Questionable Questing

The main point of my essay being both writers being modern people can't fully grasp that timeframe. Both are really good stories and authentically make use of their inspiration. This isn't about bad vs good art. Its how our worldview, our morality is so intergal to us that to look at these alien old morals is to place our own values on top or hyperfocus on one part and not catch the rest.

And you want those Bastard Glory updates?

I think with Northman, you could also bring up his family and their importance or lack there of in the main story. Since it's mentioned a few times that without him involved, they'll starve during winter, and how his quest for vengeance ultimately doomed his family and how his obsession with glory quite literally pushed them out of the story.

I don't remember that from the Northman with Amlith

But really I think with any medieval story, the big thing modern day writers get wrong is the lack of community and how important it was. Back then if you need tools, food, or medicine you didn't just stroll down into Tagert, you had to make it and if you couldn't make it you need to know someone who could.

Being friendly neighbors and having a community was a matter of survival back then and was why church was so important. It acted as a common meeting ground for everyone and a way for people to socialize and organize themselves without central leadership. It's something that's sadly very alien in today's world where most people don't even know the names of their next door neighbors.

But I would love to see the next chapter of Bastards glory.

Good points on community. It is something for me to consider as inspiration for Moat Calin and we can talk about that tonight, and there's another update after this for you.

Julia is a cutie, although I love the description of how her hair would float around during combat and how it seemed just a little too slimy and shiny to not feel alive. She's a nerdy manic pixie girl and those are always fun, and I know it was deliberate on your part to have Hurrik thinking of how sweet that little buried sign was and how he couldn't wait to give it to Ygritte.

Only to then cold open to her in an orgy dominating a few Wildlings with her cunt.

Jackal did that contrast and it was great. What did you think of Julia, Hurik's thoughts on Jenny, and Ygrite's characterization?

I thought Hurik was a little sappy, when he was brooding and comparing himself to his father because he likes to play the flute. As well as how he felt a little insecure about how commoner Jenny could make friends with everyone which is something he struggled with, but I think fundamentally Hurrik is a very sappy person underneath it all.

What's the quote from the first red dead redemption? "You're a romantic, pretending to be a cynic." I think that line pretty much sums up Hurrik. Somebody who tries really hard to be brutal and tough because he thinks that's the only way anyone will ever respect him, when underneath he has a lot more going on.

So this sappy is a good way and not a bad? The sappy is to be character depth. He may be brave and daring, power hungry and glory seeking. Even heroic and noble, but he's also uncertain in a lot of ways. Introspective of his failings and the sadness of his birth

Sappy in a good way. In the sense that in another lifetime if he had been born in a fantasy RPG or a light hearted Shonen he would be screaming his attacks at the top of his lungs with a smile. He wants to be a hero and a good person, no matter how much he tries to convince himself otherwise.

How do you think Lyanna's influence on his lust and views of romance add to this nuance?

That's a bit of a tough question, since Lyanna is the single most important person in Hurrik's life. Without Lynna he wouldn't be Hurrik if that makes any sense. But I think she had a good and bad effect on him. I think on one hand she taught him to be unafraid of how others see you or to let their judgments prevent your from finding love and happiness.

But I think the highly charged sexual environment she practically groomed in him, raised him to see sex as a tool for domination and control rather than love and is a big reason why he's struggling so hard to have normal relationships with people.

Which is a trouble with Ygrite, and what did you think of Ygrite's part and her changing character? How would you compare her to canon?