Group Info Group Founded 14 Years ago 1,205 Members
88,096 Pageviews1,349 Watchers

Announcement

This group will be migrated to the new design soon. Please contact the group admins to start the migration and save content the group may lose access to.

Group Info

A shocking amount of history, even from the revered Greeks and Egyptians, turns out to be utter make-believe, wishful political thinking, or false legacy-building -- even the stuff carved in stone! What separates myth and legend from reality and truth, even in today's age, where "myth and legend" are replaced by propaganda and spin? We will probably never know what really happened without being there ourselves, and this group is dedicated to anything that takes history and puts you, the viewer, there in that critical moment in time, or an alternative version of it 8-)

***Group Avatar designed by :iconpoopgoblyn:
Group
Founded 14 Years ago
Feb 10, 2010

Location
Global

Group Focus
Common Interest

1,205 Members
1,349 Watchers
88,096 Pageviews

Visitors

You're not here because you're not logged in
  • :iconscp8969:
    SCP8969
    Visited here 1 day ago
    Isn't a member
  • :iconyolandasrevengr:
    Yolandasrevengr
    Visited here 2 days ago
    Isn't a member
  • :iconthemechsage:
    TheMechSage
    Visited here 3 days ago
    Isn't a member
  • :iconilphi:
    ilphi
    Visited here 4 days ago
    Isn't a member
  • :iconabrammc:
    AbramMc
    Visited here 5 days ago
    Isn't a member

Affiliates

All history-related groups are welcome! :handshake:
:iconarsmilitaria::iconalternate-history::iconnurturing-narratives::iconlonerangerfanz::iconbest-of-castles::iconimprovtelling::iconworldthroughyoureyes::iconvive-la-revolution::iconvintage-spirit::iconromanian-history::icondampfpunk::iconhistorygirls::iconforever-otma::iconhistory-of-ukraine::iconbritishcomedy::iconukrainexturkey::icontheamericancivilwar::icongodsofthearena::iconhistoryreenactment::iconfrenchcosplay::icondieselpunkmachine::iconlatinstudents::icona-sexy-masquerade::iconpoliticsareparanoid::iconredpassionfans::icongerman-history::iconthecivilwarsociety::iconforsaken-legends::iconmystical-art-club::iconcracked-on-hetalia:

Admins

Founder


:iconobsidianplague:

Co-Founders


:icondianakennedy::icongavinmichelli::iconmrlennon:

Contributors


:iconacharnementgraphique::iconhouseofwindsor1::iconlookoo::iconsamohsai::iconmimii-x::iconwarman707::iconozgurdenizistanbul::iconragnarion::iconmordredderby::iconsherlockholmes22nd:

Sorry for the recent lack of activity.  Been busy with translation gigs, my day job, traveling to Japan, getting engaged, and trying to get my latest book written.  As part of my research, I'm reading a book called "Dragons and Dragon Lore: A Worldwide Study of Dragons in History, Art and Legend"  In the book the author quotes from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh -- "The Book of Kings", written between 977 and 1010 A.D. about a great dragon:

"Fire sparkles round him; his stupendous bulk
Looks like a mountain.  When incensed his roar
Makes the surrounding country shake with fear,
White poison foam drips from his hideous jaws,
Which, yawning wide, display a dismal gulf,
The grave of many a hapless being, lost
Wandering amidst that trackless wilderness"

The poem goes on to portray the struggle between the hero and the dragon.  The hero has build a  carriage spiked with swords and spears, and to many of the bystanders surprise, he shuts himself inside when the dragon approaches:

"Darkness now is spread around,
No pathway can be traced;
The fiery horses plunge and bound
Amid the dismal waste.
And now the dragon stretches far
His cavern-throat, and soon
Licks the horses and car,
And tries to gulp them down
But sword and javelin sharp and keen,
Wound deep each sinewy jaw;
Midway remains the huge machine
And chokes the monster's maw.
And from his place of ambush leaps
And brandishing his blade,
The weapon in the brain he steeps,
And splits the monster's head.
But the foul venom issuing thence,
Is so o'erpowering found,
Isfendiar, deprived of sense,
Falls staggering to the ground
As for the dragon - In agony he breathes,
A dire convulsion fires his blood,
And, struggling ready to expire,
Ejects a poison flood.
And thus disgorges wain and steeds.
And swords and javelins bright;
Then, as the dreadful dragon bleeds,
Up starts the warrior knight."

Pretty epic, huh?  The Asian dragon, however, was depicted as a more benevolent spirit, responsible for the blessing of rain.  There were times, of course, when rain storms became less of a blessing:

"Since early times high floods, tempests, and ordinary thunderstorms have been attributed by the Chinese to dragons fighting in the air or in rivers.  This is not a blessing to humanity, such as they bestow by peacefully shedding rain on the planted fields, and therefore the threatening 'herds' of dragons advancing to combat were looked at with fright.  An account of a dragon-fight in a pool in northern Liang, in 503 B.C., relates that vicious creatures "squirted fog over a distance of some miles." The only way to stop such dreadful duels is by the use of fire, which no water-spirit can endure; therefore heave sends sacred fire (the lightenings) to compel angry demons to cease troubling the clouds or mundane waters and injuring poor farmers, as all-destroying deluges might result.  Hence, occasional small or local damage to mankind, as innocent bystanders, from the vigorous quelling of draconic riots, is regarded as cheap payment for security against overwhelming floods."

That's one of the coolest things I've heard about ancient man and their explanations of nature:  Storms caused by dragons, with lightening bolts sent by Heaven to stop the drakes from fighting and causing too much flooding -- the lightening is destructive, of course, but it's the only defense against dragon-battles (storms).

Here's a dragon in a more peaceful setting, written by Okakoro Kakuzo in his "Book of Tea" written in 1906:

"The dragon is the spirit of change, therefore of life itself...taking new forms according to its surroundings, yet never seen in final shape.  It is the great mystery itself.  Hidden in the caverns of inaccessible mountains, or coiled in the unfathomed depth of the sea, he awaits the time when he slowly arouses himself into activity.  He unfolds himself in the storm-cloud, he washes his main in the darkness of the seething whirlpools.  His claws are the fork of the lightning... His voice is heard in the hurricane... The dragon reveals himself only to vanish."

It's perhaps here that I want to outline my frustration with the new Hobbit movies:  the director had a wonderful opportunity to make a powerful scene in the confrontation between the burglar hobbit and the all-mighty Smaug in the caverns....much like the mental battle of wits between Bilbo and Gollum.  Instead, much like the barrel scene, it simply becomes this outrageous sequence of dwarves bumbling about with miraculous results (and little actual danger) -- in essence, cheapening much of the built-up tension that J.R.R. Tolkien took more than a hundred pages to formulate.
More Journal Entries

Favourites

Lightning Aircraft Experimental Model by PaulRomanMartinez Lightning Aircraft Experimental Model :iconpaulromanmartinez:PaulRomanMartinez 105 7 The Forgotten Tale of Larsa by escume The Forgotten Tale of Larsa :iconescume:escume 1,736 125 Dreaming twilight by Alshain4 Dreaming twilight :iconalshain4:Alshain4 138 14 Rosafarben Bezwinger by enc86 Rosafarben Bezwinger :iconenc86:enc86 52 49 Hannibal Barca Reaches Italy by FilipeHattori Hannibal Barca Reaches Italy :iconfilipehattori:FilipeHattori 252 21 Gonji Batuyisu Mangedei in Court Dress by Gambargin Gonji Batuyisu Mangedei in Court Dress :icongambargin:Gambargin 82 18 Steampunk Bandit Queen III by von-sel Steampunk Bandit Queen III :iconvon-sel:von-sel 192 12 Tribute by Netarliargus Tribute :iconnetarliargus:Netarliargus 334 82 Chrysanthemum by MJWilliam Chrysanthemum :iconmjwilliam:MJWilliam 250 90 Warbirds RPG by DimMartin Warbirds RPG :icondimmartin:DimMartin 191 5 Weekend by Burtn Weekend :iconburtn:Burtn 429 26 Shadow of Light by vipmig Shadow of Light :iconvipmig:vipmig 151 14 Hunter by Detkef Hunter :icondetkef:Detkef 1,939 66 Daguerreotype Pirate by TotallyToastyAri Daguerreotype Pirate :icontotallytoastyari:TotallyToastyAri 67 6 Horsemen 2012 IV by AirshowDave Horsemen 2012 IV :iconairshowdave:AirshowDave 60 2
Inspiring group favorites.

Deviants

Comments


Add a Comment:
 
:icondrakesheppard:
DrakeSheppard Featured By Owner Aug 31, 2019  Student Artist
thanks for letting me join!
Reply
:icondaladadahui:
Daladadahui Featured By Owner May 27, 2019  Hobbyist
Thx for letting me join :)
Reply
:iconavantinostalgia:
AvantiNostalgia Featured By Owner Mar 16, 2018  Professional Digital Artist
Hello! Is this group active?
My submission expired.
Reply
:iconcomicfam:
comicfam Featured By Owner Dec 11, 2017
hello everyone!
Reply
:icondr-arcade:
Dr-Arcade Featured By Owner Mar 18, 2017
Hello fellow alternate history lovers! I have a YouTube channel where I (and a few of my friends) narrate scenarios by RvBOMally, Vongreif, Xanthoc, and Zauberfloete21! We also have videos on the world of the famous Red Alert 3 Paradox mod, and RvBOMally's stellar science fiction work, "Space Cadet"

Check it out here. www.youtube.com/channel/UC2hNL…
Reply
:iconbeignetbison:
BeignetBison Featured By Owner Feb 13, 2017  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Seems this group is dead, right?
Reply
:iconcodenamecreation:
CodenameCreation Featured By Owner Jul 15, 2016  Student Artist
hello
Reply
:iconavantinostalgia:
AvantiNostalgia Featured By Owner May 11, 2016  Professional Digital Artist
Hello! Is this group active?
My submission expired.
Reply
:iconavantinostalgia:
AvantiNostalgia Featured By Owner Feb 10, 2016  Professional Digital Artist
Are you alive? :iconlazywaveplz:
My submission request expired. :iconlazypoolplz:
Reply
:iconathicer:
Athicer Featured By Owner Aug 7, 2015
Is this group also for maps?
Reply
Add a Comment: