little internal security in the early years of the reign for Henry to risk journeys abroad. The only real war was the turgid struggle with the Welsh which brought him much frustration and no military glory. A man who had previously ranged further afield than any previous English king except Richard I and Edward I became the first since the Conquest never to cross the Channel after his accession. Henry's constant statements that he intended to lead his troops in person were perhaps as much evidence of his thwarted aspirations as of his wish to prove that he was not incapacitated by illness; and it is not difficult to find instances in which his words, decisions and acts appear to have been shaped by the tensions outlined above

Peter McNiven, "The Problem of Henry IV's Health, 1405-1413", The English Historical Review, vol. 100, no. 397 (October 1985)

[whencyclopedia]

Maglocunus

Maglocunus, known as Maelgwn Gwynedd in Welsh (d. c. 547), was a 6th-century monarch based in Gwynedd, in north-western Wales. Maglocunus' name means "princely hound", and he expanded his influence to become one of the pre-eminent rulers of Britain in the 6th century.

Unusually for an early medieval British king, we have a contemporary account of his reign, in the form of Gildas' De Excidio Britanniae (On the Ruin of Britain). Gildas (c. 500-570) presents him as a violent and tyrannical ruler; later writers, however, generally portray him in a more neutral or positive light. Maglocunus is the version of his name given in Gildas, and appears to come from the Common Brythonic *Maglo-kunos or "princely hound". This evolved to Mailcun in Old Welsh, and Maelgwn in Middle and Modern Welsh; all three versions of the name are given to him in the historical and legendary sources.

Background to Maglocunus' Reign

After the withdrawal of the Roman army from Roman Britain and the collapse of Roman authority during the 5th century, the island had reverted to the control of native British leaders ruling over small kingdoms based on the old Roman government districts, or civitates as they were called in Latin. These little realms were vulnerable to raids and invasions, particularly from the Irish to the west and the Picts to the north. In an attempt to boost their defences, the Britons hired Saxon mercenaries whom they paid with land and food – a strategy copied from the Western Roman Empire.

As often happened, this strategy ended in disaster, as a dispute over pay caused the Saxons to rebel against their erstwhile employers c. 441 CE. Almost uniquely among the inhabitants of the former Roman Empire, however, the Britons managed to organise against the invaders before they were completely overrun. There followed about half a century of warfare between the Britons and the Saxons, with many victories on either side. Although the Britons could not drive the Saxons out of Britain altogether, they controlled most of the island, with the Saxons driven back to the eastern parts of the island. A period of relative peace ensued, lasting until c. 577, and it was during this time that Maglocunus' career was situated.

Continue reading...

[faith-of-the-wheel]

Rudlós part 2.5: Additional possible cognates

Some other possible reflexes of Rudlos are much harder to prove and provide, in my opinion, little additional detail. They might corroborate previously shown characteristics. Many of these are Celtic(Gaulic) deities who are poorly attested but whose symbology may be more helpful than the very poorly attested, but linguistically relevant, Rudianos/Rudiobus. Many continental Germanic and Celtic deities are represented by kennings and epithets, rather than their 'original' names. As Ceisiwr Serith (2009) suggests in his book about ancient PIE religion, this may have been common for many cultures descended from the PIE language groups; to utter the name of a god was to attract their attention, which was not always desired. And to shower one in descriptive epithets was to prove devotion and knowledge of them in prayer.

Faunus/Silvanus

The name Faunus is generally thought to stem from Proto-Italic *fawe or *fawono (variant *fawōn(jo)), cognate with Umbrian fons(foner) meaning 'merciful'. It may ultimately derive from PIE *bʰh₂u-n ('favourable'), which also reflects Old Irish búan ('good, favourable, firm') and Middle Welsh bun ('maiden, sweetheart').

Another theory(Briquel, 1974, and Sergent, 1991) contends that Faunus is the Latin outcome of PIE *dhau-no- ('the strangler', thus denoting the 'wolf'. Somehow.), a proposition suggested by the fact that the two Luperci ("wolf-men", from Latin lupus, 'wolf') are commonly treated as temporary priests of the god Faunus.

He strongly associated with Pan, and would alter be depicted in a similar manner. However, the oldest depictions do not ascribe bestial features to him at all. It is believed that he was worshiped by traditional Roman farmers in another capacity before he became a nature deity. He was associated directly by the ancient, and at times seemingly identical, Lupercus.

The name Silvānus is a derivation from Latin silva ('forest, wood'). It is cognate with the Latin words silvester ('wild, not cultivated'), silvicola ('inhabiting woodlands') or silvaticus ('of woodlands or scrub'). The earlier etymology of silva is unclear.

He was associated with Mars, who is also sometimes depicted wearing a wolf's pelt, and seeing as Cato refers to him consistently as Mars Silvanus, giving him a warlike, martial aspect, and a solid wolf connection. Silvanus as an aspect of Mars combined with his association with forests and glades, give context to the worship of Silvanus as the giver of the art of forest(read ambush/mobile stealthy) warfare. In particular, the initiation rituals of the Evocati appear to have referenced Silvanus as a protective god of raiding for women and cattle. Some have argued that this could be Etruscan influence but it would line up very well with our already established character of Rudlos as a god of aggressive warfare, wild nature, and the village plundering, cattle/women stealing Koryos/Mannerbund.

Hraste and Vukovic connect Faunus/Silvanus to Rudra/Shiva. To qoute:

" Contemporary history of religion affirms that Roman Faunus and Silvanus represent the same divinity. This article argues for the Indo-European parallel between Faunus/Silvanus and Vedic Rudra/Shiva based on several similarities. They both possess two names that should be interpreted thus: one as wild and savage (Silvanus/Rudra) and the other as favorable and propitious (Faunus/Shiva). The male divinity can appear in both the plural and the singular, or he can have a homonymous female counterpart (Faunus/Fauna/Fauni — Rudra/Rudrání/Rudrás). They have a cult and abode distinct from other gods, closely associated with woods and wilderness. They are in special relation to animals, cattle, in particular. They have common abilities, such as healing all creatures. Their destructive character puts them in relation to the god of war. Poetry is the function of Faunus while Rudra's sons, the Maruts, accompanying Indra on his martial exploits, sing hymns of praise"

Cocidius

Silvanus as been identified in Romano-British religion with a northern Brittonic deity, Cocidius. He was also equated with Mars, in his capacity as a god of war and hunting, and also with Silvanus, as a god of forests, groves and wild fields. He was most likely worshiped by lower-ranked Roman soldiers, as well as by the Britons for whom he was probably a tribal god(a Genius Loci). The name may be related to Brittonic cocco-('red'), suggesting that statues of the god might have been painted red, and connecting him to Celtic reflexes of Rudlos, Rudianos and Rudiobus. His epithet Vernostonus connects him to Alder trees, which are associated with poetry, and the gods Apollon and Odin, and Dyeus Pter.

*U̯ātonos by Senobessus Bolgon

Visucius/Cissonius/U̯ātonos

Delamarre suggests a couple of meanings for Visucius, ranging from ‘Crow’ or ‘Raven’ from *uisuco or *uesākos to ‘who knows’, ‘who foretells’’ or ‘who sees’, possibly derived from *witsu. Olmstead however argues that it could mean ‘the Worthy’, coming from *Wesu. While the etymology is controversial, they all seem to point back towards a Rudlos-cognate. He is likely connected to the 'Gaulish Mercury' whose identity remains complicated but very well could be a transplanted Wodanaz. Senobessus Bolgon, a blog dedicated to Gaulish Polytheism, has a great article on the reconstructed Gaulish U̯ātonos you can read here.

Visucius was connected by by the romans via interpretatio with Mercury, and according to Miranda Green via epigraphy recorded byJan de Vries, with Mars as well. His name and associations could indicate him being a psychopomp and a deity of eloquence, trade, traveling, knowledge, oaths, magic. Mercury was also associated with the god Lugus, who shares all of the above qualities. If Visucius is similar or identical to Lugus, we may be able to assume that he is also similar to Germanic Wotan/Odin. This is likely because of the cultural cross-pollination between eastern Gaulish and continental Germanic tribes.

Not nearly as much is to be said for Cissionius, other than that the name is almost as common as Visucius in Belgic regions.  According to Green, Cissionius also had a doublet goddess by the name of Cissionia, much like how Visucius had one called Visucia. For these reasons, as well as Senobessus Bolgon treats both Visucius and Cissionius as the same deity, as will we. 

Lugh, Cu Chulainn, Oisín and Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

I forgot to add these last time, but I've finally remembered to return to this post. Irish religion, especially the details of its deities, can be very hard to nail down due their euhemerization or christian alteration. However, I think aspects/cognates of Rudlos can most certainly be found in Ireland.

I previously spoken about the connection between Odin, Fenrir, Lugh and Cu Chulainn, in Rudlos Part 2, Comparison of Cognates, under the section about Odin. For ease however, I'm going to paste it below.

"I also think this relates to the myths of Fenrir and Irish Cú Chulainn, who parallel each other in some interesting ways. And keep in mind that Irish religion before christian influence would likely be among the most conservative traditions. Cú Chulainn took over the role of a guard dog as a lad, like Fenrir was taken to Asgard to live among the gods despite the punishment of his siblings. He needed to be submerged in three vats of water to quell his war rage where he was dangerous to friend and foe, and Fenrir was bound three times. When Cú Chulainn is killed, after tying himself to the standing stone/menhir, a figure of sovereignty similar to Tyr, Lugh "of the Long arm" cuts his head off, then the sword falls from Cú Chulainn and cuts Lugh's hand off just as Fenrir bites of Tyr's hand after being bound to a mountain.

Here's the really interesting thing, the myth of Fenrir and Tyr was made around the same time as the Ulfhednar were banned and considered outlaws in the Norse kingdoms. This may also explain why his father is the outlaw/trickster Loki and not the heavily wolf associated god of the Ulfhednar, Oðinn. From this point of view, Fenrir might even be a hypostasis of Oðinn in his berserker, frenzy aspect."

This would all seem to make Cu Chulainn a cognate of Rudlos. His name meaning "hound" and his berserker rage makes it particularly clear to me. He is traditionally thought to be an incarnation of Lugh, and he is son. Lugh himself is famed for his use of the spear, as is the Welsh Lleu Llaw Gyffes, but his other aspects give him much more in common with Dyeus or the Hellenic Athena. He is commonly thought to be the Irish expression of the pan-Celtic god Lugus, however this has been questioned.

Lugus has no widely accepted etymology, however he has been connected to Hamel and Maier proposed a derivation from proto-Celtic *lugus ("lynx"), perhaps used allusively to mean "warrior", but an article by John Carey found the evidence for the existence of such a word in proto-Celtic lacking. Other etymologies derive "Lugus" from the name of the Norse Loki,  proto-Celtic *luc- ("mouse" or "rat"), and Gaulish lougos ("raven").  You may note that mice and ravens are animals closely associated with Rudlos, as is being a warrior. However, aside from the spear connection, I feel there are no solid grounds to call Lugh, Lleu, or Lugus a cognate of Rudlos.

Fionn mac Cumhaill, who will be referenced further as Fionn, is the leader of the Fianna bands of young roving hunter-warriors(very Koryos sounding, no?), as well as being a seer and poet. His famous tale of catching the Salmon of Wisdom is quest to gain said wisdom from a source of water(symbolically representing chaos in early IE thought), not unlike Odin's and Rudra's. He is often depicted hunting with his hounds Bran and Sceólang, and fighting with his spear and sword, and is himself rather young. Macgnímartha Finn is specifically about his boyhood exploits, adding to his youthful association. Water drunk from his hands is also said to heal even the most severe wounds. He is also said to have been taught the art of war and hunting by a woman called Liath Luachra("Grey One of Luachair"), who bears some similar it Scathach and her relationship to Cu Chulainn.

In Old Irish, Finn/Fionn means "white, bright, lustrous; fair, light-hued (of complexion, hair, etc.); fair, handsome, bright, blessed; in moral sense, fair, just, true". It is cognate with Primitive Irish VENDO- (found in names from Ogam inscriptions), Welsh gwyn (cf. Gwyn ap Nudd), Cornish gwen, Breton gwenn, Continental Celtic and Common Brittonic*uindo- (a common element in personal and place names), and comes from the Proto-Celtic adjective masculine singular *windos. The name seems rather generic but does bring to mind the descriptors used for Hellenic Apollon, and occasional Vedic Rudra. In myth, his mother initially named him Deimne(literally "sureness" or "certainty", also a name that means a young male deer) and several legends tell how he gained the name Fionn when his hair turned prematurely white.

He is also married to Sadhbh, who is also called Sive, pronounced the same. We're gonna get into her very soon in the second part of Rtkona series, but suffice it to say she is pretty convincing cognate and particularly my theory that Rtkona and Rudlos are lovers.

They had a son together, Oisín, who was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, a warrior of the Fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. His name literally means "young deer", in refernce to his mother. He is also considered a demigod, and given the age of his character and mythos, he reinforces the divinity of his parents.

Lets circle back to Bran and Sceólang, whose names mean "Raven" and "Survivor" respectively. Bran is typically male, while Sceolang is typically female, but their are a few variations. The hounds' mother, Uirne, was transformed into a dog while pregnant, hence the canine birth of her twin children. While Uirne is returned to full humanity after giving birth to her pups, Bran and Sceólang remain hounds throughout the duration of their mythos. As Uirne is the sister of Fionn's mother Muirne, Bran and Sceólang would be their masters' cousins.

I think the arguement for the relation of Cu Chulainn, Fionn, and perhaps even Oison is rather strong and more than worth updating this post.

Orion(also Dionysus, sorta)

This one is also a stretch but I feel there are some shocking connections when you dig into it.

Orion was a Gigas huntsman, companion of the goddess Artemis, who Zeus (or maybe Artemis herself) placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion.

The stories of his birth are numerous, his death even more so. I will link his wikipedia article here, as it covers most of the relevant details of one does not wish to go through each individual account.

The parts of most importance are this:

He was blinded and regained his sight(think of Odin's lost eye)

The star Sirius is called his dog(In India, it was associated with Rudra), As are Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Went to Crete where he hunted with Artemis and her mother Leto, and threatened to kill every beast on Earth.

Gaia (Apollon in some versions, disapproving of his sister's relationship with a male) objected and sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion.

It succeeded in killing him, and after his death, the two goddesses asked Zeus to place Orion among the constellations.

In several versions, Eos(very ancient IE goddess) falls in love with him and takes him to Delos, where Artemis kills him.

In one version, he plans to marry Artemis, before Apollon orchestrates his death.

Artemis mourns him greatly

His name may come from the ancient Greek word oros, which means "mountain". It may also come from the word horion, which means "boundary" or "limit". Both seem fair origins and either could reasonably relate to an epithet of Rudlos. However, it has also been argued, very speculatively, that it come from Akkadian Uru-anna, meaning “heaven's light”.

Orion had a hero cult in the region of Boeotia(the area surrounding Thebes). The number of places associated with his birth suggest that it was widespread. Hyria, the most frequently mentioned, was in the center of Boeotia. A feast of Orion was held there as late as the Roman Empire. Maurice Bowra argues that Orion was a national hero of the Boeotians, much as Castor and Pollux were for the Dorians. He bases this claim on the Athenian epigram on the Battle of Coronea in which a hero gave the Boeotian army an oracle, then fought on their side and defeated the Athenians.

I want you to keep in mind the panhellenic hero cult of Herakles, who is widely regarded as a cognate of the IE thunder god, Perkwunos, was also believed to have been a historic mortal man and even had several graves where his body was believed to have been laid to rest. Orion also had a grave in Boeotia, at the foot of Mount Cerycius(Now Tanagra), enhancing his mountain connection. Indeed, if Orion was once Rudlos, it is very possible aspects of his myth and cult split off from him and on to other deities, namely his more establish but originally Anatolian cognate, Apollon. Dionysus was similarly euhemerized although this happened much later.

Also keep in mind, Orion is not a human, but a member of the Gigantes, often translated as Giants, although they were no more than a foot taller than the average Greek, not the monsters that snap trees like tooth-picks they are often depicted as. Gigantes were known for their size and strength, and were considered the children of Gaia. Orion himself was considered to be the pinnacle of mortal hunting ability, and incredibly strong. The current consensus, backed up by Homer, is that Orion's name, myth, and cult, predate the naming of the constellation.

In Dionysus (1976), Karl Kerényi portrays Orion as a shamanic hunting hero, surviving from Minoan times (hence his association with Crete). Kerényi derives Hyrieus (and Hyria) from the Cretan dialect word ὕρον hyron, meaning "beehive", which survives only in ancient dictionaries. From this association he turns Orion into a representative of the old mead-drinking cultures, overcome by the wine masters Oenopion and Oeneus. (The Greek for "wine" is oinos.) Fontenrose cites a source stating that Oenopion taught the Chians how to make wine before anybody else knew how.

In some versions, he is the son of Poseidon, who grants him the power to walk on water.

Joseph Fontenrose wrote Orion: the Myth of the Hunter and the Huntress (1981) to show Orion as the type specimen of a variety of grotesque hero. He views him as similar to Cú Chulainn, that is, stronger, larger, and more potent than ordinary men and the violent lover of the Divine Huntress.

The Boeotian school of epic poetry was primarily focused with the genealogies of the gods and heroes. Several other myths are attached to Orion in this way: A papyrus fragment of the Boeotian poet Corinna gives Orion fifty sons (a traditional number). This included the oracular hero Acraephen, who gave a response to Asopus regarding Asopus' daughters who were abducted by the gods. Corinna sang of Orion conquering and naming all the land of the dawn. Bowra argues that Orion was believed to have delivered oracles as well, probably at a different shrine.

The stories surrounding Orion resemble those of several other mythical hunters of the Boeotian region. The hunter Kephalos (Cephalus), for example, was also said to have been seduced by the goddess Eos. Another, Aktaion (Actaeon), was similarly killed by Artemis while out hunting. And finally, the earth-born Boeotian giant Tityos attempted to violate the goddess Leto(just as Orion assaulted Opis/Artemis) and was destroyed by Apollon and Artemis with their arrows.

Now, as a Hellenist, I would argue the myth involving Apollon orchestrating Orion's death is one to be interpreted as illustrating the function of Apollon as the god who brings us back to reason. u/messageofapollo over on reddit made a small post in r/Hellenism that I feel sums up an excellent Hellenist reading of the story, which I will link here.

However, in the name of PIE reconstructionism I would also argue this interpretation of that same myth: It may also represent the cult of Apollon, who would become a symbol of Greek-ness(Hellenismos, if you will) itself and one of the most widely spread and consistent cults of Greece, overtaking what remained of Orion's and retaking what it had once been and much more. A cognate of Rudlos circumventing and usurping another cognate, albeit a small, euhemerized one, to great acclaim.

It also like to you to take a look at this article by Michael Janda, specifically section 2 which starts on page 4. It compares a myth of Rudra defending Ushas from Prajapati to the myth of Orion, specifically the version involving Eos. They're connections to the same stars, the same symbols, and a remarkably similar narrative. I do not agree with all of his conclusions, including his statement that a parallel between Greek and Indic sources = it's definitely PIE, but they're both archaic enough I'm also not too worried and about mutual influence. I don't think the PIE's drank wine either, although they almost certainly had some form of alcohol.

I'd also caution that while I see his point, I do not believe Artemis to be all that reflexive of the Dawn Goddess. Rather, I think the relevance is in her being his sister. And while Eos/Ushas and her earlier incarnations could have held a consistent nocturnal role, I don't see strong evidence for it.

Later in the article he makes an argument for the reflexive nature of Dionysus, which I feel is largely adequate. I'm not personally motivated much by Dionysus as a cognate, even if he indeed is. He has been altered so heavily I don't feel he adds much to the table.

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Let's take a step back, look at all the cognates. We have very well documented, direct attestations, in the Germanic, Vedic, and an Anatolian/Greek cognate that backs up both very well. A pair poorly understood potential cognates in the Roman tradition. A whole series of Celtic cognates, back up by linguistics, comparative mythology, and by Interpretatio romana. And a possible Greek reflex, not of Rudlos himself, but perhaps his relationship with Rtkona.