Since this week's #WyrdWednesday theme is architecture, I've decided to write a thread for you all on Islamic architecture and the beliefs and symbolism behind it! I hope you all enjoy this thread on this beautiful and spectacular architectural form. 🕌☪️ 1/
Islamic architecture has been influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Mesopotamian, Chinese, and Mughal architecture. (Although I think you'll find it has a flavor all its own!) The four main forms of Islamic architecture are mosque, tomb, palace, and fort. 2/
Islamic architecture is often referred to as "architecture of the veil" because the most beautiful aspects of it are inside of it. 3/
Water and gardens are important in Islamic culture, symbolizing the garden of Paradise. A feature of Persian Islamic architecture is the Charbagh, which is a rectangular garden divided by walkways or water into four equal sections. It represents the four gardens of Paradise. 4/
Another important feature of Islamic architecture is the central courtyard. This is present both in traditional homes and in mosques, where it is known as a ṣaḥn (صحن). Sahns typically feature a pool of water under an open domed pavilion (howz) used for ablutions. 5/
Ablutions are processes of ritual purification, known in Islam as wudu or الوضوء (al-wuḍūʼ). It is practiced before prayer and before touching and reading the Quran. So you can see how having this pool of water would be important. 6/
Another prominent feature in Islamic architecture are domes. The intricately decorated dome interiors and ceilings of many buildings symbolically represent the heavens. 7/
Muqarnas are one of my favorite types of decorative features in Islamic architecture. They originated in northeast Iran and the Maghreb and are geometric three dimensional miniature vaulted ornaments. It represents universal creation by God. 8/
Islamic architecture is very intricately & beautifully decorated. These decorations generally take the form of arabesque, geometric, & calligraphic designs. Depictions of people & animals are typically not used as some Muslims consider such depictions to be haram (forbidden) 9/
Arabesque is a form of decoration which consists of interlacing floral and tendril designs. The flowers and plants featured tend to not have any basis in real flowers and are instead imagined flowers. Arabesque is often considered to represent the Islamic view of the world. 10/
Geometric patterns are mathematically rooted & tend to be highly symbolic. For example, the four sides of a square represent the four elements: water, earth, air, & fire. Circles represent diversity & unity. Most geometric designs are based on interlocking circles & squares. 11/
Calligraphy is an incredibly important form of Islamic art on its own & is frequently used in decoration. It is viewed as a visual manifestation of spiritual concepts. Seyyed Hossein Nasr describes it as "the response of the soul of Muslims to the Quranic revelation." 12/
Features of Islamic architecture are not just symbolic, but also have practical religious applications. One of these is that traditionally buildings, especially mosques, are built facing Qibla (قِـبْـلَـة), the direction of prayer. This allows Muslims to easily find Qibla. 13/
Mosques feature a Mihrab (محراب) which is a semicircular niche in the wall indicating Qibla. Architecture is also used more subtley to guide Muslims into proper prayer. 14/
Islamic architecture is wholly symbolic, with the interlocking and repeating patterns representing Allah's infinite power, and Islamic architecture itself often being viewed as sacred and a manifestation of Islam. I will leave you with one more quote by Seyyed Hossein Nasr: 15/
"Architecture itself is a sacred art because it grows from and finds its highest expression in the architecture of the mosque, whose very spaces are defined by the reverberations of the recitation and chanting of the Quran." 16/16
Time for a thread on sea shanties! Were you one of the many people who got into sea shanties during covid (or before!)? Or are you unknowledgable about them but want to learn more? This thread will talk about their origins & characterization & give categorization & examples 1/
Sea shanties (or chanteys) are a type of maritime work song which were sung while accompanying rhythmic manual labor aboard a ship. They were usually sung without instrumental accompaniment & had a fluid form allowing singers to adjust the length & content of the songs. 2/
Call & response was the quintessential form of sea shanties, with them being led by a soloist, called a shantyman, with the other sailors acting as a chorus. These songs were sang in work settings rather than leisure, but they often drew from music sailors enjoyed for leisure. 3/
Today I am going to be telling you about queerness in Greek myths. In this thread I'll provide a little bit of background knowledge, present a few tales, and provide some sources for further reading. 1/
First, the acceptance of homosexuality largely depended on who you were. It was typically viewed favorably mostly for masculine men who topped. So before you think, "wow I'd love to be gay in ancient Greece!" Ask yourself, am I a femboy, or a bottom? If so, maybe reconsider. 2/
It is also important to note that the most common gay custom in ancient Greece was that of pederasty, involving a male youth and an adult man. This is of course wrong, but was common at this time and place, so there are stories in Greek mythology which are a bit related to it. 3/
Riddle-tales are a genre of folktale involving the solving of a riddle! There are two main Aarne-Thompson folktale types involving riddles: AT 927, Outriddling the Judge and AT 851, The Princess Who Could Not Solve the Riddle. #FolkloreThursday
In tales of AT 927, Outriddling the Judge, a hero avoids death by outriddling a judge with an unsolvable riddle. These riddles are referred to as "neck riddles" because they save the asker's neck. #FolkloreThursday
A tale falling into AT 927 is a contest of wits between Odin & Vafþrúðnir appearing in the Poetic Eda poem Vafþrúðnismál. In this tale, Odin & Vafþrúðnir ask each other questions, until Odin asks a question about the death of Baldr which Vafþrúðnir can't answer. #FolkloreThursday
Folktale type 405, "The Animal Bride," & folktale type 425, "The Animal Groom," are common folktales across many cultures. In type 425, a wife's husband turns out to be an animal/beast, in type 405, the animal bride is typically a captive or a trickster. #MythologyMonday
Below I will link posts I've made today featuring this type, and add in a couple new ones. I will also link further reading about this trope.
The "princess and dragon" trope is a common one in fairytales & folklore. In this trope we see a brave hero who rescues a princess (or noblewoman) from either a real dragon or similar danger. This trope is commonly a feature of folktale type 300, the dragon slayer #FaustianFriday
Some folktales with this trope include the Two Brothers, the Dragon of the North, and Saint George and the Dragon. Descriptions and links below 👇🏼
In "The Two Brothers" a younger brother saves a princess from a dragon. Upon doing so, the king's marshall cut off his head & took credit for slaying the dragon. However, with the help of his animal companions, the younger brother went back & married the princess. #FaustianFriday
Lost colony of boywives in an enchanted forest who simply spend all of their days cooking and cleaning for each other
They got there due to the Great Boywife Exodus where an ancient force beckoned them to the forest and so they left their boyhusbands and set off into the woods
They have little to no wilderness survival skills but they have survived because all of the woodland creatures and the fae in the forest are adore them and care for them