Okay, you probably know by now that when someone is my favourite, there's no escaping my portraits. So have another Maedhros - this time as a baby with his mum (and yep, I'm on a mission to revise old works!)
I hope you like it, and sorry for my one-track mind 🙈
Its fascinating how powerful #animism was at protecting the environment for most of existence. I just learned recently that the #nymphs in #Greek#mythology really no different than local #Shinto deities, or animal spirits of the Americas. Every rock, stream and tree had a spirit attached to it, and if one wanted to change or use the land, they had to know how to appeal to these spirits and do it sparingly.
Even #polytheists had some variety of lesser animistic spirits that get lost among the big names. Of course, major roman brownies got upgraded to gods when they saw and liked the Greek #pantheon.
To this day even if they don't actually believe in it, Icelanders use the concepts of land #elves as kind of an extra layer of bureaucracy before changing the land. Animists have been looked down on, as the most primitive form of religion. As modern science shows us that the environment is one of the most important things to protect, perhaps it is the most important and advanced form of #religion .
Wanton destruction of the planet only happened when we switched to #monotheism and converted all those spirits into evil #demons in our minds. It opened up many new scientific and technological advances but wrecked the planet. Perhaps we need some form of applied animistic bureaucracy such as giving all things a certain level of rights and autonomy to ensure they survive for future generations to also enjoy. #environmentalism
Something super quick today - Maglor being all sad because something I love is to make myself cry while thinking of stranded modern elves (but fear not because the happiness is around the corner, says Clo, the Queen of the Fix-It)
#Elves are cool in #fantasy. if you think they're snooty and their only trait is being better than you then I encourage you to read #theSilmarillion because no they're not
I feel like the reaction to Tolkien elves is based on people's reaction as perceived only through the LOTR movies.
The hidden folk at #Yuletide. I retell two related #folktales and speculate about what they say about contemporary society.
I recorded the episode and mentioned the then current state of the pending #VolcanicEruption in #Iceland. While I was doing so, an eruption started. I added a note on this before I uploaded it to Patreon. Now that I am releasing it for everyone, the eruption seems to be over.
#FunFact:
Santa's elves don't actually make any toys in their workshop. They make designer furniture, then use the profits from the sales of that to buy actual toys.
This way, they don't have to know anything about electronics or software programming, or predict the latest fads in the toy industry, or have their lawyers work out the patent and copyright laws so they would be able to make cheap knock-offs of big-name products.
Icelanders' belief in #elves is often greatly exaggerated. There is also a basic misunderstanding of what it entails for those who actually believe. Historically, people who thought that elves were real didn't think they were cute or in touch with nature. They could have signed on to what #TerryPratchett wrote. They thought elves were dangerous.