Latest Posts by faunjo - Page 10

Someone once said: “I miss home but I do not know if it’s the right place for me to grow.” And it hit me really hard

man victorian slang was fucking lethal

This is a long post. Buckle up.

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how the dark academia aesthetic, whilst rich in aspects such as literature, music, and material beauty, is lacking in things such as activities.

So I've compiled a list of activities that I would personally deem as befitting the dark academia aesthetic (please do add to this list, as it's far from complete).

Sports:

Rowing (it's in literally every dark academic approved movie.)

Fencing

Tennis

Cricket

Croquet

Rugby (contrary to popular belief, women, men, and everyone in between can play this sport. It's not just for the boys.)

Polo

Equestrian sports

+ Figure/ice skating

+ Running (sprinting is handy for catching your lover when they fling themselves from a tower or something, and long distance is great for running alongside carriages that you want to rob.)

+ Boxing

+ Javelin, discus, wrestling covered in oil, think ancient Grecian Olympics.

+ Archery (how could I have forgotten.)

+ Ballet, ballroom dancing, traditional dances

+ Climbing

+ Snooker/Pool (either professionally or just for fun.)

Or, if you prefer the Oscar Wilde approach, no sports at all. That's cool too.

Games:

Chess (of course)

Backgammon

Cards (rummy, poker, blackjack, speed, whist, any game really, maybe with the exception of snap.)

Cluedo (I think it's 'Clue' in America. Don't argue with me, it counts as dark academia. It's got murder in it.)

+ Scrabble

Crafts:

Knitting (I knit socks, scarves, and am attempting a jumper. I find that it's far easier to knit your own jumper, scarf, socks, or whatever than hunting for one suitably 'aesthetically pleasing'.)

Embroidery (monogrammed handkerchiefs and shirts are so in.)

Weaving (sweet mother, I cannot-)

Making lace

Gardening

Cooking (not sure if this counts as a craft, but I'll throw it in just in case.)

Sewing (making clothes for yourself through sewing is a great way to make sure that your clothes fit perfectly, and are styled the way you want them to be. With practise, it becomes easier, and is definitely a useful skill to have.)

+ Calligraphy

+ Painting, of course. (release your inner Basil.

Outings:

Museums

Art galleries

Places of historical interests (in the UK, this might be more easily accessible with things like the National Trust. If you visit often, it might be useful to invest in a membership card with English Heritage (England), Cadw (Wales), or a National Trust card. I have a Cadw card, and I've found that it's accepted all over the UK, in the same way an entrance card specific to whichever country you're in would be too. I hope that makes sense.)

Public executions

Pubs

+ Go to a Café and sketch the people around you (I hear that charcoal or graphite is preferable here.)

Parks

Gardens

Churches, quaker meeting houses, graveyards, synagogues (sometimes the only places that are quiet are places of worship, and a lot of the time, they will be very welcoming in letting people in just to sit and think. Just remember to be respectful: don't insult people for their faith; don't scorn the place of worship; respect people buried in graveyards; don't take pictures, tempting as it may be, just to be on the safe side.)

The theatre

The opera

Concerts (classical music or otherwise)

Social events (memorial services, tours of your local university, open days, anything. It's an opportunity to learn, and spark intrigue because of your darkly mysterious and alluring demeanour.)

Things to do when you're bored.

Writing essays (it's really nerdy, but I find writing essays really interesting if they're on a topic I'm passionate about. It doesn't have to be an intellectual masterpiece, it could be 'The Top Ten Sexiest Classical Writers' for all I care. Just make it fun. Plus it's always an added bonus to that pile of messy papers that aesthetify your desk.)

Research (as above.)

Daydream about how you could have prevented the burning of the Library of Alexandria

Plan a murder / heist. Thoroughly.

Read something light (Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, Wilkie Collins or Colin Dexter novels are really good for relaxing. Murder mysteries are always good for winding down a little, whilst still keeping an active mind, so I would recommend those, but really, read whatever you want.)

Dress up

Read aloud

Perform a play alone (or to a pet, if you have one)

If you play an instrument, play through all of the pieces in your repertoire

More daydreaming

Take baths

Fake your death (by murder, of course)

Draw or paint something (no, it doesn't have to be good. Just do it to relax. See what kind of things you can create, like designing Frankenstein's monster)

Write a narrative piece

Watch a movie. A whole movie. Just sit down and watch a movie, no getting up and walking around, no flicking back and forth, no checking your phone. Just enjoy a movie without distractions.

Watch every single 'Greek Gods as vines' video on YouTube and count it as studying.

+ Listen to some classical music! I have a post on getting into classicl here:

Congratulations! You made it through!

Please, add to this list. I really want this to be expanded on, as I'm interested to see whether or not I've missed things, and if people agree.

dark academia study techniques

rewriting your notes, over and over and over again, not worrying about the neatness but paying close attention to each and every word

muttering every bit you know by heart under your breath as you walk down the streets

studying early in the morning, focusing on one sentence or chapter and pondering it through the day

researching things that you have questions about on your own, finding books on that subject and leafing through them

reciting your notes dramatically to your household companion or your stuffed animal

challenging yourself to think, speak, write and consume media only in your target language

eating certain snacks with different subjects and letting the smells trigger your memories

associating each subject to someone you know by sight only

romanticising bits that you have difficulty getting interested in

chanting your notes at night on a classical tune

so I was translating the Iliad and of course I had to end up crying again

why?

well, first of all, there’s something important about the Iliad: it’s very common that a certain verse appears a lot of times in the poem (for example, “and thus, X said” or “and then, black death took over his corpse”) because the Iliad and the Odyssey were oral poems. Those verses made it easier for the poet to remember the rest, a bit like the chorus of a song.

Okay. So. In the book 2 of the Iliad, Achilles is with his mother, and he’s crying because Agamemnon has offended him. And Thetis says:  τί δέ σε φρένας ἵκετο πένθος; ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε νόῳ, ἵνα εἴδομεν ἄμφω. (Son, what sorrow has taken over your heart? speak, don’t hide it in your heart, so we both know).

Then we move forward to book 16. Homer shows us a four verse long simile describing Patroclus’ tears: he cries warm tears like a dark fountain pours its waters over a cliff.  Achilles gets worried about him (because who would like seeing the love of his life crying like that? not me, not Achilles) and Achilles asks him why is he crying, and says:  ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε νόῳ, ἵνα εἴδομεν ἄμφω. The exact same verse.

And! then! there’s book 18. Patroclus has died, and Achilles is completely devastated. His mother appears quickly at his side, and, alarmed, says:  τέκνον τί κλαίεις; τί δέ σε φρένας ἵκετο πένθος; ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε. (Son, why are you crying? what sorrow has taken over your heart? speak, don’t hide it). Yes, this same verse again.

Think about it. The very words Achilles had comforted Patroclus with, Thetis has to repeat them to comfort her son again. At first, he was crying because he was offended; then he cries because, as a consequence of that offence, he’s lost the person whom he loved more than his own life.

Intertextuality in the Iliad is absolutely fascinating and heartbreaking and I’m not okay

Dark Academia Tips

1. Buy an oversized suit jacket- if you’re male, say it was your mother’s, for peak androgyny. If you’re a woman, say it’s your father’s for the same effect. If you’re nonbinary, tell them your parents are dead and you bought it with your sizeable inheritance. (Note: Have a sizeable inheritance.)

2. If you are of the makeup wearing persuasion, buy copious amounts of either expensive red wine, or if you’re a minor, blood of virgins. Use it as a lip stain. (If all else fails, ox-blood colour lipstick works.) If you don’t wear lipstick, avoid chapstick for 3 ½ months so you can achieve the ghostly look. (Or just cover your lips in concealer and blend.)

3. Carry either a poetry or a satire book with you at all times. Even if no-one asks, recite small passages. I recommend The Modest Proposal or anything by Sylvia Plath, Dylan Thomas, Oscar Wilde, or Lord Byron. (If you are tiring of Oscar Wilde, look at his lover Lord Alfred Douglas’ works.)

3. Constantly have a bored expression. Your personality is now bored. If you are on a rollercoaster, scream like “aaaaa” instead of “AAAAH”. If you find this impractical, simply revert to feral terror or a knowing smirk.

4. Invest in a tote bag bearing a literary project. If the project references a philosopher, even better.

5. Have a small knowledge of Greek Mythology. Enough to make the average plebeian question how you spend your time.

6. Use proper English- and by that I mean, British English. To pull off the dark academia aesthetic, dynasty must be pronounced differently. If this fails, try a slight British accent to get you there- or at the very least, have proper enunciation.

7.If you choose a pet, choose a cat or a snake. If possible, wear the snake as a necklace. Bonus points for snake if a python, or black or green. If pythons are not available at your bequest, a cat will work- any colour, but black is always a classic. Make sure said animal will kill you in your sleep if given the opportunity. (Adopt black pets! They don’t get enough love.) 8. Learn an obscure fact daily to replenish your knowledge. Bonus points if you use long, hard to pronounce words in your description of the fact. You must tell everyone in the nearest mile this fact, if they ever so much as approach you. You yourself rarely start conversations, for you are antisocial and apathetic. (If your MBTI type does not allow for this, sigh frequently while talking about something obscure and/or dead. Wax poetic about your love of the Latin language.)

9. Be pretentious. After all, you are attractive, intelligent, and amazing. You have every right to love who you are. Insecurities are best left with your therapist, stuffed animal, or snake and cat. Be pleased with yourself, and carry yourself with pride. 10. If you must interact with someone who does not understand your academic intentions, be polite, if slightly disassociated from the entire situation. Do not waste your time or mind on people who will never understand you.

Darkly academic research ideas for your time indoors (because you're not a heathen):

The lives of great classical composers.

Ancient Egypt's social hierarchy and attitudes towards women, homosexuality etc.

Poisons.

The tea trade, and how it became so important to British culture.

18th century fashion and the production of clothing.

How corsets aren't the terrible patriarchal torture devices everyone thinks they are.

The use of recreational drugs in the late 19th century.

The French revolution.

Methods of forensic investigation at crime scenes.

Controversy in psychological studies.

Matriarchal societies.

How nostalgia influences fashion, media, and literature.

The nature versus nurture argument.

The history of trains and railroads.

Symbolism in art.

Just a few research rabbit holes to throw yourself into if you're bored. :)

Pavel Antokolsky, tr. by Bernard Meares, from “Ballad of the Wondrous Moment,”

— Franny Choi, The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On

“This is a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. A city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.” -Alexander McCall Smith

oh to have the cute literary student fall in love with you as you lock eyes through the bookshelves in the abandoned part of the library where only few come

The pantheon, Rome