Hey did you know I keep a google drive folder with linguistics and language books that I try to update regularly
“Tenochtitlan,” by Elisa Chavez.
Cortes’ men thought the Mexica’s floating city must be a dream: stone temples jutting from the water, voracious bright gardens and grand estates.
My sun-worshipping ancestors kept their gods close, heeded their rapt whispers. In their names, they built marvelous canals and walked on the waters.
It shouldn’t then surprise that artists have tried to recapture Tenochtitlan, brooding on the dream journals of Spaniards: they imagine her bright causeways, the lush gardens paving her streets like enchantments.
The Spanish, steely god-mongers that they were, knew well how to deal with enchantment: They burned Tenochtitlan to ash.
Leí que los Mexica ahogaban a mujeres de cercanos pueblos para apaciguar a la diosa de las lluvias. Su templo mayor tenía dos estantes de cráneos.
Mis antepasados que adoraban al sol mantenían a sus dioses cerca, escuchando a sus voces rapaces. En sus nombres, perpetraban maravillas y atrocidades.
No debe sorprender entonces que los pueblos a fuera de Tenochtitlan les daron la bienvenida a cualquiera que prometiera un final al sol cruel, las flores mentirosas, los aguas pavimentados con los huesos de tributas.
El dios de los Hispanos fue el oro, y él les mandó a quemar Tenochtitlan, enviándola para reunirse con las doncellas ahogadas.
Is this translation inaccurate? You bet! Miss Translated is a meditation on culture, identity, and the things that get lost in translation by Elisa Chavez. To support this project, check out my Patreon.
Do you have any insights into the different candidates for the upcoming otw elections?
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Not as yet.
1. "I've missed your touch." 2. "I think about you. Ceaselessly." 3. "You feel so good." 4. "Let me look at you." 5. "Don't stop." 6. "Say it again." 7. "Tell me again." 8. "Your wish is my command." 9. "I am yours to do as you please." 10. "You don't know what you do to me." 11. "You are all I can think about." 12. "The things I want to do to you..." 13. "I want you. All of you." 14. "Take it off." 15. "Close your eyes." 16. "Tell me what you want. In details." 17. "I could come just from looking at you." 18. "Just for me." 19. "You're not playing fair." 20. "Leave it on." 21. "Please." 22. "You'll be the end of me." 23. "I can't wait to take this off you." 24. "Slower. I want to make this last." 25. "Tighter." 26. "Show me." 27. "Just for you." 28. "You blush so beautifully." 29. "I can't get enough of you." 30. "Make me yours."
Feel free to reblog, send and use! I'm also gladly accepting these!
you wanted it, you got it, babes! caveat: this list is long (seriously, sorry about the length) and i can’t write blurbs for everything, but i highly recommend going and looking at anything that sounds interesting. some books will fall under multiple headings, so i’m listing them twice. i am linking to their purchase pages on bookshop.org, because amazon sucks and bookshop helps support indie booksellers, but if your local indie bookstore offers delivery or curbside pickup, buy it there. and i’m trying to keep this list confined to pretty recent titles, so even though a few older ones might slip in there, it’s definitely centered on releases from the past few years. okay let’s do this.
godshot by chelsea bieker
the book of joan by lidia yuknavitch
girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo
her body and other parties by carmen maria machado (short stories)
trust exercise by susan choi
my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russell
the rehearsal by eleanor catton
indelicacy by amina cain
the answers by catherine lacey
the mars room by rachel kushner
the love affairs of nathaniel p. by adelle waldman
you too can have a body like mine by alexandra kleeman
the new me by halle butler
queenie by candice carty-williams
prep by curtis sittenfeld
the idiot by elif batumen
my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh
oksana, behave! by maria kuznetsova
where’d you go, bernadette by maria semple
convenience store woman by sayaka murata
nothing to see here by kevin wilson
made for love by alissa nutting
the pisces by melissa broder
the herd by andrea bartz
mrs. dalloway by virginia woolf
the awakening by kate chopin
we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson
gone girl by gillian flynn
rebecca by daphne du maurier
white oleander by janet fitch
cousin bette by honore de balzac
wide sargasso sea by jean rhys
play it as it lays by joan didion
the piano teacher by elfriede jelinek
valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann
postcards from the edge by carrie fisher
if we were villains by m.l. rio
social creature by tara isabelle burton
the basic eight by daniel handler
the incendiaries by r.o. kwon
bunny by mona awad
hex by rebecca dinerstein knight
the dreamers by karen thompson walker
the book of joan by lidia yuknavitch
severance by lin ma
gold fame citrus by claire vaye watkins
the farm by joanne ramos
followers by megan angelo
the power by naomi alderman
the glass hotel by emily st. john mandel
normal people by sally rooney
fame adjacent by sarah skilton
stay up with hugo best by erin somers
the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid
circe by madeline miller
the nobodies by liza palmer
evvie drake starts over by linda holmes
my sister, the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite
baby teeth by zoje stage
dare me by megan abbott
eileen by ottessa moshfegh
social creature by tara isabelle burton
the worst kind of want by liska jacobs
the girls by emma cline
oligarchy by scarlett thomas
devotion by madeline stevens
baby by annaleese jochems
marlena by julie buntin
bunny by mona awad
necessary people by anna pitoniak
red at the bone by jacqueline woodson
the care and feeding of ravenously hungry girls by anissa grey
mostly dead things by kristen arnett
bee season by myla goldberg
bowlaway by elizabeth mccracken
everything i never told you by celeste ng
the nest by cynthia d’aprix sweeney
the grammarians by cathleen schine
ask again, yes by mary beth keane
my brilliant friend and the neapolitan novels by elena ferrante
such a fun age by kiley reid
gingerbread by helen oyeyimi
the female persuasion by meg wolitzer
the burning girl by claire messud
expectation by anna hope
the animators by kayla rae whitaker
my education by susan choi
permission by saskia vogel
mostly dead things by kristen arnett
real life by brandon taylor
after dolores by sarah schulman
patsy by nicole dennis-benn
wilder girls by rory power
enter the aardvark by jessica anthony
less by andrew sean greer
exciting times by naiose dolan
dept. of speculation by jenny offill
the interestings by meg wolitzer
godshot by chelsea bieker
play it as it lays by joan didion
the bonfire of the vanities by tom wolfe
wolf in white van by john darnielle
things you would know if you grew up around here by nancy wayson dinan
sex and rage by eve babitz
wise blood by flannery o’connor
leading men by christopher castellani
saint x by alexis schaitkin
the cosmopolitans by sarah schulman
lake success by gary shteyngart
odds against tomorrow by nathaniel rich
the great believers by rebecca makkai
good citizens need not fear by maria reva (short stories)
COLD WEATHER TIPS FROM SOMEONE WHO LIVES WHERE IT’S COLD:
I always see posts about layering clothing, but there are so many more creative ways to help keep you warm if you don’t have a lot of warm clothes. But first, a note on layering clothing:
-Your underlayer is your WICKING layer. That means it is a layer specifically to absorb the moisture your body produces. DO NOT USE COTTON AS A BOTTOM LAYER. Use merino wool if possible, but other good substitutions are nylon, polyester and rayon.
-Your middle layer is for insulation. You want AIR POCKETS in there, NOT tight fitting clothes. This is where you want to put your fluffy sweaters, your fleece, down, fur, flannel, or vests. If you do not have these, you can substitute with multiple layers of long sleeve shirts.
-Your outer layer is for keeping the cold away from your body. If you do not have a jacket, you can put on your thickest piece of clothing and then a raincoat over it. Windbreaker if you have one.
ALSO
-Jeans are the absolute worst at holding heat. Use only as a last resort.
-You can’t really ever have too many layers on your feet. Alternate tucking your layers of pants into your layers of socks to keep your ankles warm!
-Wear a hat OVER a hood if it will fit! This will keep your ears warmest.
TAKE OFF/OUT ANY AND ALL JEWELERY/PIERCINGS
-If you have a medical bracelet, DO NOT REMOVE IT. If you can, tuck a layer of clothes between it and your skin.
NON-CLOTHING TIPS:
-Raid your recycling. Gather all cardboard boxes and break them down so that they are flat. Put them on the floor to add more layers between you and the cooling house. Newspaper will also serve the same purpose.
-In an emergency, you can also layer newspaper between clothing layers. Don’t worry about looking stupid if you’re staying warm.
-If you have a tent, set that sucker up in whatever room you have decided to stay in. Stay in it and keep it zipped shut as much as you can, but do NOT cover the vent at the top. You can put the rain fly up, but make sure there is circulating air for you to breathe.
-You are probably not going to feel very hungry at times. DO NOT STOP EATING OR DRINKING. Digestion produces a lot of body heat and the food will give your body energy to keep itself going.
-The best foods are heavy and full of carbs and proteins. Eat nuts, eggs, pasta, meats, and beans. If you are on a diet, now you’re not. If you’re vegetarian… bulk up on those pastas and nuts.
-Try not to sweat. If you are finding yourself getting damp, take off the outer layer just until you start to cool slightly. Then redress! Your bottom layer should dry quickly, and being wet is dangerous.
-On that note, STAY ACTIVE. You are probably going to want to hunker down and snuggle up, but that will make your muscles cramp. Every 15-20 minutes do something that gets you up and about. Walk circles in the room, do a couple jumping jacks, stretch, whatever. Just enough to move some blood around your body. Don’t get sweaty or out of breath, it’s just a little movement.
-CHAPSTICK. ON YOUR LIPS. ON YOUR NOSE. ON YOUR EARS. ON YOUR KNUCKLES. Don’t let your extremities get dry or cracked.
SIGNS OF HYPOTHERMIA:
-Uncontrollable shivering -Slurred speech -Confusion or memory loss -Dizziness or lack of coordination -Inability to be woken from sleep
CHILDREN AND INFANTS!!!! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH.
-Children WILL get colder before you. Make sure they are properly bundled up.
-If you need to breastfeed, put a blanket over the both of you and wait a few minutes for the air to warm before removing or shifting your clothing.
-DO NOT COVER AN INFANTS FACE. ESPECIALLY WHEN SLEEPING. Keep them tucked inside your own clothes when possible. As close to your heart and stomach as possible.
-Put chapstick on children’s cheeks and clean their face often if they are crying or wiping at their nose. This will prevent cracked skin and irritation.
-Make sure your children are staying as hydrated as you! They are going to fuss and not want to drink cold things, but they NEED liquids.
SIGNS OF HYPOTHERMIA IN INFANTS AND TODDLERS ARE DIFFERENT:
-Shortness of breath -Cold, red skin -Lethargy or listlessness
Finally:
CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS. CHECK ON CHILDREN. CHECK ON THE ELDERLY. STAY SNUGGLED. STAY SAFE.
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One of the questions I get hit with a lot is “If I’m getting into Irish Mythology, what sources do you recommend?” It’s a sad, sad truth about the field that a lot of really valuable info is kept locked away in books and journals that the lay person wouldn’t know about (and then we wonder why information about the field is so bad.) So, I decided to compile a list of sources that I’ve personally used and found helpful in my time. It’s not a complete bibliography because, frankly, that would take up a TREMENDOUS amount of space and you’d be scrolling forever to find what you wanted, and I don’t AGREE with every single thing they say, and it’s by no means exhaustive (keep in mind: scholars from all over the field use mythological texts to study things as diverse as law, geography, tribal names, material culture, etc. and here I’m mainly focusing on sources that are JUST mythological-focused) but they’re a good starting point to forming your own opinions. The journal articles are, tragically, generally kept confined to academia, but….perhaps….if you were to ask around, someone might be able to provide you with a copy. As a whole, Celticists tend to be quite generous when it comes to sharing articles.
List subject to change, check back as time goes on to see if I’ve added anything. Also, as always, feel free to either drop me an ask or a pm if you’re curious about digging further into a given text/figure. I can’t act as a consultant on a religious question; I’m a very firm atheist with all the spirituality of a dull spoon, except with the existence of ghosts. My interest in the Tuatha Dé is purely scholarly; all that I can say is what I know about these topics from the perspective of the medieval sources, but I can definitely do my best on that one front, and I won’t reject anyone who has a different interest in the Tuatha Dé from contacting me.
This list only deals with the Mythological Cycle, not the other strands of the literary tradition that is generally if not uncontroversially referred to as “Irish Mythology”. For Fenian Cycle traditions, a similar bibliography has been compiled by Dr. Natasha Sumner of Harvard, here.
Editions/Translations of Texts (many of these are available at UCC’s CELT archive or on Irish Sagas Online):
Tochmarc Étaíne, Osborn Bergin and Richard Best
Cath Maige Tuired, Elizabeth Gray (If you can and you’re serious about the field, I highly recommend getting the actual Irish Text Society Edition, which includes a wonderful index of every time a given figure shows up in other sources. An absolute must for a mythographer.)
Lebor Gabála Érenn, J.R.S Macalister, 5 vols. (The entirety of this is available on archive.org. Personally…while the rest of it is obviously important and worthy of study, if you’re interested in just the mythological stuff, I recommend Volume IV, which includes both the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha Dé. Unless you really, really want to read five volumes of medieval Irish pseudohistory, the last volume of which was finished posthumously.) i ii iii iv v
The Metrical Dinshenchas, Edward Gwynn. (5 vols.) (These are difficult, with many scholars outright ignoring them except when absolutely necessary. These are in a later form of Irish, which means that, while some of the contents in them could very well be Pre-Christian in nature, they very much do reflect a later medieval world. Some of them are just as much about contemporary politics as they are about mythology, and many of them also bring in content from the Ulster Cycle and the Fenian Cycle. My personal favorites to look up are Tailtiu, Carn Hui Néit, Duirgen, and Carmun, though there are MANY others.) i ii iii iv v
“The First Battle of Moytura”, John Fraser (Note: It’s a VERY late text, with the question of the Fir Bolg/Tuatha Dé battle and how far the tradition really goes back being one that’s very important to keep in mind. It’s a personal favorite of mine. But it’s very late.)
Baile in Scáil, Kevin Murray (Thurneyson also did an older edition that’s more readily accessible, hence why I linked it here, but Murray is the most recent and up to date.)
“How the Dagda got his magic staff”, Osborn Bergin
Oidheadh Chloinne Tuireann, Richard Duffy (This is an Early Modern Irish text, so it was written down comparatively late. That doesn’t mean that there’s NO mythological content here, it’s a personal favorite of mine, but it means that it very much reflects the cultural context of around….the 15th-17th century or thereabouts. It’s very chaotic, very violent, and the heroic figures are….not….heroic.)
Scél Tuáin Meic Chairill, John Carey
Echtra Nerai, it’s available in a fairly recent translation by John Carey in Celtic Heroic Age (pub. 2003) , listed below, though Kuno Meyer also did an edition/translation for it that I’ve linked to here.
Books:
Proinsias Mac Cana, Celtic Mythology (Personally, I’d recommend this one first - It’s designed for someone who isn’t a specialist and, while a lot of what he’s saying has been disputed back and forth, it’s still a handy primer and will get you into the myths.)
John Koch and John Carey, The Celtic Heroic Age (Once you have an idea of what you’re looking at, I recommend this one, since it’s a sourcebook. A TON of material from across the Celtic world, featuring classical sources, medieval Irish sources, and Welsh, all of it in one place.)
Mark Williams, Ireland’s Immortals (I personally recommend you read this one after you read CHA, giving you a bit of context for what Williams is saying here.)
O’Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology (note: A lot of what he says here is no longer considered recent in the field, but his knowledge of his own sources is, frankly, without any other peer. Use with a grain of salt)
John Carey, The Mythological Cycle of Medieval Irish Literature
Kim McCone, Pagan Past, Christian Present
Koch, Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia
Articles:
John Carey, “Myth and Mythography in ‘Cath Magh Tuired’”
John Carey, “Donn, Amairgen, Ith and the Prehistory of Irish Pseudohistory”
Proinsias Mac Cana, “Aspects of the theme of King and Goddess in Irish Literature”
Máire Herbert, “Goddess and king: the sacred marriage in early Ireland.”
Gregory Toner, “Macha and the invention of myth”
Elizabeth A. Gray, “Cath Maige Tuired: myth and structure“
Thomas Charles-Edwards, “Tochmarc Étaíne: a literal interpretation”
Tómas O’Cathasaigh, “Cath Maige Tuired as Exemplary Myth”
Joseph Nagy, “Close encounters of the traditional kind in medieval Irish literature”
Mark Scowcroft, “Leabhar Gabhála. Part I: the growth of the text”
Mark Scowcroft, “Leabhar Gabhála. Part II: the growth of the tradition”
Joseph Nagy, “‘Talking myth’ in medieval Irish literature.”
John Carey, “The Location of the Otherworld in Irish Tradition”
Máire Bhreathnach, “The sovereignty goddess as goddess of death?“
John Carey, “Notes on the Irish war-goddess.”
Veronica Philipps, “Exile and authority in Lebor gabála Érenn”
Kevin Murray, “Sources of Irish mythology. The significance of the dinnṡenchas”
you're laughing. charles dickens had a son named plorn and you're laughing
psa f1blr: it has come to my attention that far too many ppl on this hellsite don't know where to stream races illegally so i'll make it very simple. you can do it HERE or HERE :)
A side blog dedicated to all those cool info posts i find
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