akaisha said:
Well, thank you Winter. Now that you have informed me you don't say it often, then may I be proud to earn that luxury.
Also my sister had mentioned the middle finger's meaning in its original meaning during that time, but I didn't listen to all she had to say. And though I suppose in a way Totchi's middle finger could mean the same, I had commented on the fact what it means now in America, and I would only think he meant the same, since now days flipping someone off seems almost appropriate.. in an odd and twisted way... But thank you still for that information. Though what I wonder is how is it not a sign of disrespect? You see with them saying that they are able and ready to fight its basically saying they are ready to kill, and in killing some family always suffers a loss, and from my understanding its very disrespectful to kill someone esspecially with a family. Though I unerstand in times of war you are more a number thena human being but to the families, its not the case. Therefore in a way it is still an insult.
In the older Nordic cultures, the battlefield was the ultimate honor to be on. To fight under the guise of Valhalla, and the Nordic fighter-gods of yore.
Many of the ancient Nordic cultures and customs were adopted from maurauding and travelling barbarians. Eventually, a good portion of pre-dark aged Europe had some sort of honor lying in the concept of men fighting on the battlefield. Fighting for their King, and their people.
To inform the enemy that you are ready to fight, kill, and die for your King, and your honor was in no real way a sign of disrespect. It was a thing to be adored in a way, and undoubtedly, to be respected.
You have to remember the middle age fighters' eye looked at battle very differently than the modern-day civilian.
As for your previous post; again I liked it. Didnt agree with much of any of it, but still, I liked it.
Now I'd like to express my thoughts on music.
Did you know that rock didnt start with Elvis, Chuck Berry, and the like?
Of course you did. But did you know how it really started?
Most of the greats of modern rock, started in the south by imitating their black predecessors. Rock 'n roll was actually a southern Black term meaning 'sex'.
Anyway, even Elvis, whom pioneered rock to caucasian america, copied it directly from the gospel services of the many black churches of the south he visited.
Moving on. The term goth, as you probably know, came from the original Goth barbarians, that eventually settled in parts of what is now known as modern day Spain.
Eventually, the gothic era *which was actually in the days of Homer, Aristotle, and many other out-of-the-box thinkers* was dubbed into the gothic times of 14th century Victorian Europe. This only happened after the 2nd 'official' gothic era of the late 1700's to modern day.
The term gothic, after the seperation of the Goths and Visagoths of pre-Roman authority, literally translates as to 'the one who thinks'. The modern gothic minds arent actually poets such as Poe, or authors such as Mary Wallstonecraft *later known as Mary Shelly*.
Gothic, for many ages, was an endearing quality of alchemists, philosophers, and theologists.
So in that context, of gothic meaning the odd-thinkers, and philosophers, its safe to say that dwelling on the more macabre aspects of life is not what makes the thinker gothic. In fact, it makes the thinker stoic, asoteric, and mundane, as well as uncreative; the exact opposite of what it means to have a gothic mind.
With that said, the 'quintessential' gothic band of overseas, Malice Mizer, would actually be more appropriately named 'fantasy-victorian' music.
I think the solo-artist, Tsunku, would be more deserving of the title 'gothic', actually.
Ah, Akaisha, you rock. I never get to have these partially stimulating conversations without it turning into flame-wars with the normal members around here.