#svanhild

Name: Svetlana Valyalschikova

AKA: Svanhild

Born: 2nd of November 1986

4: Gudrun and Svanhild

Then still with Svanhild sat her maids, the one of my children whom I loved best in my heart, so was Svanhild in my hall like a splendidly glowing sun-ray.

The Whetting of Gudrun 15, translated by Carolyne Larrington

"These poignant lines, a mother's expression of love for her daughter, are spoken by the heroine Guðrún, a woman who suffers through one tragedy after another in the course of her tumultous life. Guðrún, who was born into the Gjúkung dynasty, is bullied into a disastrous marriage by her own mother, and she loses three brothers, two husbands, her daughter and four sons in the brutal events that form the core narrative of Norse heroic legend, told in eddic poems collected in the Codex Regius and the prose Völsunga saga. But Guðrún wasn't a straightforward victim and some of these losses were her own doing."

"At this point, she has suffered another loss: her young daughter Svanhildr, married to a jealous, older man, had been unjustly accused of adultery and put to death by her husband. Bereft but unbending, Guðrún sends her other two sons, Hamdir and Sörli, on a mission to avenge their sister, one from which all three know they will never return.

[…] in the eddic poem Guðrúnarhvöt (The Whetting of Guðrún), Guðrún is determined when she takes Hamdir and Sörli's battle gear out for them, laughing in the knowledge that they will exact revenge for their sister, but she breaks down in tears after their departure. It's not clear if these are tears of repentance, but Guðrún realizes that she must live with the dreadful fact of having sent her sons to their deaths, and the poem depicts her as aware of how her choices have changed her for the worse. Norse legends give us an insight into the horrific costs of maintaining an unyielding culture of honour and shows that the Vikings' descendants were intensely preoccupied with the repercussions of pursuing revenge. The legends about Guðrún convey the inner turmoil and remorse that many people may have experienced when the ideology of maintaining honour at all costs and the love for a child collided."

Since I'm redoing my old drawings, here is another Svanhild.

I HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY A LIST OF CHARACTERS

AGARIA!

Flower: Seaside daisy <3 They're so beautiful and grow by the sea and that's very Agaria of them. Gemstone: Sea glass! I know it's not a gemstone, but TBH Sea glass is much better for her than literally anything else haha! Element: Earth <3 Stalwart, hardy, and strong! Color: Salmon pink, the color of the sky when the sun is setting and sometimes rising <3 Word: sillage, "the scent that lingers in the air, the trail left in water, the impression made in space after something or someone has been and gone; the trace of someone's perfume", fits beautifully with her adventurous heart. Food: Crazy Shake! Weapon: Gauntlets for maximum PUNCHING POWER!

SVANHILD!!!

Flower: Skeleton flower... delicate and exposed in rain like she is <3 Gemstone: Quartz! Clear and beautiful and reflects the light in lovely ways. Element: Ice. She leaves a chill on those that meet her, a mix of her poise and her way of speaking. Color: Jagged Ice (D5ECEF WHATEVER THIS BLUE IS, THAT'S HER)! Word: petrichor, "the scent of rain on dry earth". Food: Candied grapes!!! Weapon: Wakizashi! Svanhild is definitely the backup weapon, or a weapon that one might not expect to be there <3

ALANNA!!!

(Also all of Leo's family have specifically chosen flowers that I will tell you why at the end HUEHUE)

Flower: Coneflower!! They are low-maintenance and attract beautiful things and we know this is true of Alanna <3 Gemstone: Granite. I don't know why, I could not TELL YOU WHY, HOWEVER... IT CAME TO MIND, AND I'M STICKING WITH IT. Element: Lots of Earth here. Strong. Supportive. The land beneath Leo's feet. Color: Red - like. R E D . PASSION. Word: eunoia, "beautiful thinking; a well mind" YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE!! Food: Popcorn!! Especially like, caramel corn, or like you know luxury popcorn??? If that's even a thing?? Popcorn drizzled with chocolate and sprinkles!!!! That's Alanna!! Weapon: You already she's a lance, the Warlord that she is.

HOWITZER!!

Flower: Hosta!! Honestly mostly for the leaves, this plant comes with some GORGEOUS leaf options!!! Gemstone: Obsidian. I'm noticing a theme here and it was a little unexpected haha! Element: I know it's not TECHNICALLY an element, but Smoke. This man is all mystery and tricks (given that he's a fucking Soul Hound) Color: Dusky blue - like when fog covers the sky right as it's starting to get dark. That's the color Howitzer is! Word: querencia, "a place from which one's strength is drawn, where one feels at home; the place where you are your most authentic self" is so this man. Food: watermelon salad. With mint. Very specific, but Howitzer is so laid back and relaxed that he would definitely be a refreshing food <3 Weapon: I said dagger initially, but he would be a balisong hands down (y'know, a butterfly knife).

MIKINO!!!

Flower: Hens and chicks. It's a succulent. It has spikies on it but it's PRETTY. Like Mikino. Gemstone: Ruby. A beautiful red to go with Howitzer's OBSIDIAN. Element: Fire. Oh my GOD fire. Color: Wispy gray - she's fog over an early morning sky, maybe with hints of pink in that melancholy gray! Word: ephemeral, "lasting for a very short time" (... you know why. I mean she's not GONE, but... y'know) Food: Salsa - technically not a food, but the variety of things you can put salsa on, and it potentially having the option to be made like, with some sweetness?? Like a mango salsa!!! Spicy and sweet! (Also I say technically not a food because to ME personally Salsa is more of a dip. Like you wouldn't eat a bowl of salsa and call it a meal y'know?) Weapon: not a weapon per se, but a Gjallarhorn suits her. Because Banshee.

MIRAJ!!!!

Flower: Cosmos!! They're so pretty and look delicate but you know Miraj is a tough bean <3 Gemstone: Pearl... lovely little man's, cared for by big ocean father before Leo aaa yes. A little pearl <3 Element: Water. I think. It fits him best, especially given what Time-worn children do (IYKYK). Color: Sunshine yellow!! Joyous color for joyous boy!!! Word: mudita, "taking delight in the happiness of others; vicarious joy" Food: ICE CREAM!!! Weapon: Shield. Unexpected face smack TBQH!