Lots Of Thoughts Recently. Everything Feels Plastic.

On a really bad day, that list may include stuff like; eat, drink water, shower, get out of bed.

my life with ADHD

Coolest thing about lord of the rings? The king of horses shows up. It appears he is no different from all other horses

Zweihänder

these two-handed swords are some of favorite swords, such a perfect balance of elegance and power. Really, zweihander's need more attention in the media.

(Sound on.) We’re all doomed.

People don't like to admit it bcs cringe or w/e but Homestuck really did revolutionize the webcomic as a storytelling medium and I am endlessly frustrated that before webcomic artists could really stretch our legs fucking webtoonz swooped in, set a new, more restrictive standard, and then monetized and monopolized the ever living fuck out of the concept of The Webcomic until it drove away anyone who couldn't be a professional quality manga artist for free, and now the only webcomics that actually feel like spiritual successors to Homestuck are so obscure they're basically cult classics that you have to beg people to read.

Like it's just so wild to be in high school and see Homestuck be like "we're using like fifteen different artistic mediums to tell this story bcs we can" and be really fucking inspired by that, only to grow up and see basically every webcomic ever have to conform to One Single Standard or fucking perish.

I love me a fantasy monster-slaying greatsword, but the historical greatsword has a pretty badass purpose too!

Art refs, tutorials and more!

Yeah, you definitely want to keep in mind the cultural differences and origins of European vs Asian martial arts when talking abut weapons from either area. Like, yeah this weapon will probably be shit on a battlefield, but it wasn't meant for that. It's similar to (how I think) cavalry sabers work. They're great for what they were designed for, people riding horses at speed, but they lose effectiveness when the wielder isn't mounted.

Demonstrating the rope dart (繩標; sheng2biao1)

[eng by me]

What I'm hearing is that people should send asks about theories and ideas that they DON'T want to happen.

I think people should be very careful of the asks they send you. Like, this is more-so rambling into your ask box than anything, considering how many asks you have, but y’know.

People can be really excited about a theory or idea they have, they hype it up, get themselves all in on it, and then do the most foolish thing ever: send you an ask about it.

Because isn’t there some sort of thing where, if an author/show runner/etc ends up consciously or subconsciously using a fan’s theory or idea, there’s a chance they could get into trouble with lawsuits or something?

So by sending you an ask about a theory or idea, it makes it less and less probable for it to end up becoming real.

I've pointed this out many times. Yes.

In light of certain recent topics, I’ve been reminded of the 2017 book ‘Norse Mythology’ by Neil Gaiman. It was a nice telling of the more well-known Norse Myths, but there are LOTS of other options out there for people wanting to learn more about Norse Mythology—you don’t have to support that predator to learn about the gods.

Below is a list of some of the other resources that I’ve used. It’s not exhaustive by any measure—just what I’m familiar with and what comes to mind as I sit here at my desk at work. If anyone else has any additional recommendations, please add them to the list!

Norse Mythology for Smart People - norse-mythology.org

This was where I first started when I wanted to learn about Norse Mythology years ago—I literally just typed “Norse Mythology” into google and clicked the first result like a noob. But this site does a really good job of giving information on a wide range of topics within norse mythology as well as vikings in a general sense—everything from different gods, goddesses, creatures, places, and major stories. It’s a solid encyclopedic source that I would recommend to anyone wanting to get general information on the mythology.

“Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide” - https://open.spotify.com/show/7F0tD7bStFIDSVEbsnrxuI?si=8ce8f5ccf3a3417d

If podcasts are your jam, the best by far in my opinion is ‘Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide’. At the time of me writing this, there haven’t been any new episodes for 6 months, but there are 37 episodes that are about an hour each & range on a variety of topics from cosmology to specific deities to stories like Ragnarok or specific topics like runes. It does a fantastic job of explaining each topic in a way that is both thorough and accessible & honestly I can’t recommend it enough.

The ‘Northern Myths’ Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/7KtSJb5DTLSwmfj1BPYY5v?si=fcd6c297cdc1463d

If you want to go deeper into Old Norse texts like the Eddas or the Havamál, the ‘Northern Myths’ podcast is the place to go for a very deep dive/discussion on these texts. The episodes are long and sometimes get a little dry, but they do read these texts directly and then discuss each passage, so it’s a decent place to go for some deep discussion on some of the pillars of Old Norse texts.

Dr. Jackson Crawford - https://jacksonwcrawford.com/

Most people who get into Norse Mythology/History become familiar with Jackson Crawford pretty quick. He’s an expert specifically in linguistics and the Old Norse language—which includes runes—but he also has extensive knowledge on Old Norse & “Viking” history & culture. He’s previously taught at UCLA, UC Berkeley, and University of Colorado, and now has an extensive Youtube channel. He’s also been a consultant for projects like AC:Valhalla. If you have a question about Old Norse & would like to have a soft-spoken, no-nonsense cowboy in the wilds of Colorado explain it to you, this is your new home.

Again, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start. Please please feel free to reblog with any additional sources you’ve used so we can help new friends learn more!