Latest Posts by yellowlow - Page 2
okay so I was doing a Research™️ about ancient Greek etymology as one does and I found some Things that made me want to Violently Claw My Arms Off please allow me to force feed you my discoveries
So there are 2 words for "not" in ancient Greek, depending on the context: ou and mē. Having introduced himself in the Cyclops episode as " ou tis", or No-man, he then stabs Polyphemus in the eye. When Polyphemus' brothers come to check on him, they say this:
"... surely no man [mē tis] is carrying off your sheep? Surely no man [mē tis] is trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?"
Right after this, after the other cyclopes ditch Polyphemus, Odysseus's inner monologue goes something like this:
"Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever strategem [metis]." (pronounced mEH-Tis)
Now, there's a difference between mē tis and metis. [mē tis] (pronounced mEH-Tis with a space between the syllables) is the literal translation for "no man". Metis is a word for extreme intelligence/cunning, which is something Odysseus is famous for.
Now, there are several examples of abuse of metis/intelligence in the Odyssey, but I think the juxtaposition between [mē tis], or the concept of anonymity, and metis, or extreme intelligence, is REALLY interesting. Odysseus's adoption of the title "No-man" was characteristic of metis--it was a really smart move that simultaneously hid him from the cyclops and avoided any future consequences. It was a highly effective strategy all wrapped up in a nest little package with a bow on it.
But when he revealed himself as Odysseus of Ithaca, effectively throwing off No-man (anonymity and [mē tis]), that was characterized as idiocy--he's essentially doxxed himself, and now he's doing to (spoiler alert) get tossed around the Mediterranean by Poseidon for the next 10 years.
This is really interesting because it lets you see the parallels/codependency between metis(intelligence) and humility. When Odysseus refused to allow himself to go unnoticed (hubris) he suffered for it. BUT when he declined instant glory/satisfaction (kleos) in order to achieve the long term goal of survival, he was rewarded with Athena's favor (pay attention. This part is important).
And this situation repeats itself MULTIPLE TIMES in the Odyssey--the EXACT SAME THING happens near the end of the book, with the suitors. When. Odysseus is dressed as a beggar and the suitors/Antinious are abusing him, he ACTIVELY CHOOSES not to react--he doesn't stand up and rip off his disguise and start hollering "TIS I, ODYSSEUS OF ITHACA! FEAR MY WRATH"
No. He sits there patiently and waits. He plans and schemes and quietly orchestrates their downfall without alerting them of it. Why? Because he learned his lesson the first time this happened. He buried his rage and adopted what was, according to Grace LA Franz, a more feminine form of metis, weaving a web of destruction for his enemies that ultimately resulted in their total annihilation (see Weaving a Way to Nostos: Odysseus and Feminine Metis in the Odyssey by Grace LaFranz). His patience allowed him to win the whole prize--no questions asked, no 10-year-long-business-trip strings attached--just the sweetness of a full victory. And he is, once again, rewarded with Athena's favor--both in the battle with the suitors and in the aftermath (cleanup/reuniting with Penelope).
This really reinforces the idea in the Odyssey that Odysseus's defining characteristic is not just his intelligence--it's his ability to learn from his mistakes. He used what he learned at the Lotus Eaters Island against Polyphemus--the Lotus Eaters drugged his men, so he drugged Polyphemus. He used what he learned from Circe and Polyphemus against the suitors--Circe used false sweetness and honeyed words to lure his men into a trap, so that's exactly what he did to the suitors. His hubris on Polyphemus' island cost his whole crew their lives, so he intentionally left well enough alone until the right time. He didn't just learn from his failures--he turned them into BATTLE STRATEGY.
i don't care what anyone says that is completely totally and objectively awesome
I’ve just had pineapple on pizza and I really had to ponder the meaning of life for a sec
This Fossil Friday, meet an exceptionally preserved feathered dinosaur. Sinornithosaurus millennii lived some 130 million years ago and was about 3 ft (1 m) long. When it was discovered, it joined a growing list of dinosaur fossils showing evidence of feathers. But this specimen is especially unique because the imprints of its feathers are astonishingly clear. Scientists think Sinornithosaurus had three types of feathers: simple hairlike filaments, downy tufts (like those on modern birds), and modern feathers along the edges of its limbs!
Photo: M. Ellison/ © AMNH
so I watched episode seven of the percy jackson show and just really wanted to draw hades
so, here
being bigender is weird
(from afab perspective)
like idk. i still experience gender dysphoria from being feminine but at the same time i dont care that much?? like i wanna wear a binder and have more masculine features, and it wouldn't hurt me to be seen as a girl, but it would be nice to be perceived as a boy too?? i like having long hair and getting pretty but it doesn't change the fact that im both a boy and girl at the same time.
being bigender isnt some thing like being genfluid (at least not 4 me) and its more like just completely being both boy and girl at once. i wish i could be more androgynous. i love being pretty and wearing makeup and skirts and hearing ppl call me fem comments and say im such a pretty girl or whatever makes me so happy but i also like being handsome and putting on suits and lowering my voice and it makes me happy to hear people call me "he" or other masc things, but there aren't days where i feel like one gender more than the other. i feel like BOTH at the same time-- all the time.
(btw that "BOTH" doesn't imply "theres only 2 genders" garbage. i meant "both girl and boy")
.......im repeating myself a lot so im just gonna drop this haaahhhhh
man, being bigender is cool actually...
identifying as both a man and a woman has given me way too much power because now in an argument I can say "as both a lesbian and a straight man I think" and make people's brain explode
please watch my favorite game changer clip ever
chameleon chameleon
a comic about being bigender, and bisexual, by me! happy pride everyone.
I love six the musical 🎶
im not immune to how corsets make breasts look