Hws - Blog Posts
Tierra Santa
Happy belated birthday (5 days late🙁) to the love of my life
Capture of Muscat
Ottoman Empire, Portugal and my two Hetalia oc Kingdom of Hormuz and Old Muscat
THE CHILDREN YEARN FOR THE FANART OF UKRAINE
pov: You’re Poland; its 1620s and those "free armed folk" to the East, some of whom occasionally take part in wars on your side, have been more and more rebellious lately. You ride up to check what’s the deal — and as you pass one of the Cossacks, as they call themselves, the guy looks suspiciously similar to Ukraine herself…
***
1569. Lithuania had never been fond of Unia Lubelska that would unite the lands of the Grand Duchy with the Polish Republic. Yet Poland suddenly annexed Ruthenian – Ukrainian parts of the Duchy, using this move to pressure Lithuania back to negotiation tables.
Thus the era of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began.
For mainly Orthodox Christian Ruthenians, it only meant more tension with Catholics and szlachta nobles who realised they now acquired more serfs up for grabs.
There is no wonder then, that Ruthenians quite rapidly "cossack’ed" (покозачились) in such conditions. Many joined either free warrior communities or the rejestrowe wojsko zaporoskie under the polish crown’s service, but still able to do a fair deal of whatever the hell they wanted. Including uprisings against Poland, 1591-3 and 1594-6; allying with the Poles to almost(😭) burn Moscow to the ground in 1618; and occasionally raid Turks and Crimean Tatars.
But more importantly, paving the way for a powerful warrior state, autonomous from the Polish Republic by 1649, – Cossack Hetmanate (aka Hetman’schyna, Ruthenia, or simply Ukraine – all those + more names used at the time) – which famously takes its origins in Ukraine being pissed off.
The initial headcanon was that Ukraine ran away from the Commonwealth sometime after Lublin and pretended to be a guy to live amongst Cossacks and lead her raids and battles. Now, having read up some info on female Cossack leaders, I am thinking that whilst that might have been the case initially, by 1648 everyone knows she’s a woman and just chills about it ig
LOOK, LIETUKR HOLDING HANDS!!
Now that I have your attention, here’s a really cool historical event🫶🏼
Battle of Ula happened as a part of broader Livonian war that started when Muscovy (later: Russia) under Ivan the Terrible attacked the weakening state of Livonian Order. One small problem – that gradually dragged all its neighbours in. Initially, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Ruthenia and Samogitia suffered losses, notably the city of Polatsk.
Then enter 1564. Muscovy’s army of ≈24 000 is rapidly advancing. So those ≈12 000 of Lithuanians and Ruthenians (self-identification term for Ukrainians and Belaruthians back then) figured that (early) modern problems require (early) modern solutions.
The battle destroyed all stereotyped ideas about military art of the early modern era. It happened not in a warm season, but in winter. It started neither in the morning nor in the afternoon, but in the evening, that is, it happened in the dark hours of the day. And it ended up a crushing defeat for Muscovy, partly due to sheer well cooperation between Lithuanians and Ruthenians, and overall their tactics, like a surprise attack of both army flanks on the forested Ula river.
Also even though they won, they didn’t manage to re-take Polatsk and some other vital terrirories to the East of the Grand Duchy from Muscovy YET (hence Belarus is not there). And this became one of the reasons the Grand Duchy completely united with Poland in 1569 (Unia Lubelska).
At some kind of negotiations, except they share a singular braincell and they fight each other who gets to use it.
[Loads of yapping under the cut.]
This was supposed to be set in 1605-ish, around the outsets of Jülich succession crisis. Let’s pretend a fucking lamp is not there okay??Prussia is still a Polish fief duchy, so kinda irrelevant? Well, nevermind, he got dragged in as it is Anna of Prussia who carried Brandenburg‘s Electors‘ claim to Jülich-Kleve. And along with her husband, the Elector‘s son, she was in favour of more decisive actions regarding Jülich, as far as a pre-emptive strike. Whereas the Elector himself hesitated, supporting a more cautious approach.
At that point Prussia knows what is coming.(okay, maybe Brandenburg‘s Elector marrying the younger sister of his own son‘s wife juuuuust to make sure no other family ever gets a chance to claim Prussia was a bit too— nevermind). He got the point. He knows he has no other option really, and that he and Johann are kind of…stuck in this ever since the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order happened to be a Hohenzollern. And thus he makes what he can out of it, trying out what strings he can pull and when.
After all, he‘s painfully aware that Johann may seem like a schemer with a long-term plan, but in fact? Will hesitate and push for neutrality when a firm decision is most needed. If Brandenburg is good at something, that is masking his indecisiveness with cautiousness. And Prussia wonders how, or rather when he will be able to use this to his advantage…
[this writing stuff is very experimental and very much a WIP and both interpretations and characterisations are subject to change !!! Be warned !!!]
Oh, yeah looks like I have my time to create stuff back? I was just testing that one technique when you draw stuff in grayscale and then colour it. It‘s torture, but damn, I like the result. Shit took 4 days to render. And I just gave up on the bg sorry not sorry.
Meh, It’s always „how do you get along?” and not „how do you even get. there. at the first place.” I was just thinking – 700-ish km between Berlin and Königsberg. Imagine. 2-3 weeks horseback through swamp sand and shit and you’re there except it’s too late and noone cares. Must’ve been hell.
By the way physically they‘re..? 15-16, I would say here? Brandenburg is a bit older, not really much, but he‘s taller lol.
Other versions because YES ITS HARD TO CHOOSE A FILTER RRRAH
“Ah how good that we only live once! Had it been twice, I wouldn’t have fuckin’ handled it”
drawing Ukraine into Ukrainian memes as self care (original under the cut)
i mawst apologeize fowr zhe lack of origgginal cowntwnt on zhis blog lateaealy, art hasn’t been arting and life not exactly lifing either. also my birthday is in less than a week and the very idea is terrifying.
прікол я спочатку думала що ʼхуй потягнувʼ типу…буквально потягнув. як мʼяз(?). не знаю чи це щось про мене говорить.
Unfortunately, hetalia is notoriously bad when it comes to accurate representations of political and historical relations between nations. Russia is the most obvious example with both the show and a distinct portion of the fandom being too uneasy with the idea of portraying the absolute hatred most if not all Eastern European nations feel towards Russia. Actually, the main reason hetalia is so widely hated by most people who happen upon it is because it tries to downplay these conflicts to try and make the show completely unpolitical, so instead of correctly portraying the baltics or Ukraine for example at least heavily disliking Russia, they try to make it into this massive joke where Russia is this scary (but of course ultimately harmless which is even more gross) goliath of a man while the baltics are these snivelling cowards who fear Russia but don't hate him (because of course not)
And I'm sure a lot of Russians have issues with how they're portrayed too, but it's not nearly as heinous. The best way to portray a character in hetalia is to try and actually look into the history and culture of this nation. Hell, tumblr is a huge platform, I'm sure if people wanted to accurately portray a nation, they could just go and ask someone from that country for their opinion, and if even that is too hard, they could at least make the character completely blank and flat so they don't end up offending the people of that nation.
I can totally see why having a character that's supposed to represent my country in a fun and digestible way be this stupid, snivelling coward who has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Honestly, how is that supposed to reflect on actual Estonians who didn't elect that as a representative of their history and culture. This show was literally banned in South Korea because of how their country was portrayed in it. Heck, I've had my issues with how my own country is portrayed, and I've always said that much. Ukraine's portrayal is actually just a war crime in my opinion.
So, yeah, it's not exactly surprising that hetalia gets a bunch of hate.
Also, I know I'm probably not the best person to make a comment on this as I am actually a hetalia account, and I've actually had problems with this before where I have incorrectly based my information on a country through hetalia. It's just so shitty because most of the people who are guilty of this literally just don't know how to accurately portray these nations because of the harmful stereotypes hetalia has enforced. Nowadays, I try to reach out to people from the nations I post about to ask about my content before posting it. I avoid tagging nations that I know are often portrayed badly in this show.
Yes, hetalia is supposed to be harmless fun, but it's only that way for the countries that Himaruya thinks deserve it.
Anyway, sorry for the rant.
I had to take a few days to digest this ask. It's a long one, for sure! It's good to know some Hetalians are critical of the source material and understand why many people are upset with the show.
I will reiterate that the blog I reblogged and criticised deserved it. I understand they have been called out before for inaccurate portrayal that borders on ignorance at best.
I am aware that me reblogging a smaller blog is not great. Then again, @ask-computer-nerd-estonia has unforgivably crossed the line.
Estonia and Russia are not friendly countries. Russia has occupied our lands, tried to kill our people and threatens our existence regularly.
To say, even in character role-play, that these countries are friends is a gross misrepresentation of actual facts and history. Doing it days away from the anniversary of one of the worst days in Estonia's recent history and tagging it in a way Estonians will see it (by using the words "estonia" and "eesti" in tags)? Well, absolutely tasteless.
Hetalia Ukraine Headcanon #2 – or, rather, my take on Ukraine in Hetalia canon.
upd: I might have worded it a bit shitty, but the entire purpose of this post is that „canon/common fannon“ uwu crybaby Ukraine is bulshit and fuck canon we ball anyway. That I will be re-creating her character the way I want, and that‘s literally it. Damn. Pls don‘t misinterpret things, I‘m not defending Himaruya or anything
This is something that has to be clarified before I proceed, and even before I answer to any further asks.
I think of Ukraine in „canon Hetalia" as Russia's perspective, what he tells others about Ukraine and what he wants them to think of her, for his own purposes.
Because, if you recall, the episode where she is introduced (Axis Powers, ep 42), it is Russia telling England about her. Just like episode 43, it's Russia's memories and perspective. I hate that this fact is often overlooked, as it makes total sense for Russia to want others to see Ukraine as a weak crybaby that is dependant on him. In fact, this no shit is the attitude russians have to ukrainians. Almost inferior, (quote) unable to fend for themselves. It is not cute. It is very much toxic. The scarf moment is extremely fucking funny. Because, (and again, this is Russia's memories), Ukraine gives him her favorite scarf. But what people overlook, is that in return she asks (in dub) FOR CONTROL FROM BLACK SEA TO POLAND. HER TERRITORIES. THIS- THIS IS NOT A CUTE MOMENT. SHE IS TRYING TO GET AWAY. AS SHE ALWAYS HAS. FOR CENTURIES. Or, in sub, she asks for „inheritance rights to Kyivan Rus", so again, reclaiming a part of her identity. After which, russia concludes that maybe they've never been close at all. srsl I wish russia realised that in real life and fucked off already
To me, this is the first moment that shows that there is much more to Ukraine than what we see, and that Russia must in no way be trusted on his word when it comes to her.
Especially since In her next appearence, Gakuen Hetalian Newspaper Club part 1, Ukraine is nothing like that. She wants to join the choir club, where the baltic trio and others are, and we find out that the choir is targeted by the so-called „soviet club". Lmao. Nor she is in any of the Halloween episodes she appears in subsequently. Moreover, in the 2013 haloween series, Ukraine is shown dressed up as a reference to a Ukrainian(!!!) urban legend about a ghost train. So, she is not afraid to express her identity even at that point. Yes, she is emotional, but not a complete mess of a crybaby whose every 1 in 2 words is „Russia". Which further backs my theory.
The latest appearence, where in Chapter 389 of Hetalia world stars, Ukraine asks Lithuania to „sent spare paper Russias" to her if he ever gets any, because, quote „THIS RUSSIA IS OBEDIENT, QUIET, AND LISTENS TO WHAT I SAY".
Does this sound like a weak crybaby Ukraine whom Russia was describing to you?
No. That's the point.
Btw the only point in history I can think of where she could be referring to when she says it's „like we've gone back in time", is 7th - 10th century; when the principality of Suzdal (later: Muscovy→Russia) was just freshly colonized by Kyiv and Polatsk (later Ukraine and Belarus) and was paying fiefs to them. Which is like, literally 40 years before Suzdal’s prince plundered and burnt Kyiv down in 1169. A first russo-ukrainian war for you.
So, even from "canon hetalia", the idea of Ukraine's character that this fandom often percieves her as derives mostly from Russia's POV. Which is sad, ironic (represents the influence of russian propaganda irl), but also thanks fuck, this means we see so little of her that her personality can be easily interpreted in a multitude of ways that reflect history and reality way better
8 April 1866 • A secret Italo-Prussian Treaty was signed
…according to which, Romano agreed he’d help kick Austria’s ass, and Prussia guaranteed he’d not back off from the war until Veneciano’s reunited with the rest of Italy.
Now, why Romano, you may ask, if the Risorgimento was initiated more so by the North? Well, in my interpritation, it all started with Sardinia/Piedmont-Sardinia/Savoy, (a separate OC because she deserves it), whilst Romano joined her in 1861, – who had been the Kingdom of Two Sicilies under the Bourbon rule prior, his people voting 98,5% to join. Thus, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in 1861; with Venice still living under Austria’s rule up until 1866.
And it was mailnly upon Romano to be the Kingdom of Italy in the next 5 years. Not that he had ever wanted it.
[As you may have noticed, I got into PruMano and Risorgimento simultaneously, god forbid. And I’m trying not to trail off, but I’ve got a detailed version of the events’ interpretation in my head – what happened to Sardinia? why is it Romano and Veneciano, out of all, specifically, that came to be modern Italy? What about the Papal States? — but more on all that to come🫢]
The last thing I’ll add, is that though I tried to make their uniforms nerdy af accurate, basing Romano’s off Sicilian Regiments’ Chivalry and Prussia’s off high-ranking Prussian commandment on general, this is still a silly anime bois fanart first and foremost lol. Take nothing seriously
Sofia decided to try on Bohdan Khmelnytsky's clothes (・∀・)
