“It is a natural tendency to view the world as governed by large things controlling small ones: large kingdoms dominating small ones, major cities ruling over satellite forts, men atop elephants and chariots directing regular cavalry and infantry. Yet machines may be designed so that a light touch to a thin string causes an entire palace to collapse.”
*****
This is part of a story I'm writing called The Great Empire, a fictionalized account of Kautilya's rise to power and the formation of the Mauryan empire. As it is a fictional work based on history whose precise details are not known or vary greatly between primary sources, many elements of the story may be jarring to readers familiar with modern, "medievalized" adaptations. See the Preface for a list of specific plot points that some readers may find offensive.
Link to Contents for other chapters | Link to FictionPress book
*****
—2.5. Cutting the Gordian knot—
***
One hundred and forty six years ago.
(475 BC)
“And then what did you do, Father-sir?”
“Luring them into a false sense of security by feigning defeat, I sent a group of prostitutes to distract Kulvalaka and the other Licchavis and break the chain of command, allowing my agents to seize the city before their confused eyes.”
“Brilliant, Father-sir!”
“That is NOT what you should be saying, Udayin. What should you be saying?”
Udayin considered the question for a half-second. “The prostitutes achieved what your catapults couldn’t. Thus, they are a threat to your supremacy.” The crown prince gulped. “What did you do to them, Father-sir?”
Ajatashatru scrunched up his face as if confused by the question. “Why, I simply beheaded them, of course. It would be quite silly to employ a more torturous method – like cutting them into small shreds starting from the fingertips, or pouring molten metal down their throat, or chaining their limbs to those of elephants and having them slowly be torn apart, or placing them between spiked plates as they are pressed together by boulders dropped by cranes. Those are the methods to be employed against my enemies or against ordinary subjects for fun, not against those who have served me – I wouldn’t want my subjects afraid of serving me, after all.”
*One could sense some nervousness in Udayin’s laugh, and this annoyed the
... keep reading on reddit ➡
Hey all,
I thought it might be interesting/worthwhile to pass on some good historical examples of Celtic artwork, to give some of the more recent initiates into all things Celtic some basic grounding in material culture. (The "Celtic" knots, better known as interlace, are a Germanic design, introduced to Britain and Ireland by the Anglo-Saxons and other North Sea Germanic peoples, and reinforced during the Viking Age by Danish and other Scandinavian invaders and settlers. In turn, interlace derives from Near Eastern / "Fertile Crescent" motifs that I discuss further on.)
I've been an amateur Celticist since very early childhood (that's what happens to you when your parents give you a Gaelic-derived name, the pronunciation of which only a few of your teachers and friends can accurately guess on the first attempt), and I majored in Celtic Studies in college (aka "university" for our non-American friends). I love doing what I can to share the knowledge I've been so fortunate to receive.
First, I'd like to give background info that of some the newer Celticists among us might not know.
The Celts were widely respected by the Romans and Greeks, and modern-day art-historians and archeologists, as some of the finest artisans in Europe at the time. The Romans, Greeks, Etruscans, Celts, Slavs, Thracians, Illyrians, and Germanic peoples all had extensive trade networks with each other and inspired each other's art (though their art styles were all descended from common Indo-European and "Fertile Crescent" originals, e.g. the lotus-flower and palm-tree palmette and acanthus-leaf serpentine scroll motifs that gave rise to arabesques in the middle ages). Before Rome's dominion, the Celtic peoples were THE prestige culture of western, central, and even much of southern and eastern Europe. The classic "Imperial" Roman helmet, and its "Montefortino" and "Coolus" predecessors—which were the main types of the Roman Republic; these were the ones used during the Gallic Wars, for instance—were directly borrowed from the Cisalpine Gauls. The latter two were in turn heavily inspired by Greek and Etru
... keep reading on reddit ➡
I am an esthetician that tries to do an amazing neck and shoulder massage during my facials. I thought this a more appropriate place to post than r/esthetics as it has more to do with massage. I think I've gotten pretty good at sending emotional energy back to my client, just letting it roll through me, not hanging onto it. But I still physically feel the tension and knottiness in my body afterward if my client has alot of that. Any tips or advice on how to avoid this? I just got a massage myself a few days ago and the effects sure don't last long when I have to massage others (because I want to and I love to, just trying to take care of me, too). Thanks in advance!
I know someone who turns wood so I’d like to have him make me a custom brush but want to make sure it’s a great one. I have a boar brush that I like but I’d like to try a synthetic one that looks good but makes a nice lather. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I was thinking to buy two, one for me and one for him to make himself, so I want to make sure it’s a keeper.
I've never seen this, but it works really well on running lines and strangle knots. No idea why it never occurred to me before.
Basically, it's an improvement on a standard jam knot.
Make your sliding knot (as pictured, an overhand noose or Poacher's Knot), leaving your typical tail/free end. Using the running line, form a Marlinspike hitch. Tuck the free end of your line through the Marlinspike hitch and tighten. If you form a bight out of your free end, you'll have a quick release.
It really stops the line from loosening, as you're binding both the free and running lines.
I'm sure it's known, but wow, I was happy to find it. Hope it helps someone!
