#‘what did archaeologists and historians do to them?’ they know what they did…

[turtleblogatlast]

Love the thought of Leo and Mikey teaming up their mystic abilities to prank archeologists and historians

Leo makes a portal then within that, Mikey opens a very very small time portal of his own

They toss something in and excitedly wait for the results of the dig-site right where Leo had set his portal to

Cue mass confusion as the archeologists wonder what the hell a 1000+ year old Lou Jitsu figurine is doing in the ruins of an ancient city all the while Mikey and Leo laugh themselves unconscious

#non au #rottmnt #rottmnt leo #rottmnt mikey #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt headcanons #they would be MENACES rip space and time #‘what did archaeologists and historians do to them?’ they know what they did…

[kamisatomay018]

Playtime with the Otters

Neuvillette x fem!reader

Lots and lots of fluff! And yes I know many people must’ve written fics on this topic but I wanted to give it a go as well! Hope you all enjoy!<3

Also the artwork is not mine, all credits go to the original owner!

There you stood, with your lover’s face buried in your stomach, his arms clinging onto you around your waist while you caressed his long locks. You were both alone in the Opera Epiclese, and as usual, a hard trial had left your husband very upset, prompting you to come visit him to help him feel better. You loved how he was never afraid of being vulnerable around you, how the rain would always slow down and stop the moment he saw your figure walking past the grand doors to the courtroom. You massaged his head, gently caressing his horns making him hum in satisfaction. “Feeling better now love?”

He smiles softly, nodding and looks up at you with those devastatingly beautiful siren eyes of his, your presence having brought back life into them. “Yes Mon Amour, I cannot thank you enough..” You giggled softly, placing a sweet kiss on his forehead “Since when did we start having such formalities between us hm?” He laughs at your words, the gentle yet heartwarming sounds of his laughter bouncing off the walls of the rather depressing courtroom, filling it with joy. The dark clouds were long gone, and gentle rays of sunshine had begun to seep through the fluffy clouds.

“You’re right Cherie…but I do not wish to part with you so soon. I have plenty of free time, can you please stay with me some more?” Oh archons, how could you ever say no to those pleading eyes of his? Your smile brightened as you nodded, an idea already coming to mind. “I’d love to spend more time with you Neuvi! How about we go for a swim hm? It’s been so long since we’ve done that!” Neuvillette’s eyes softened as sweet memories swarmed into his mind like the tides, reminding him of your beautiful past; of the day he first saw you.

As the Hydro dragon, being in water always calmed him down, he would dive into the deepest depths of Fontaine’s oceans after a difficult trial to clear his mind. Besides, the melusine’s village was also underwater, and he’d spend a lot of time with them. On one such fateful day, as he swam towards the depths of the salacia plains, he saw a beautiful young girl examining a shipwreck ever so carefully, analysing every single scratch and dent on the broken pieces of the ship. That person was you, Fontaine’s leading historian and archaeologist who had been awarded and recognised by many for your hard work and dedication towards piecing together the history of this land.

Neuvillette was surprised by your bravery, for the depths of the salacia plains were dangerous and eerie, and no human would willingly come close to them. But here you were, seemingly enthralled by the historical evidence in front of you. He also noticed a Hydro vision glowing around your waist, which explained why you were so unafraid of the depths of these waters. However, Neuvillette’s eyes had widened as he saw a few enraged seals swim your way, ready to attack you. Without him even realising, he swiftly swam towards you, protecting you from the attack and using his hydro powers to harmlessly deflect the seals, making them retreat.

You on the other hand, were utterly surprised by what happened. You turned around and to your bewilderment, the Chief Justice himself was in front of you, protecting you from the seals’ attacks. To say that you were flustered was an understatement. Ah how embarrassed you were! Your cheeks had flushed pink, as you timidly thanked the Iudex, apologising for troubling him. But what you didn’t know that just by looking into your ocean blue eyes, Neuvillette’s heart immediately told him that he had found his mate, his partner for life. And ever since that day, he always found some way or the other to meet you, and you noticed how friendly the melusines had become around you. One thing led to another, and you both fell deeply in love.

Ever since then, both of you would often go to dive into the depths of Fontaine’s oceans together, collecting seashells, starfish and ancient relics together. Sometimes you would take him to multiple ruins underwater, explaining the history behind them and he would listen to you, completely enthralled by your knowledge and research abilities. Swimming in these oceans had deepened your love far beyond the deepest depths of the oceans of Teyvat.

And now, to hear you suggest that you both swim together made Neuvillette happier than ever, making him readily agree. Anything for his love. His heart skipped a beat as he heard your giggles, the big smile on your lips tempting him to kiss you, which is exactly what he did. You gasped softly, but immediately reciprocated the soft action of pure love. Neuvillette was clingy by nature, and it was your favourite thing ever. He would kiss you out of the blue, always hold your hand, whisper sweet nothings in your ear and hum the tunes of the oceans to lull you to sleep. He was the sweetest husband ever.

As you both parted, he held you hand, intertwining your fingers together as you walked outside the now empty Opera House, heading straight towards the ocean. The rain was long gone, and a beautiful rainbow decorated the skies, illuminated on the gentle surface of the waters. You both dived in together, your vision glowing as you both felt so content. You decided to head towards the salacia plains, as that place held the best memories you both had ever made.

As you both were swimming towards the depths, neuvillette felt your hand slip away from his, making him frown. He looked towards your direction and saw you swimming towards what looked like a cage. He followed immediately, not wanting you to come to harm. What you both saw upon reaching the sight broke your heart. Inside the cage was an otter, looking afraid and trying to get out, and outside the cage was another otter, probably his partner, whimpering in agony as she couldn’t help her partner out of the cage. They joined their little paws through the bars of the cage, seeming so distressed.

“Neuvi..look at these poor otters! How could someone trap such an innocent animal! Come on, we’ve got to help them!” Your worried voice spoke, making him nod. Indeed, it was most cruel to trap such beings in these cages. You swam closer to the otters, alerting them both as they were afraid you had come to harm them. “It’s okay, I don’t mean you any harm, I promise..I’m gonna help your partner get out okay?” You spoke in your soft voice, but of course, the otters couldn’t understand. Neuvillette then swam next to you, and you saw the way the otters instantly relaxed, the free one even approaching him, tilting her tiny head as she swam backwards towards his horns, making happy noises.

Your heart melted at the sight, and you laughed in delight. “Neuvi, you and the otters look so much alike!! They think you’re one of them!” Although puzzled, Neuvillette couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head softly knowing that you would never let this incident die down. And quite frankly, he wouldn’t mind because your happy giggles were his favourite melody. Taking this chance, he swam towards the cage, examining it. “Hmm..mon amour, I think we need to search for a key to open this lock. I’m afraid we cannot use our powers to break this open as it might hurt the poor otter trapped inside.” You nodded at his words “Alright, you stay here with them, I’ll be right back with the key!” He turned towards you, tenderly kissing your forehead. “Be careful, and if any danger comes to you, immediately call for me hm?” You gave him that oh so sweet smile of yours, nodding. “I will, you have my word.”

With that, you swam away, searching for a key. After around 10 minutes of searching, you found a metal key buried in the sand, picking it up and went back to your husband. “Alright, I’ve found a key, let’s hope it’s the right one!” Neuvillette took the key, and to your delight, the cage opened, making the otters immediately hold hands and hug each other, their snouts rubbing together in tender affection. Meanwhile you and Neuvillette both smiled happily at the sight, holding each other’s hands out of habit. “Oh this is so precious Neuvi!” “Indeed Mon amour, I’m glad we could rescue the otter.”

The otters then looked at you both, noticing the way you were holding hands, just like them. In their eyes, Neuvillette already looked like them, so perhaps you were his mate! They swam towards you both happily, expressing their gratitude. You laughed happily as the otters surrounded Neuvillette, examining his horns in glee. “Aaaww if only I had a Kamera with me, I’d capture this moment! You sure you’re the hydro dragon Neuvi? Because you clearly look more like these adorable otters!” You teased your husband, a playful glint in your eyes. Your husband laughs at your words, shaking his head as he snakes his hands around your waist, spinning you around. “Someone’s having a lot of fun hm?” He spoke with a playfully threatening tone, yet his voice was so full of love and adoration for you.

While you both were busy being playful, the otters had returned, this time with the sweetest little surprise for you both. Your eyes shined happily as they gave you both beautiful pink seashells, glittering under the soft sunlight from above. “Oh these are so beautiful!!” “Sweetheart, look..” Your husband’s gentle voice made you look in front of you, and your heart melted into the biggest puddle ever. Two tiny baby otters were surrounding their father who was previously trapped, and then swimming towards you and Neuvillette, booping their tiny snouts with your noses as an innocent little gesture of gratitude. “Aaaww they’re a family! Oh Neuvi this is so sweet..” He smiled too, nodding as he held you close to him, all his stress long forgotten. “It really is..and one day, we’ll come back here to visit them, with our own family..” Your cheeks flushed pink as you looked at your husband, nodding happily. “Yes, yes we will..”

5 Years Later..

Both you and Neuvillette watched with big smiles and warm eyes, as your tiny 4 year old twins played with the otters in Salacia Plains, the very family of otters you both had rescued 5 years ago. Neuvillette’s dragon powers granted his kids the freedom of swimming in the water, and to his delight, both your children had inherited one particular draconic feature of his: his beautiful blue horns. Your daughter had beautiful white locks like her father, while your son had your shining brown hair. They were such darlings, and the day the two of them were born, all of Fontaine had celebrated. The sun had shone brightly, a big beautiful rainbow adorned the skies while all the creatures underwater celebrated the arrival of two new hydro dragons.

Like their parents, your kids were deeply connected to the waters of Fontaine, and both you and Neuvillette would often take them on swims. And now here you all were, watching with joy as your kids played with the otters, finding shiny shells and little wonders buried underneath the sand. As neuvillette held you close and watched his little dragons grow and play, he swore he had never been this happy. And he knew that he would always protect this happiness, his family. With you three, he was complete. With his family, he was at peace. And these very depths of Fontaine were your family’s safe place, and the keeper of all your memories together.

#genshin fanfic #genshin impact #genshin fanart #genshin imagines #neuvilette x you #genshin impact neuvilette #neuvillette fluff #neuvilette x reader #neuvilette #neuvilette genshin #neuvillette otter #genshin fluff

[merrivia]

Thinking today about Damen, trauma and the symbolic use of water in Captive Prince...

I was talking to @zumurruds about this, and she mentioned that we understand Laurent’s trauma as readers, but that Damen’s trauma can seem elusive to us. Which is very true, and got me to thinking about how these things might work in terms of Damen’s psyche as constructed by Pacat, especially taking into consideration Akielos is a version of Ancient Greece (with some Roman influences).

Edward Tick is a fairly influential psychotherapist in the field of trauma, especially post-traumatic stress and how it affects soldiers, and he has particularly looked at Ancient Greek rituals (and other classical and indigenous practices!) for answers as to how to heal the psychic wounds of conflict.

Firstly, this is a nice overview of some of Tick’s ideas:

“[Tick’s] argument is that in classical and native American tradition, serving as a warrior was an archetypal experience characterized by initiation of young men and, then, later, rituals of purification and cleansing that help them to undergo a sort of psycho-spiritual re-birthing process and return to civilian life, not just as civilians, but as individuals who’ve gone through a profound transformation. And that transformation was acknowledged by the wider society.”

Some (not all) of these “rituals of purification and cleansing” are literally ones that use water. And I think this can maybe helps us to understand more deeply the use of water in the novels and how it connects to trauma (Damen’s in particular).

More after the jump:

Before going into more depth I will say one thing. I think the reason Damen has coped well with being a soldier, has a lot to do with his initiation into warriorhood in Akielos. 

When it comes to war, specific rites and training would transform you psychologically. As Tick says:

“The study of worldwide mythology and the work of historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists show us that cultures in almost all times and places have deemed it necessary to have a warrior class of citizens. The formula is simple: the preparation is specialized training; the proving ground is battle. Risking death for the protection of one’s people transforms a boy into a warrior. Successful completion of the transformation makes him a man.”

What this does to you then is accelerate growing up. Interesting inversion there, as the Regent tries to keep the adult Laurent a child, and child Damen would have been thrust into adulthood early. Did that damage Damen? Depends on your perspective (I think yes and no), but it certainly gave him strength and resilience.

There is an interesting, revealing moment of Damen’s, when he has been flogged and still finds the wherewithal to speak back to Laurent:

“He felt raw, as though a protective outer layer had been stripped away; the problem was that what had been exposed was not weakness but core metal.”

“Core metal”. That’s what lies at the heart of Damen, even with the warmth of his heart. 

Tick then quotes the philosopher William James:

“War and adventure assuredly keep all who engage in them from treating themselves too tenderly. They require such incredible effort, depth beyond depth of exertion . . . that the whole scale of motivation alters. Discomfort and annoyance, hunger and wet, pain and cold, squalor and filth cease to have any deterrent operation whatever. Death turns into a commonplace matter. . .”

Damen has gone through all this; this is what forged that “core metal” in him. He is a warrior, in a militaristic society. He understands well what it is like to have courage against death and to physically endure discomfort and physical pain. I think this is why he is able to take his circumstances as a slave in Vere, and survive. Every time Damen is hurt, he compares it to his training or to his past experiences, and simply withstands it, as he knows he got through it before. He endures and endures. Even the flogging. That is what warriors do; it was what he was trained to do.

This is one of the reasons his trauma is hidden away from us; at first, Damen seems to just cope with it.

The idea of warriors, too, is so different to modern soldiers, where I think a lot of our contemporary ideas around trauma come from.

Damen has killed on the “sawdust”, suggesting he has accidentally killed when training, and he has killed in battle. He also killed Auguste. The weight of those deaths were expiated somewhat by his role- he was not shamed but made elevated by them; when he returned from Marlas, he was honoured and given a hero’s welcome. Some of the trauma Tick describes modern soldiers go through, comes from them being shoved to one side and forgotten about. 

Interestingly, another aspect of the trauma around modern soldiers, is the impersonal nature of killing. As Tick says:

In its ancient and ritual forms, warfare was often personal. Enemy combatants often knew each other by name, and the victor’s status was partly based upon the status of the enemy he had defeated. Homer’s Iliad records numerous tales of individual combat between contending champions whose families, histories, and reputations were well known to each other. But modern war is impersonal. Whom you fight, what their battle experience and status in their culture is, and how they are armed are all matters of chance.

Though we may think knowing who Auguste was makes it worse, from Tick’s perspective it is better. It becomes a matter of personal combat, a duel of honour- it is essentially meaningful. Damen fought Auguste to help end the battle, and symbolically, it was two princes fighting for victory. There is no disgrace or evil in that.

The problem comes with Laurent and with spending time in Vere, where Damen is no longer seen as a hero-warrior but a villain- someone immoral and shameful. One of the first things Laurent does to Damen in the baths is (very unfairly) make him feel ashamed for killing, and Damen has to protest and say it was “battle” and that “there were deaths on both sides” (which is true- Laurent conveniently forgets all the people Auguste would have killed on the Akielon side). That is a lot of what Damen has to battle through psychologically during the novel. He has no words to describe what he’s going through, was not trained for this, and again, this is why his trauma remains hidden to us. 

In normal circumstances also, after he had been freed, Damen would have returned home, and would go through a process of restoration there that would help him process the trauma he went through in Vere. But by falling in love with Laurent and tying himself to him, Damen is forever in a liminal state- he cannot return home, as the two countries are one which the two kings will rule together, and he is always going to be both lover and brother-killer (he now carries the guilt of killing his brother-in-law, not an enemy prince). This contradiction needs to be resolved.

Additionally, what happened to him in Vere did not carry the honour of battle. Damen could not fight back. It was pure victimisation. That is also where the trauma lies, as well having to process how Laurent is both lover and torturer (Laurent also, needs to confront this, and what he did to Damen).

So let’s talk about water.

There is a symbolic weight that water always carries in texts- life and rebirth, purification and cleansing, rejuvenation and destruction, amongst many other things. But when considering water’s cleansing and restorative processes in conjunction with classical ideas of healing and surviving trauma, I think it becomes even more interesting.

The books abound with water. The trilogy starts with Damen in baths at Akielos, and ends the same way, a deliberately cyclical structure. A rebirth. Damen and Laurent bathe frequently; sometimes this leads to violence, such as the flogging, and sometimes it is cleansing.

However, it is The Summer Palace where the richest, most definitive moment of water is symbolically used.

In the short story, Pacat shows this complex interplay between past and present; of all of what lies between Laurent and Damen. There is no forgetting of the killing of Auguste or of Kastor, or of the flogging. The two move between deep romantic desire and discussions of their painful past, fluidly.

Another quotation from Tick feels resonant here:

Ironically, doing violence to another can be a profoundly intimate act. Larry, a captain in Viet Nam, said his life’s most intimate encounter had been when staring into the eyes of a North Vietnamese officer as they grappled, their hands locked around each other’s throats. Many veterans who have survived hand-to-hand combat talk about the erotic nature of the death struggle. The violence of battle can thus constitute a kind of reverse intimacy. 

There is that strange irony at work with what happens between Damen and Laurent. Laurent, so damaged and isolated and cut off from others, first becomes close to Damen through the intimate act of violence- that’s why it’s important that he sits in front of Damen, close to him, and watches him as he is flogged in CP. It’s why Laurent deliberately baits Damen into hitting him in PG, by telling Damen Kastor killed Theomedes- afterwards his eyes are described as “glittering with triumph” as “his lips are smeared with blood” (a highly disturbing kiss with a fist, which he engineered). It’s why when they fight one another in the training room in KR, it is an important part of the carthasis they must go through in order to truly become lovers. Through violence is physical contact and those moments cut down the walls Laurent has built around himself. 

But there are of course, huge consequences for that. 

Damen admits he has not allowed himself to acknowledge much of what happened to him, particularly at the hands of Laurent. A lot remains behind a “closed door”. Yet what has been locked away must start to be acknowledged, for healing to take place. And this is done through water.

The idea that soldiers be purified when returning from war exists in many different cultures and has been practiced for centuries, including in Rome where “vestal virgins would bathe returning soldiers to purge them of the corruption of war”. For the Greeks, water in general was healing. What I think is interesting is how Pacat has (intentionally?) rewoven these strands of healing that comes from Ancient Greek culture and incorporated it into the texts. Water rituals restore and spiritually cleanse those who suffer harm- hydrotherapy of sorts. A lot of this, appears to be through gods and through dreams, water that is blessed that then touches the psyche. 

This is how Tick describes such processes:

The mysterious process behind the whole tradition was called "temple sleep" or "incubation." Those in need of healing, from the highest to the humblest levels of society, cast off the garments of their roles in the outer world, bathed ceremonially and donned white robes, and presented themselves to the therapeutes, the first "therapists," the healing priests of the temple of Asklepios..... The god was believed to visit the supplicant through a dream, or in his theriomorphic (animal-shaped) form, as a snake or a dog. Through the theophany itself (the apparition of the god) or through one of the first "prescriptions"—for instance, "after fasting for three days, the supplicant should immerse himself in the pool of Parthenius, though it be winter, and pray to Artemis"—the healing would come. 

So with no temples, gods or priests, Pacat finds an alternative.

Laurent bathing Damen, in the baths of Lentos. 

It is a restoration for them both. By doing so, Laurent is putting himself into the position of a slave (giving himself the role enforced onto Damen, an eye for an eye), putting his pride to one side (kneeling, an act he also finds difficult due to trauma) and, most importantly, confronting the consequences of his actions in having Damen flogged nearly to death. 

When Laurent washes the scars on Damen’s back, it is a transformative moment:

Nothing could wash away the past, but this took them both there, touching a painful truth, acknowledging it. 

It was gentler between his shoulders than it had been against his chest. Flesh and self were linked. The cleansing was slow, attentive, drizzling water, then soaping his skin. It was healing something he hadn’t known needed to be healed. Like breathing, it was necessary, even as the tenderness of it was too much, gentleness where he had never expected Laurent to be gentle. 

He had been braced against the lash for so long. Where he had been flayed, he was now open.

I would argue, with the absence of gods, there is only Damen and Laurent’s love, which exists as something higher, sacred, perhaps even numinous. It is a stand in for divine power, which is perhaps even more meaningful. Their love allows them that healing and rebirth, and allows them access to something higher than can move them forward. Perhaps that will keep being a journey that they do together, but it starts with this, with symbolic purification through water, and with the healing not just Laurent, but Damen, desperately needed.

Bibilography:

War and the Soul: Healing Our Nation's Veterans from Post-tramatic Stress Disorder, Edward Tick

Warrior's Return: Restoring the Soul After War, Edward Tick

The Practice of Dream Healing: Bringng Ancient Greek Mysteries into Modern Medicine, Edward Tick

#Captive Prince #damen of akielos #Laurent of Vere #damen x laurent #meta #damianos of akielos

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Eliezer Yudkowsky

Published; Aug 4, 2007

The earliest account I know of a scientific experiment is, ironically, the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal.

The people of Israel are wavering between Jehovah and Baal, so Elijah announces that he will conduct an experiment to settle it—quite a novel concept in those days! The priests of Baal will place their bull on an altar, and Elijah will place Jehovah’s bull on an altar, but neither will be allowed to start the fire; whichever God is real will call down fire on His sacrifice. The priests of Baal serve as control group for Elijah—the same wooden fuel, the same bull, and the same priests making invocations, but to a false god. Then Elijah pours water on his altar—ruining the experimental symmetry, but this was back in the early days—to signify deliberate acceptance of the burden of proof, like needing a 0.05 significance level. The fire comes down on Elijah’s altar, which is the experimental observation. The watching people of Israel shout “The Lord is God!”—peer review.

And then the people haul the 450 priests of Baal down to the river Kishon and slit their throats. This is stern, but necessary. You must firmly discard the falsified hypothesis, and do so swiftly, before it can generate excuses to protect itself. If the priests of Baal are allowed to survive, they will start babbling about how religion is a separate magisterium which can be neither proven nor disproven.

Back in the old days, people actually believed their religions instead of just believing in them. The biblical archaeologists who went in search of Noah’s Ark did not think they were wasting their time; they anticipated they might become famous. Only after failing to find confirming evidence—and finding disconfirming evidence in its place—did religionists execute what William Bartley called the retreat to commitment, “I believe because I believe.”

Back in the old days, there was no concept of religion’s being a separate magisterium. The Old Testament is a stream-of-consciousness culture dump: history, law, moral parables, and yes, models of how the universe works—like the universe being created in six days (which is a metaphor for the Big Bang), or rabbits chewing their cud. (Which is a metaphor for . . .)

Back in the old days, saying the local religion “could not be proven” would have gotten you burned at the stake. One of the core beliefs of Orthodox Judaism is that God appeared at Mount Sinai and said in a thundering voice, “Yeah, it’s all true.” From a Bayesian perspective that’s some darned unambiguous evidence of a superhumanly powerful entity. (Although it doesn’t prove that the entity is God per se, or that the entity is benevolent—it could be alien teenagers.) The vast majority of religions in human history—excepting only those invented extremely recently—tell stories of events that would constitute completely unmistakable evidence if they’d actually happened. The orthogonality of religion and factual questions is a recent and strictly Western concept. The people who wrote the original scriptures didn’t even know the difference.

The Roman Empire inherited philosophy from the ancient Greeks; imposed law and order within its provinces; kept bureaucratic records; and enforced religious tolerance. The New Testament, created during the time of the Roman Empire, bears some traces of modernity as a result. You couldn’t invent a story about God completely obliterating the city of Rome (a la Sodom and Gomorrah), because the Roman historians would call you on it, and you couldn’t just stone them.

In contrast, the people who invented the Old Testament stories could make up pretty much anything they liked. Early Egyptologists were genuinely shocked to find no trace whatsoever of Hebrew tribes having ever been in Egypt—they weren’t expecting to find a record of the Ten Plagues, but they expected to find something. As it turned out, they did find something. They found out that, during the supposed time of the Exodus, Egypt ruled much of Canaan. That’s one huge historical error, but if there are no libraries, nobody can call you on it.

The Roman Empire did have libraries. Thus, the New Testament doesn’t claim big, showy, large-scale geopolitical miracles as the Old Testament routinely did. Instead the New Testament claims smaller miracles which nonetheless fit into the same framework of evidence. A boy falls down and froths at the mouth; the cause is an unclean spirit; an unclean spirit could reasonably be expected to flee from a true prophet, but not to flee from a charlatan; Jesus casts out the unclean spirit; therefore Jesus is a true prophet and not a charlatan. This is perfectly ordinary Bayesian reasoning, if you grant the basic premise that epilepsy is caused by demons (and that the end of an epileptic fit proves the demon fled).

Not only did religion used to make claims about factual and scientific matters, religion used to make claims about everything. Religion laid down a code of law—before legislative bodies; religion laid down history—before historians and archaeologists; religion laid down the sexual morals—before Women’s Lib; religion described the forms of government—before constitutions; and religion answered scientific questions from biological taxonomy to the formation of stars.1 The modern concept of religion as purely ethical derives from every other area’s having been taken over by better institutions. Ethics is what’s left.

Or rather, people think ethics is what’s left. Take a culture dump from 2,500 years ago. Over time, humanity will progress immensely, and pieces of the ancient culture dump will become ever more glaringly obsolete. Ethics has not been immune to human progress—for example, we now frown upon such Bible-approved practices as keeping slaves. Why do people think that ethics is still fair game?

Intrinsically, there’s nothing small about the ethical problem with slaughtering thousands of innocent first-born male children to convince an unelected Pharaoh to release slaves who logically could have been teleported out of the country. It should be more glaring than the comparatively trivial scientific error of saying that grasshoppers have four legs. And yet, if you say the Earth is flat, people will look at you like you’re crazy. But if you say the Bible is your source of ethics, women will not slap you. Most people’s concept of rationality is determined by what they think they can get away with; they think they can get away with endorsing Bible ethics; and so it only requires a manageable effort of self-deception for them to overlook the Bible’s moral problems. Everyone has agreed not to notice the elephant in the living room, and this state of affairs can sustain itself for a time.

Maybe someday, humanity will advance further, and anyone who endorses the Bible as a source of ethics will be treated the same way as Trent Lott endorsing Strom Thurmond’s presidential campaign. And then it will be said that religion’s “true core” has always been genealogy or something.

The idea that religion is a separate magisterium that cannot be proven or disproven is a Big Lie—a lie which is repeated over and over again, so that people will say it without thinking; yet which is, on critical examination, simply false. It is a wild distortion of how religion happened historically, of how all scriptures present their beliefs, of what children are told to persuade them, and of what the majority of religious people on Earth still believe. You have to admire its sheer brazenness, on a par with Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia. The prosecutor whips out the bloody axe, and the defendant, momentarily shocked, thinks quickly and says: “But you can’t disprove my innocence by mere evidence—it’s a separate magisterium!”

And if that doesn’t work, grab a piece of paper and scribble yourself a Get Out of Jail Free card.

-

1 The Old Testament doesn't talk about a sense of wonder at the complexity of the universe, perhaps because it was too busy laying down the death penalty for women who wore mens clothing, which was solid and satisfying religious content of that era.

==

I've said this myself less eloquently. Believers say, "pffth, you're not supposed to take it literally." Since when? Where does it say that?

The scripture was written as a science book, a morality book, a law book, a history book. For over a thousand years it was regarded as "true."

Now that we've figured out it's wrong, all of a sudden, it's not supposed to be taken literally? That sure is embarrassing for all of the governments, courtrooms, schools and institutions that based their laws, judgements, teachings and understandings of the world on the bible, never knowing they weren't supposed to take it literally. All the people convicted of crimes, imprisoned or executed, subjected to "healing" and "remedies," denounced as heretics and blasphemers because of the bible. Oopsie!

[ Thanks to a follower for the recommendation. ]

#Eliezer Yudkowsky #religion #Old Testament #New Testament #scientific inaccuracies #magisterium #non overlapping magisteria #science vs religion #religion vs science #science #religion is a mental illness

[paimonial-rage]

blasphemous assumptions - zhongli

synopsis: in which the reader confidently explains why, without a doubt, mr. zhongli could never be rex lapis

ship: none except reader’s devotion to the geo archon’s name

notes: spiritual successor to this

You were many things, but you really weren’t a nosy person. You really weren’t! Even when people were whispering things in the hallway and even when those tidbits sounded really interesting, you really genuinely weren’t nosy! You were an adult, after all. You grew past the age of needing to know everything that was going on.

“Right? I… …. … … … knows way too much to be just an ordinary guy! He has to be an… … …”

“I have to agree. If I… … be honest, at one point in time, I even… … he could possibly be–”

‘Be?’ ‘Be’ who? ‘Be’ what?

You sidled a bit closer to the wall. You most certainly did not press your ear up against it or anything immature like that, but… it was rather close.

“Have you ever read… –ognito? In there, it says that Re– … –is has amber eyes. That’s the same color as Mr. Z–”

…

Okay never mind, you didn’t really need to know what they were talking about–

“... So I really thought he had to be Rex Lapis, you know–”

“EXCUSE ME!?”

Your hands slammed against the desk as you burst up in outrage. You could barely hear the two in the hall jumping over the sound of the blood boiling in your ears. They did not– They did NOT just equate the great, mighty, and venerable Rex Lapis to (ugh) Mr. Zhongli.

Your stomping footsteps echoed through the Parlor as you made your way to the Ferrylady and Meng in the hallway. With that glower on your face so potent, they couldn’t help but shake ever so slightly.

“You really thought that Mr. Zhongli, our Mr. Zhongli, could’ve been Rex Lapis?”

Meng laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Well, yeah. He looks young, but he knows more about Liyue than even the most prominent of historians and archaeologists.”

“During the time I’ve spent assisting him, I found that he’s very knowledgeable in geology too. He can tell the difference between the different grades of Cor Lapis just by touching them,” the Ferrylady added.

Meng shrugged.

“I don’t know. Whenever I’m around him, he just feels different, you know?”

“I have to agree. It’s like I’m in the presence of someone divine,” the Ferrylady said with a fervent nod.

Meng gasped at the same time you snorted in disgust.

“I thought the same thing! He has to be an–”

“No, that’s impossible,” you announced with a confident shake of your head, “Mr. Zhongli could never be an adeptus, let alone our wonderful Rex Lapis.”

“Really? You think so?”

You clucked your tongue. They both looked so unsure. How sad.

“The fact you even have to ask such a question reveals how little you know about our previous archon. Let me give you an example. Rex Lapis created the first Mora and set up the treasury that services all of Teyvat. Going off of that, it would only be right to assume he understands Mora inside and out, yes? Even more, if he can create Mora, he would never be without want, don’t you agree?”

“Yes, of course.”

“In all the time you’ve known Mr. Zhongli, has he ever paid for anything on his own?”

Both Meng and the Ferrylady winced.

“Well, no…”

You chuckled.

“Has he ever displayed even a child’s level of knowledge of Mora? For example, the worth of a chicken-mushroom skewer from Wanmin Restaurant?”

“N-No…”

“I even remember Mr. Zhongli once purchasing an expensive set of chopsticks for an associate. It… was over 120,000 Mora…”

You froze as dread slammed into your chest.

“Y-You’re not serious, Ferrylady? I do not remember seeing the receipt for that.”

You finally came to terms with Mr. Zhongli’s “business expenses,” but if this really did happen, it would send the accounts in disarray!

“W-Well, the purchase was covered for by the Northland Bank… coincidentally the same company his associate worked for…”

And suddenly you felt a strange hint of pity for the Fatui.

“A-Anyway, my point is that Mr. Zhongli has proven through action that, as knowledgeable as he is, he understands nothing about Mora. He does not know how it works nor how much it’s worth. Moreover, he burdens his colleagues, associates, and friends with the task of covering his bills due to his lack of foresight of bringing funds with him. Can you imagine Rex Lapis doing something that cruel to his people? And can you imagine him being that excruciatingly clueless of his own creation?”

You could feel a glean of satisfaction at the guilt that flashed across their faces. But soon, Meng steeled his expression once more.

“I… I see where you’re coming from, but… I mean, Mr. Zhongli knows even more than the smartest people in Liyue. That has to mean something, right?”

If you had to be honest, he did have a point.

“Well, how much do we know of Mr. Zhongli in general? For all we know, he could’ve studied at a prestigious school. Or maybe he comes from a family that can trace its lineage back to the Archon War. If you ask me, Mr. Zhongli just appreciates history. It’s his hobby. I always see him talking to scholars and listening to storytellers. Speaking of which, I just thought of something else.

“You’ve both noticed Mr. Zhongli’s favorite way to spend his leisure time is at Third-Round Knockout, right? Iron Tongue Tian’s favorite stories are of Rex Lapis. So let me ask you this. Do you think the honorable, most distinguished archon of all of Teyvat would do something so self-absorbed, so arrogant, so insecure, as listening to stories that praise his past deeds on a near daily basis?”

Both their eyes widened in shock.

“U-Uh… W-Well maybe it would’ve helped him to reminisce about the past–”

You scoffed. To think they would blaspheme the Geo Archon like that to your very face. You rolled your eyes and shrugged mockingly.

“Don’t be ridiculous. There are better ways to do that. There are still adepti alive. All he has to do is visit them. They are his friends, are they not? He wouldn’t just forget about them. What, do you think he just sits there drinking wine alone or something? Honestly, only a haughty, conceited narcissist would have the hobby of enjoying people lauding his praises in front of a crowd.”

“Pfft–”

You turned at the sound of a very stifled giggle to see a doubled-over Paimon and a very amused Traveler. Behind them was Zhongli with a very strange expression on his face. His shoulders seemed ever so slightly drooped. And when his eyes met yours, he gave a smile, albeit a… pained one?

“Hello, Traveler and Paimon. What brings you here?” The Ferrylady asked with a smile.

“Oh, it’s (pffft) nothing. We just needed (snicker snicker) Zhongli for something,” Paimon finally got out between her giggles.

“Well, if you have some time, we can make tea for you both.”

“Oh no, we’ll be going. Thank you though! We’ll see you all later! You too, (giggle giggle) Zhongli!”

As they left, you took a few steps over to the man of the hour. Guilt dripped down your throat. How much did he hear, you wondered. While you were getting on his case during your first point, the second was a lot more kind to him.

“Are you okay, Mr. Zhongli?”

The pained smile still rested upon his lips.

“It seems you all view Rex Lapis very highly.”

You smiled.

“Well, of course!” You exclaimed with hearts practically in your eyes. “While he may have passed, I still have the utmost respect for him. I believe he must have been a phenomenal person. If I met him before he passed, I’m sure my heart would have been just stolen away, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Ahh… sure…”

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin #my writing #zhongli #genshin zhongli #zhongli x reader #but still not really #requests open! #bookkeeping!verse #genshin x reader

[alltimefail-sims]

LORE TIDBIT TIME WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Did you know Vlad was apart of the settler colony who mysterious disappeared? This is obviously a nod to the Roanoke colony which I think is sooo cool. What do you think happened to Vlad's colony? I like to think Vlad was turned or became a vampire and whipped them out.

HELL YEAH LORE TIDBIT ABOUT VLADDY DADDY!!! 😏

I'm going to treat this as a "deep dive" into Vlad and Forgotten Hollow, so I'll be adding it to my Deep Dive Series tag. Unsurprising to literally everyone, but this is gonna be a long one.

So… let’s get into it! ↓

Going into this I will admit that I actually did know this about Vlad!! I've been wanting to talk about it for forever but have never gotten around to it haha. 🤭 I'm a bit of a history nerd and I love a good spooky story/conspiracy, so naturally the Roanoke Colony was one of my obsessions when I was around 11 or 12 years old.

I think it's an interesting tie in from the sims team, I'd even say it's a bit meta because I feel like the game normally sticks to making references toward itself and its own canon characters/events while generally staying away from anything that would be too direct of a reference to "our world." Personally though I wish they broke the fourth wall more! I like easter eggs or hidden details that make it easier to imagine the characters existing not in their isolated, imaginary worlds, but in ours instead.

It's interesting to think about why the sims team might have made this connection - was it just a cheeky, unserious little wink to a well-known unsolved mystery, or was it done for the purposes of creating implications and expanded lore regarding Vlad and Forgotten Hollow (a case of them showing us instead of telling us). There are so many theories archaeologists and historians alike have had about the lost colony of Roanoke over the years: some believe the Roanoke colonists could have all died by disease or famine, some believe they could have been victims of a deadly storm, some believe they were attacked by neighboring tribes or by Spanish soldiers. Nowadays there are scholars who will argue that no tragedy befell the settlers at all and that they simply relocated (that would be why they left "Croatoan" behind - there was a nearby location referred to as Croatoan Island, now modern-day Hatters Island).

With that in mind, along with Vlad's own refusal to recall the details of this event, it's safe to assume that the sims team isn't referring to the happier Roanoke theories...the 25 colonists of Forgotten Hollow likely faced an unfortunate end.

Your theory of Vlad being turned and thus wiping out the colony (I'm guessing due to new-turn bloodlust) is sooooo compelling, the implications of that scenario are delicious and I personally never thought of it from that angle! My theory is only a little different: I agree that Vlad was turned on the day that the colonists "disappeared" (whatever that implies), but I have always played Vlad's story not as if he was turned and then killed everyone after, but rather that the thing that turned him successfully killed the other colonists but accidentally turned Vlad. It's a really long story that I play around with for fun in my brain but the short-ish version is: Vlad awoke outside - cold, alert, sweaty, dirty and covered in his own blood - but somehow alive, which he was thankful for. His new immortal condition is still unbeknownst to him at this point, but he felt an ache like never before, so deep in his bones it was excruciatingly painful, but his senses were heightened tenfold. He didn't remember much, just that the colony had been under attack the night before. His relief to be alive rapidly melted into abject horror as he found everyone else (friends, neighbors, family, children) dead. He realized soon enough what had happened to him and stayed in Forgotten Hollow where he would be memorialized as its "founder." He spent his days hellbent on retaliation and retribution, but was also steadfast in continuing the work that was began there before the attack. Eventually he does get to face off with the vampire who attacked him and his people, killing it and rising to power in the vampire world. He keeps the events close to his chest because they were traumatizing and cause him sadness, and he's worked diligently to remove himself from his humanity/human memories and from emotions in general (thus how he has become the person we see today). I always thought if he killed the colonists himself the other vampires in his circle - at least his closest confidantes - would know (as he's got quite the massive ego), but they don't seem to have knowledge of this event and they never mention it. I've thought that it could be possible that sharing the memories of this event would make Vlad feel weak, and he's not one to boast in his weakness. He'd much rather rewrite history in a way that is beneficial to his image; dragging up emotions about dead people would not bring them back to life, and by burying this history of a massacre in Forgotten Hollow he is also creating some mystery around himself and making it easier to play the role of a great-great-great-great grandson (or whatever he's pretending to be, relationship-wise) to the original founder.

But that's just how I play with Vlad! 🤷 I could be way off-base lmao!

Regardless of what happened, we know Vlad is the sole survivor of this event and he is scarred by it, impacted so deeply that he only ever vaguely alludes to it with no clear explanation. Whether he killed the colonists himself or just witnessed their death, the sims team will probably never give us concrete answers (and frankly, that's probably for the best considering their track record). But the clever connection of the LOST colony and FORGOTTEN Hollow are clear as day and I just think that is freaking cool! The occult lore in TS4, especially regarding Vlad and Forgotten Hollow, make interesting framework for storytellers and lore-lovers alike! Vlad is one of those characters who has sooooo many interpretations, and I eat up each and every one!

Okay, I think that's all I've got for now! Sorry about my word vomit! Somewhat related: here's an article I recently read on Roanoke that talks about the archaeological finds which have changed some of the discussions surrounding whether the colonists survived or not! I found it pretty interesting and you might as well!

#Oh my god this took me 14 yrs to type idk why!!! I'm sorry I'm just responding ily <3 <3 #Now I want to share my makeover of Vlad skjsdkfjkfsda #Also unrelated... but this man's name is a fuckin dyslexic person's nightmare RIP I had to type it 3 times before getting it right #vlad straud #vladislaus straud #simblr #sims lore #ts4 lore #forgotten hollow #the sims 4 #sims 4 #lore anon #heavenwhims #ddseries

[introvertbard]

Ancient Greek and Roman “garishness”

So the meme about ”Greek statues used to have eye-bleeding colors” is funny and I still like it as a springboard for “Victorians were the worst archaeologists ever,” but folks have noted that the museums only know the BASE COLOR of paint, so the reason “former colors of Greek statues” concept photos look like a five-year old painted everything in primary colors may be because they didn’t get a proper artist/tailor to actually “PAINT” the statues.

Like, tailors and weavers were adults and probably knew SOME sense of color theory, so I’m gonna start collecting some museum photos and coloring those in with their “former color concepts” or descriptions from mythology to see how things turn out.

I'm not going to mute any colors! I'm just gonna try and make them look like actual CLOTHES and not coloring-books.

For reference, here's the "Augustus of Prima Porta" statue with its "color concept."

Oh gods, that’s fucked. None of these colors go together. You know this instinctively, and you’ve probably winced or laughed at it because it’s such a mess, but here’s my lazy-artist ass to explain WHY these colors don’t work:

It looks terrible because the colors are actually NOT VIBRANT ENOUGH. The red cloak and peach tunic have some weird pink tones on my screen and end up looking terrible with that gray-toned blue. The red cloak also looks like it can't decide whether it should have pink or BROWN tones on my screen.

Everything basically looks like it got washed too much, which is what you get with two-thousand year old paint that managed to survive the Victorians trying to scrub it all off. 

The original “former colors restored” photo also has some weird parti-color striping on the sleeves and tunic, too. I don’t what they ARE, clothing-wise. Ancient Romans did not do slashed sleeves/tunics, so maybe they’re “accents sewn on from the leftover blue fabric?” But why would you do that for pleats???

ANCIENT ROME REENACTORS, PLEASE FIND MY POST AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THE STRIPES ARE.

Meanwhile, here’s my in-progress shot of trying to make this outfit’s colors work!

The blue is more saturated inky blue, plus I added some purple so it at least won’t CLASH with the warm colors. The red is burgundy/maroon because historians have noted that “Tyrian Purple” is indeed a deep maroon, NOT the grape-colored purple that modern people know of, and I turned the peach into a more decisive darker orange.

I’m still not set on this combination--the colors aren’t really meshing well TOGETHER, but it’s a vast improvement because everything knows what it is--the blue is still blue even if it has purple hints, the orange is orange, and the red is fucking dark burgundy red.

Updates to come later!

#ancient greece #ancient rome #color theory #antiquity

[chaotic-archaeologist]

I posted 2,004 times in 2022

1,024 posts created (51%)

980 posts reblogged (49%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@chaotic-archaeologist

@archaeologistproblems

@micewithknives

@saintartemis

@invisible-goats

I tagged 1,758 of my posts in 2022

Only 12% of my posts had no tags

#he speaks - 938 posts

#he answers - 622 posts

#archaeology - 265 posts

#archaeology humor - 145 posts

#20 questions - 103 posts

#academic advice - 91 posts

#academic humor - 76 posts

#life advice - 62 posts

#he learns - 57 posts

#history humor - 54 posts

Longest Tag: 104 characters

#i have several asks in my inbox right now that are a barrage of questions and it feels very overwhelming

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Can you be kinda chubby and be an archaeologist? I’m working on my health and fitness, but I’m still kinda chubby and not really cut out for field school yet. I read this article saying fat people can’t be archeologist and it kinda crushed my dreams. Because I know it will take a bit to get rid of the weight, but I feel so out of place after reading that..

Hi there, dirtling, this makes me so insanely angry. I am incandescent with rage. I would like to find the author of that article and rip them from limb to limb.

You can absolutely be fat and be an archaeologist.

I am so sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this. I am sorry that you have not received support from other members of my community. I am sorry that someone's ignorant fatphobia has crushed your dreams. Please let me try to convince you otherwise.

I have had the privilege to dig with dig with several fat people, and in each case they were an asset to our team. They were just as capable of excavating as those of us who were carrying less weight, and each of them brought special skill sets and unique capabilities to the table that we would have been worse off without had they not been working with us.

You do not have to lose weight before going on a field school. You know your body better than the writer of that article ever can. If you feel like you are capable of performing the manual labor required during an excavation, then I believe your self assessment. There is no maximum weight limit for participating in an archaeological dig.

Even if you don't feel like you're physically able to go on a dig, there are other archaeological opportunities for you! As someone with a disability who can't do a ton of manual labor, I do a lot of lab work because it allows me to be sitting down. There is so much more to archaeology than just digging stuff out of the ground, and there is absolutely room for you in this field of study.

Here are some resources that I was able to find about obesity and archaeology.

The Fat Archaeologist

Who decided it was bad to be fat— Sapiens

The Archaeology of Obesity: Discourse Analysis and Implications for North American Obesity Research

I did actually try to find the article that you mentioned so that I could take apart its argument piece by piece, but I wasn't able to locate it easily. If someone could direct me to it, I would be more than happy to rip it to shreds because it is categorically false and actively harmful. In my personal opinion, that author can suck it. Sorry, not sorry. I'm mad.

-Reid

1,007 notes - Posted June 12, 2022

#4

How to write a diary for future historians

I began keeping a diary at the beginning of the pandemic to document what was going on and how I felt about it in case someone from the future ever reads it. For anyone looking to get started, here's the "diary recipe" I use.

You will need:

Pen with black or blue ink. Ink stains the paper whereas pencil just puts pigment on top of the paper. This means that most of the lead can be brushed off or fall off over time. Black and blue ink are important because they're the most stable over time. Other ink colors might fade or otherwise degrade over time.

Acid free notebook. This is once again a conservation thing. Acid free paper is exactly what it sounds like, and is thus less likely to chemically degrade/disintegrate over time. I personally use a moleskine notebook, but any other acid free paper will do just fine.

Why should I write? Because your perspective matters. You don't have to be famous or important to deserve to have your voice recorded. The fact that you are alive right now and experiencing events as they happen is enough. Your thoughts and feelings and the details of your daily life will be of great interest to future historians.

Isn't it sort of late to start? Absolutely not! The best time to start journaling is always now. Don't worry about having missed anything important. Whatever happens next is going to be important too, and having your unique perspective is vital.

What do I write about? Whatever you want! It can be world events or what's happening in your life or anything else that's on your mind. There is no one right way to keep a diary, and whatever you choose will be an important addition to the historical record.

How do I write? The great news is that there's no rules for this either! You don't have to write long entries if you don't have the time, energy, and interest for that. You can do a couple of short sentences. You can do bullet points. You can copy down headlines that you feel are notable.

How often do I have to write? It's totally fine if you don't write an entry every day. Write whenever you have the inclination to, even if it's only every couple of weeks or months. Don't feel bad about the frequency of your updates— sporadic entries are still better than no entries at all!

History doesn't just have to be written by the victors, it can be written by all of us. Add your voice to the record to make sure that it includes the things you think are important. Your perspective matters.

1,634 notes - Posted April 12, 2022

#3

If i found a ancient coin hoard buried in my backyard could i keep a coin or two when i donate it to a museum?

Absolutely not. I think that this is probably a joke, but depending on where you are, it's also illegal.

I am against private collections and the desire to own the material past. Keeping any item from a discovery is incredibly unethical and would earn you the permanent animosity from archaeologists, museum workers, archivists, curators, restoration specialists, and pretty much anyone else who belongs to a scientific study of the past.

I know that you probably meant this as a joke, and that this was not the answer you were expecting. My firmness is not in any way personal. I cannot stand for the humor about topics that are essentially looting, because humor serves to legitimize the act.

-Reid

3,114 notes - Posted January 17, 2022

#2

This is why fieldwork safety is of utmost importance. I've been in situations where it felt like my safety was not the primary concern, and I constantly worried about things like this happening.

OSHA guidelines are written in blood. They're there for a reason. Don't ever let someone convince you to compromise on your safety. (link to tweet) (link to news coverage)

3,129 notes - Posted July 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

BOOK OF KELLS BOOK OF KELLS BOOK OF KELLS BOOK OF KELLS

49,776 notes - Posted April 12, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[mint-yooxgi]

A modern addition for the Deity!NCT drabbles: Sungchan, deity of time, has been living among humans for centuries. He currently amuses himself as an assistant to Archaeologist!Y/N. Y/N finally gets approval to launch an expedition to seek a famous site long believed mythical. All they need to do is choose which one. Sungchan decides to help them as he wants them to be successful. (Sites include Taeyong's temple, the city Shotaro destroyed, and the city Hendery infested with plague.)

A simple curiosity, that's all it had been. A historian wanting to uncover the truth. Never, in all of your years of archival research would you have ever believed his words to be true. Not until he showed you.

Investigating the ruins of a modern Pompeii sight, you eyes survey the area. Sungchan slides up right beside you, bag slung over his back as he adjusts the straps.

"What do you think?" He asks.

"I think that whatever happened here could give Mount Vesuvius a run for its money," you reply, surveying a large rock which juts out from the seemingly ruined disaster around it, untouched. "Though I find it strange how everything is damaged except for this rock."

Walking closer, the two of you end up climbing to the top, and Sungchan nearly smirks.

"I bet something climactic happened upon this very spot." He says with a grin.

"It certainly feels that way, doesn't it?" You hum, turning towards him after surveying the ground.

"No, I know it did." He replies casually.

You frown, "you can't possibly know that. You weren't there."

"Oh, but I was," he chuckles, his eyes flashing as he locks gazes with your own. "Or, rather, for a time."

"That's impossible," you roll your eyes. "Stop trying to fuck with me, Sungchan, I'm serious here."

"So am I," he grabs your arm, "and since you won't believe me, allow me to show you."

#ask #sungchan drabble #nct drabble #drabbles

[stayjustone-morenight]

Finding Heavenly Mother: Week 1

Hey all! So I had an editor for this, life got busy and they probably won’t be able to help. So sorry if its a little wonky, if any of you would like to help out I would LOVE it.

My graphics designer is working on the newsletter rn, but for those of you not interested in getting the email, here is the text of it. All page numbers reference the digital version of “When God Was a Woman.” Enjoy!

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The author of our book, Merlin Stone, chose to focus on the region of the Near and Middle East because it is also the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This focus is important because these religions heavily influence American/Western culture today . She also chose it because the earliest known religion was practiced there. A large amount of archeological and anthropological evidence suggests it was a Goddess focused religion. (P. 38).

------

Why a female deity? Many anthropologists theorize that early civilizations thought “only women could produce their own kind” because the man’s role in the process wasn’t understood. To them, it appeared that women spontaneously became pregnant, and this idea led to worship of a great Goddess instead of a God (P. 39).

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We know that their deity was a woman because of the so-called “Venus figures” that can be found from Spain to Russia. These statues are usually pregnant and have other predominantly female anatomy. The sheer amount of them allows archeologists to estimate Goddess worship lasted at least ten thousand years (P. 41).

------

So how did things change, and why is information about Goddess worship so hard to find? Stone has two suggestions. The first is the discovery that cultures are constantly adapting their origin story, but claiming each iteration of the story tells things "as [they were] in the beginning of time.” This gives each adaptation the power of historical significance (P. 15).

The second is, of course, “[t]he sexual and religious bias of…scholars of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most…available information in both archaeology and ancient religious history was compiled and discussed by male authors. [In addition] …nearly all archaeologists, historians and theologians of both sexes were raised in societies that embrace the male-oriented religions of Judaism or Christianity, [which] appeared to influence heavily what was included and expanded upon and what was considered to be minor and hardly worth mentioning” (P. 16).

------

Idea to think about:

Consider places in the scriptures where God uses imagery to describe Themselves. What qualities and attributes do They have? Are those typically associated with masculine or feminine areas in today's culture?

#heavenly mother #tumblrstake #queerstake #mormon #enjoy #remember im a political scientist not an english major #sorry

[tiimecrash]

@lightcreators​ ( everett ross ) sent 👫 for  a  reunion  starter. [ x ]

 It had been three weeks since Professor Jamie Burke had seen her partner Everett Ross. The otherworldly alien had a sense that he was okay and things were as it should be. She wasn’t worried about his safety as much as she should be. He was a very brave and capable human, able to take care of his own well being. She just happened to be connected to him in a very complex way. As a being with access to space-time continuum ( amongst other temporal things ), she could see timelines and various parts of the past and future. Even this universe, which wasn’t her native one. He would be okay, though a part of her needed to make sure he would be. He was a special human to her timeline. They were linked in a way. A big complicated link that she could not explain to him in terms he’d understand. She was linked to him in various universes, various pasts and futures as well. 

Why an alien with vast space-time knowledge chose to be an archaeologist and historian on earth was simple. She enjoyed it. She loved earth and loved knowing about it. She figured it was the least she could do to help the planet by giving some of her knowledge to them without breaking the rules of her species involvement with such things. They found earth primitive and not entirely important. Yet, here she was ( not by her own accord ) on earth -- helping them. She gotten here when her time machine was spiraling out of control in the cosmos and she was ejected here to this universe. She was here on purpose, but to what extent she didn’t know. 

She was on her way to the airport in order to meet with Everett, whom was returning from Wakanda. Those moments away had been a tiny bit worrisome for her. Her normal senses of the space-time continuum were ... a bit cloudy since she arrived here. She couldn’t see things as she once did. It was hard to explain really. As she waited at the airport, she grew nervous. Was he okay? She knew something happened when he was there but didn’t know what. Blasted universe she wasn’t used to it. Though, she could navigate it decently. A complex set of abilities her species had.

Standing in the middle of the terminal, she looked through the sea of people for her partner. That’s when she spotted him. “Everett!!” she called to him, rushing through the people to get at her lover. Without warning, she tackled her special human in an embrace. Afraid he’d leave her again. Her nose nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his scent. A deep breath escaped her lips. “I’m so happy you’re alive. I lost you for a while there.” she didn’t realize how odd it sound, but she didn’t explain it either. Pulling away from him, she cupped his cheeks. “Are you okay, love?”

#[ verse: marvel. ] #lightcreators

[wedreamedlove]

What do you think about MC, about her family background or the mysteries behind, and also her MBTI?

i'm very intrigued to discover more. there's jokes in the community that her past will be even more tragic than the men which, after going through their first round of trajectories, would be a high bar to clear LOL. maybe her dad is the ultimate boss. we also don’t know much about her mother.

i love the in-universe mythology for light and night though and trying to put it together from the hints given by the story makes me feel like some sort of historian or archaeologist.

there was an ultimate creator who told a goddess to create humans, so she did but humans did not want to be slaves to the gods and rebelled, causing the ultimate creator to punish them. the goddess cried for the humans to save them from apocalyptic fire but this caused her, her messengers, and the gods who supported her to be cast out.

if the heroine is this goddess that means:

Jesse is one of her creations

Sariel and Charlie are her messengers/servants that were cast down to become plants and animals

Evan is a descendant of the gods that supported her but were sealed under the ocean (the blood clan seems to be a mutation)

Osborn is half-god and half-blood clan and could be descended either from the sealed gods in the ocean who supported her or other gods that didn't support her

as for the heroine’s MBTI though, it’s too hard to say. she’s basically at 50% for everything and leans more towards an indicator depending on the guy she is with. i relate enough to her as a hard core INTJ so that should mean something, haha.

#answered asks #光与夜之恋 #light and night

[geminai-rambling-trinkets]

𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐀𝐔

SUMMARY: Oh, how the stories told everyone about a warning when daring to unleash this foul creature. There was a reason why he was erased from history. There was a reason why there were warnings in his cave. Oh, how foolish of you to think that you could tame an immortal being.

CONTEXT: A continuation of my previous post about an alternative universe where instead of being a hero and a student in UA. Midoriya Izuku was/is a tyrannical God left behind by history, yet his body still remains even after centuries of inactivity.

CHARACTER(S): Midoriya Izuku and Unnamed OC's.

WARNING(S): ABUSE OF POWER, BLOOD, COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT, EXPLICIT AND IMPLIED BRUTAL MURDER, GRUESOME ACTIONS + MINDBREAK + MIND GAMES, GREED, QUESTIONABLE MORAL CODES, AND VIOLENCE!

(let me know if I missed anything!)

A/N: As mentioned before, there will be sensitive topics that will be discussed, and for your sake and mine, don't read this if it makes you uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form.

Looking out for yourself is your main priority! You won't hurt any of my feelings if you decide this isn't your cup of tea, and that's okay. I just hope you enjoy the rest of your day after this. Thank you and onward to the continuation of this unethical AU!

CONTINUATION

Where the discovery of the rocks surrounding Izuku's grave could be dated back to the era/reign that was erased from history, aka, Izuku's reign.

It left scientists, historians, and probably the entirety of Japan ecstatic about recovering lost cultural meanings, events, and more that ancient Japan erased.

But this is where things take a turn for the worse.

Izuku has been dormant for centuries now, accumulating his "divine gift" to work outside his grave, influencing life outside his prison cell.

And what I mean is that while scientists and archaeologists are excavating his burial sight, people claim hearing a voice(s) begging for the grave to be open. For the door to be broken in.

If that doesn't get the people from opening the grave, he'll use more than just voices, making things disappear and appear near his door or making people have dreams or glimpses of when Izuku's reign was still around, showing and asking them, "You want to know? Get it from the source."

It got to the point that people began to question if recovering this burial site was even worth it or not because people kept losing their minds over things not being what they seemed anymore.

Then they closed the burial site for the sake of the employees and everyone involved due to the number of accidents and issues revolved around it.

Some even said that the wildlife around this place wasn't behaving like normal.

Because of that Izuku got mad because he was so close to freedom, but the people doing this 'excavation were weak-minded populace.'

It was then noted that people who did work around the excavation site and or were involved directly had misfortune after misfortune happened to them. One even lost their mind completely after repeating over and over again, "We anger a God, oh God, I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, sorry...!"

Izuku's burial site was heavily guarded and had a routine shift so that those who protected this site wouldn't lose their marbles like the excavators.

But Izuku is ever relentless.

Those who dared enter and try to steal from his burial spot were met with the same voices, the same sweet little lies, and the same fate that those involved with his excavation got. Albeit, much crueler because if there was one thing Izuku hated the most, it was selfishness and greed.

A part of his character is that while he was a tyrant, he never took more than he should have because Izuku, somewhere in his cold and hardened heart, understood what it was like to eat the scraps.

To be the scraps that crushed his young soul before meeting the Emperor Sun.

In a way, he's honoring Yagi. Izuku's reign was bloody and miserable, yes, but it also allowed for prosperity for the common man. He never took more than he allowed himself, and he shared what he could with his servants which gained him some brownie points.

It didn't stop them from being scared of Izuku, but it showed how he still had the ability to be kind if people didn't harm what kindness was left inside of him.

He didn't care if the person had a family or not taking things that weren't theirs deserved a punishment, one much crueler than death.

Which is how guards discovered something ever so gruesome. The bodies - modern bodies - of the thieves were found near Izuku's sealed door, all mutilated yet alive, moaning out their pain and sorrows on repeat, begging for forgiveness and mercy from someone they call 'God.'

And it kept happening over and over again like something was compelling these people to do this and get the punishments that got more gruesome over time that the guards themselves couldn't handle it anymore.

"I have done this for twelve years now... I don't think anyone could handle seeing this. This is absolute torture... They have to destroy this place! I don't care if it holds Japan's biggest mystery, but there was probably a reason why this place was so well hidden!"

The guard who said that statement in an interview was found dead later on, near the burial site with their uniform still on, but dead this time. However, after a body analysis, their death was slow and painful.

Superstition surrounded the burial site and anyone sane knew not to go anywhere near it or badmouth it because no one wanted to be like the night guard whose death was quite gruesome.

But then finally!

One day, Izuku got his wish, and he was able to finally trick someone into opening his grave.

This person worked for the Hero Public Safety Commission, though Izuku could care less what a 'Hero Safeguard Advisor' was. He just wanted to get out.

He lured the person in with sweet lies about the endless riches inside his grave and the river of liquid gold that could be extracted and turned into actual gold.

And in Izuku's defense, his burial site, the inside of his grave, did have high-value things and even a river of gold that never solidified.

The reason behind this is that I mentioned earlier how Izuku got brownie points for being 'kind' to his servants.

It was his servants who put these things inside Izuku's sealed grave. They put meaningful stuff like a golden rabbit pendant, gold and emerald jewelry, and books and scrolls that held stories that Izuku read many times before.

Even things that meant something to Izuku, like a painting of the Emperor Sun and a river of gold he once mentioned offhandedly that he wanted to be buried with when he died.

When Izuku was sealed, trapped inside this "grave," he saw these things that were put inside with him. It made him feel funny and even brought a few tears out of him because he was again reminded that kindness was still out there.

He just didn't look for it hard enough.

These servants who worked for him were engraved into his memories, and when Izuku comes back, he will repay those families because Izuku is a tyrant, but he's a tyrant who knows where credit is due.

So, in a way, the HPSC person could've gotten rich and gained an easy way out of life.

Something Izuku utterly hates because life isn't easy. He didn't have an easy life, and even with the riches and gold at the tip of his fingers, he refused to indulge because these were gifts, and they should be treated with respect.

But, they were used, and when opening the grave and seeing money's worth of things and gold, they were slaughtered brutally and looked at the body of someone so young that had angelic features yet the poison and voice of the devil on their shoulder.

"So, alas, the greed overtook the heart and released the God to take on the maker."

Izuku said this in Old (or Late Old) Japanese. He doesn't have a grasp on Modern Japanese, but he knows no one will understand him. So, he uses tactics that he knows puts fear among the crowd.

After all, that's how he ruled over Japan for several decades and became a tyrant that was left forgotten.

Why not show Modern Japan the monster they left behind?

A/N: AND HERE'S PART TWO!

This is a bit shorter, but I feel like I explain what I have so far about this AU. I have not thought of who the servants will be or how the story progresses, but I'll continue to add to this AU when I think about it more thoroughly.

To be honest, this AU makes me feel giddy because I'm experimenting with 'A tyrant character who still has humanity because of that one act of kindness.'

Remember, one act of kindness can go a long way!

The same goes for this AU, but I'm also not going to keep it lighthearted because Izuku's cruelty is a big part of this story and how he interacts with people.

I'll make another post about his overall character after I finish drawing him because I have three drawings of how he looks on my sketchbook that I really want to share, but I have to finish.

Thank you for your time in reading this, and I hope you enjoy your day! Take care of yourself because you deserve it! - Gemini Out!

#god au #izuku midoriya #mha aus #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mentions of violence #cw: gore #cw blood #mind games #mind break #izuku is brutal here #brutality #izuku is unhinged #author is questioning their morals right now don't worry i'll be okay

[carpetconcepts]

5 Fun Facts To Know About The History of Junk Removal

The history of human waste stretches back to the beginning of the human race. The saga is intricate and involves many twists and turns. Humans have been forced to create systems and methods to manage their ever-growing waste. So, how did we get from burying organic matter in holes to the massive junk removal systems of modern society?

The Early Years Were Not Complicated

Our ancestors had very different waste management issues than we do today. In ancient times, humans created only organic trash. They would often bury their waste in holes. That was the end of their thoughts on waste. Create it, bury it, and voila, circle of life.

Archaeologists determine a lot about the Mayan culture by observing their waste disposal methods. They found that the Maya incorporated trash dumping and burning into festival rituals. The community would dispose of trash and clean their homes and bodies as a way of starting fresh.

The Romans Were A Messy Bunch

The Romans were a bit messy and threw their trash into the road. Then, sometimes, street sweepers would come by and clean up their trash. Historians consider this one of the first instances of waste management as a public service.  When this got out of hand, only the elite were allowed to throw trash in the street. Often waste in the streets would run into ill-planned sewers that would then pollute the rivers.

The English Made Bricks Out of Dust

The people of England experienced a boom in trash during the industrial revolution. The waste within the city of London grew so out of control that they were forced to innovate to survive. This led to a rise in dust’s popularity. You heard us. Dust.

Londoners would burn and otherwise process trash in “dust-yards”. Historians consider this an early form of recycling. They found that dust was in high demand for making bricks. The dust-yard owners were interested in the monetary value of waste at the time, not the health of their laborers or creating zero waste to protect the environment.

Junk Removal In The Time of Cholera

Soon, Londoners suffered under horrible outbreaks of cholera. In 1842, Edwin Chadwick published a report that linked disease and poor waste management. Historians consider this the beginning of the Age of Sanitation. Scientists disproved parts of Chadwick’s report, but what he did get right is that waste management is important for public health. Chadwick’s social activism and the severity of the cholera outbreaks led the way for The Nuisances Removal and Diseases Prevention Act of 1846.

Enter Junk Removal Trucks

Pretty much everyone thought that dump trucks were fascinating when we were kids. Some of us still think they are. Horses pulled early dump trucks behind them as carts or flat beds. Then, U.S. manufacturers figured out how to motorize the dumping process in 1910.  World War I sped up the evolution of trucks that could haul both waste and important equipment.

In modern times we have so many bells and whistles for junk removal. Dump trucks consist of everything from semi-trailers, “superdump” trucks, side dump trucks and more. We have so many options for recycling and waste management and those options are growing all the time. As innovators work on new solution to our waste management needs, the industry will continue to grow and adapt.

Looking for junk removal in Harford or Baltimore County? give us a call at 443-752-9428.

[thoughtsontolkien]

Prologue

Hullo, and welcome to the first post! This one will be my thoughts on the several pages of set-up before we get to the actual book.

Direct quotes from the book will be in italics to differentiate them from my rambling :)

1: Concerning Hobbits

My man Jirt immediately mentions The Hobbit about four lines in

'Many, however, may wish to know more about this remarkable people' - I read somewhere that JRRT wanted to publish The Silmarillion after The Hobbit but his publishers were like 'no. more hobbits' , and if that's true I would like to think that this was JRRT's way of being like 'fine. you want more hobbits? i will give you SO MUCH INFO about hobbits'

I strongly agree with hobbits about shoes being annoying - I myself prefer to not wear them when I can (and since I now live in an area without bindies I can assume that it will be safe to walk barefoot on grass)

Early hobbits were living near the Anduin when Greenwood became Mirkwood

The hobbits renamed the river Baranduin 'Brandywine' - aka 'alcohol 1 alcohol 2' and I love that for them

Bullroarer is mentioned twice within the first 5 pages and both times Jirt is like 'it's an interesting story BUT irrelevant here so I'm not going to bring it up again'

I love that we get a full and detailed description of hobbit architecture for multiple paragraphs

'Hobbits delighted in such things, if they were accurate: they liked to have books filled with things that they already knew, set out fair and square with no contradictions.' - Oh, to be a hobbit and not a historical archaeologist constantly arguing about How Things Were

2: Concerning Pipe-weed

Opinions: is pipeweed tobacco or straight-up weed? I know that since Jirt says it's probably a variety of Nicotiana it's probably tobacco, but also it says 'probably' and it's funnier to imagine that hobbits are just constantly high

The Prancing Pony is apparently the home of smoking

'Not even the Wizards first thought of that before we did. Though one Wizard that I knew took up the art long ago, and became as skilful in it as in all other things that he put his mind to.'

And from that information I like to imagine that Gandalf stopped in Bree when he first showed up in Middle-earth, was given a pipe, went 'that's the good shit' and immediately spread it to as many people as he could

3: Of the Ordering of the Shire

Jirt: thank you so much for making it 'the Shire' and not 'The Shire'

I love hobbit naming conventions and the fact that they seem to be the only race in Middle-earth with distinct familial surnames

For some reason the name 'Brandybuck' has a Good Ring to it

The Tooks truly are a wild family - the Thain is apparently 'master of the Shire-moot, and captain of the Shire-muster and the Hobbitry-in-arms' and now I'm imagining a very angry Took leading a small army of 3-foot-tall hobbits sometime in hobbit ancient history

The head of the Took family is just called 'The Took' like they're some notorious criminal

4: Of the Finding of the Ring

Quick recount of the events of The Hobbit in case you haven't read it

Bilbo gave his mithril coat to the Mathom-house in Michel Delving. This shows how little hobbits care about shiny things, but I do find it funny that he was like 'yeah just send the shirt to the House of Random Things' and it stayed there for years

NOTE ON THE SHIRE RECORDS

Bilbo you absolute legend, thank you for being the preeminent Hobbit Historian

If the story of the copies of the Red Book ain't a good description of what actually happens to many historical records I don't know what is

Merry and Pippin, we love hoarder librarians

Elladan and Elrohir apparently stayed in Middle-earth long after Elrond and Galadriel sailed, and Celeborn stayed with them in Rivendell for a while until he sailed too

#jirt #tolkien #reread #reading process #rereading lotr #lotr #idk how to turn on the post cut thing for length #so if anyone could point me in the right direction #it would be much appreciated

[biglisbonnews]

What is a Fairy Fort? Deep in western Ireland's rugged landscape, in the sleepy town of Kilmaine, two brothers decided to build a house. But first, John and Tom Mooney had to find construction materials. According to a story passed down for generations, John came upon an old, forgotten lios, a medieval ring fort made, conveniently, of suitable stones. The next day, the brothers started pulling out the bushes that grew along the fort’s walls. As they cleared the overgrowth, they thought they heard the echo of someone crying, but shrugged it off and kept working. When a local priest noticed what they were doing, he warned them to leave the fort alone—but the brothers were undeterred. As dusk gave way to evening, the brothers finally stopped their work and returned home. By morning, both John and Tom Mooney were dead. A week later, as he was walking past the fort, the priest fell and broke his leg. Locals knew the tragic events were no accident—the fairies were to blame. In the 1930s, young Paddy Gannon contributed the Mooneys' story to the Schools’ Collection, where more than 50,000 schoolchildren compiled folktales from parents, neighbors, and grandparents. With some 32,000 ring forts, or “fairy forts,” scattered across Ireland, it's perhaps not surprising that many of those folktales are set in these curious structures. “It’s a very standard set of stories,” says archaeologist Matthew Stout, author of The Irish Ringfort. Many of the stories share a similar plot: Someone disrupts a fairy fort and then falls ill, loses a limb, or dies—as the Mooney brothers did. “Whether fairies turn into rabbits, or whether they’re making shoes, or there’s gold inside the fort, everything happens inside of a fort,” says Stout. Archaeologists know, of course, that fairies didn’t build these ring forts—people did. Between the seventh and ninth centuries, Ireland was “entirely rural,” says Stout. The island was covered in old-growth forests and more than 200 little kingdoms where the local rulers, Stout says, “supervis[ed] farming and the division and re-division of land.” The economy was based almost entirely around cattle. The more cows you had, the wealthier you were in medieval Ireland. And in a world where cattle raids and predators were commonplace, protecting your animals could mean the difference between survival and starvation. Ring forts, essentially barriers of stone, earth, and wood, supplied that protection, keeping animals in and predators—human and otherwise—out. “You’ve got a bank in a ditch enclosing a circular area of about 100 feet in diameter—that's a typical ring fort,” says Stout. Farmers would usually construct a wooden palisade around the fort’s bank. Inside farmers and their families slept in round, windowless homes that were comfortable and warm, if a little dark. “We're not talking about fortifications or impenetrable castles or anything like that," says Stout. "But you have a place that is well-defended where, in times of trouble, you can bring your cattle in at night.” Medieval ring forts were in use from roughly the seventh to the 12th century. Scholars debate why and when farmers abandoned the forts, but Stout believes the Vikings, who established Ireland’s first towns around 850, had something to do with it. Over the course of Ireland’s Viking age, “​​the dominance of cattle declines and the evidence for grain increases.” Grain was far easier to trade across the Viking world, and fewer cattle meant fewer forts needed to protect them. Fairly quickly, these abandoned ring forts “become associated with the supernatural,” says Stout. In Gerald of Wales’s 1189 Conquest of Ireland, the first history written about the island, the medieval priest-historian recounted that when invading troops camped “in a certain old fortification” one night, a ghostly army of “spectral appearances” descended upon them; many of the soldiers fled in terror and hid in the surrounding woods and marshes. When the forts became associated with fairies in particular is less clear. According to Irish studies scholar Patrick McCafferty of the University of Leipzig, the association of fairies and ring forts was “quite well-developed” by the 1850s, when folklorists began documenting tales that had been passed down orally for centuries. The Irish fairies in these tales are no Tinkerbells. The wingless, human-sized mythical beings are also, for the most part, better left alone. They can be helpful, bestowing favor and good fortune. Or they can be vindictive, destroying property, abducting loved ones, or even taking lives. According to Irish folklore, fairies were once a god-like race of people known as the Tuatha Dé Danann (“people of the goddess Danu”) or the Tuath Dé (“tribe of god”). The Tuatha Dé Danann ruled ancient Ireland, were immune to aging and sickness, and possessed magical powers. They were able to control the weather and shape-shift, sometimes appearing as birds and other animals to test various heroic figures in Irish mythology. According to myth, the ancestors of modern Irish people defeated the Tuatha Dé Danann and drove them underground, at which point they became known as the Sidhe or Aos sí. McCafferty says, “they go into another world or underworld, linked with places like Newgrange,” Ireland’s most famous prehistoric tomb, and other abandoned ancient places, including ring forts. Sidhe literally means “mound,” and so the Tuatha Dé Danann became “people of the mound.” In other tellings, the Sidhe are fallen angels or spirits of the dead. A belief in fairies has persisted. Stout, who's now retired, recalls clearing brush from the old stones as he and his wife surveyed ring forts in the 1980s, part of an effort to preserve them. As they cleared the sites, he says, “People would come up to us because they’d actually be concerned for us... We'd always say we were on [the fairies’] side.” Superstitions about fairies have saved many ring forts from destruction, says Stout; it’s why thousands still dot the Irish landscape. And while preservation laws have protected the forts since the 1990s, old fears still hold sway. “A lot of people might not believe in fairies” today, says Stout, “but they still would be reluctant to cut a thorn bush from a ring fort.” https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ireland-fairy-fort-ring

#Sarah Durn #Atlas Obscura