To Be Clear - Blog Posts

That is the start of William F. Skene's translation of "Cad Goddeu". Here are others for comparison (with a couple more lines because I like them):

I was in a multitude of forms before I was unfettered: I was a slender mottled sword made from the hand. I was a droplet in the air, I was the stellar radiance of the stars, I was a word in writing, I was a book in my prime. I was the light of a lantern For a year and a half…"

--Marged Haycock

I was in many a guise before I was disenchanted. I am a grey-cowled minstrel : I believe in illusion. I was for a time in the sky : I was observing the stars. I was a message in writing : I was a book to my priest. I was the light of the altar-horns, for a year and a half.

--John Gwenogvryn Evans (who translated the title as "The Battle of the Scrub" rather than "The Battle of the Trees")

I was woven  in so many forms before this one.  I was a sword drawn, high and long against sky, and I was its tear in the air, the dullest of stars.   I was the word among letters, the story’s breath within the book, the light of lanterns.   For a year and a half I was the continuing bridge...

--Órlaith on Wordpress

There are a number of others out there; these are just a few which struck me as being distinctive in an interesting way.

‘I have been a multitude of shapes, Before I assumed a consistent form. I have been a sword, narrow, variegated, I have been a tear in the air, I have been in the dullest of stars. I have been a word among letters, I have been a book in the origin.’ Taliesin .. c. 534 – c. 599

Avengers: Battling Life

Avengers: Big Girls Don’t Cry

All monsters be respawning tonight

being sick with want really is the female experience

ok so Nazis are fucking awful and have zero media literacy, no argument there. What's more, Nazis are famous for appropriating and misinterpreting aesthetics and narratives that have nothing to do with their bullshit ideology.

However, in these tags you specifically mention Frieren. Now, the thing is, I don't know if Nazis who like Frieren are actually misinterpreting it, cause that anime actually does have some concerningly fascist/racist messaging; the biggest example of this easily being the demons and the demon arc. For those who don't know, in this arc, Frieren and company enter a town in a war against demons which, for the most part, are completely identical to people. Frieren repeatedly says that demons are not people and, by their very nature, only seek to deceive, manipulate, and kill humans. She also goes on to attack them on sight and largely imply that their race cannot be allowed to survive. Other characters initially protest this ideology until the story proves Frieren right; the demons that she had racially profiled earlier were literally just there to destabilize the town and kill people while spouting evil one-liners and twirling their moustaches.

In summary, unless I'm completely misinterpreting something (which is always possible), the show has:

A race of people that are depicted as inherently evil animals/monsters that (despite being able to talk) cannot be negotiated or reasoned with

A main character who profiles, despises, hunts, and kills this race of people on sight

Characters who initially oppose this behavior/ideology until the narrative reinforces it by showing the deadly consequences of trusting this race

All of which has obvious parallels to Nazi messaging about minorities and so-called "undesirables" being evil and unreasonable. When I first watched this arc I thought that maybe there was going to be a twist where Frieren learned the error of her ways but nope; the exact opposite happens and she gets proven right repeatedly. I was genuinely disgusted and astounded at this weirdly violent and fascist ideology from what was, previously, a relatively wholesome show. That being said, it wouldn't be the first time that fantasy adventures were used to propagate dangerous fascist ideas, as the typical good vs. evil trope so often found in fiction can easily be used to dehumanize and reduce people to obstacles.

Always weird to me when a piece of media about redemption, forgiveness and understanding cultivates the meanest fandom imaginable

do people not understand that the point of legalizing child labor is regulating child labor. so that child laborers can like, be legally protected if they experience violence and such violence can be prevented by putting legal guard rails in place. instead of our current system that leaves child laborers with no recourse of protection.

do people not understand that the point of legalizing sex work is regulating sex work. so that sex workers can like, be legally protected if they experience violence and such violence can be prevented by putting legal guard rails in place. instead of our current system that leaves sex workers with no recourse or protection

imagine your villain f/o tilting your chin up with their weapon and saying "well, well, well, what do we have here?"

proship dni