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Reposted by Simon

Anise K. Strong @anisekstrong.bsky.social · 3d

This is the most amazing bit of cross-cultural mythmaking ever. I wonder if this was inspired by myths of Talos? Anyhow, I am very sorry that the secretive guild of ancient Roman robot engineers never existed, though pleased they were appropriately unionized.

Rakesh Khanna @blaftrakesh.bsky.social · 3d

When I was researching my book Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India, I learned of a 1000-year-old myth about Roman tech being used to build killer robots to guard the Buddha's remains in Pataliputra, and a Hungarian folklorist read my book & got excited about it, & she managed to dig up a🧵(1/3)

Romanised Pali manuscript of the Lokapannati

Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India
p. 60
Bhoota Vahana Yanta
Bhoota Vahana Yanta means “spirit movement machine.” The term is used
for several varieties of robot drone assassins and sword-wielding machine-
men mentioned in the Lokapannati, a Pali-language text written between
1000 and 1200 CE by Saddhammaghosa of Thaton, but concerning
events that took place much earlier, around 500 to 200 BCE.
According to the story, robots were first invented by engineers of the
early Roman Republic. These robots were used for commerce, in agriculture,
as a police force, and as executioners. The secret of how to build these
spirit-engines was fiercely protected. If any engineer dared to take the designs
out of the city, one of his own executioner robots would come after
him and kill him.
At that time, in Pataliputra (then in the kingdom of Magadha, now
Patna in the state of Bihar), there lived a young man who had heard of the
Romans’ magical androids. He became so determined to learn the secrets
of their manufacture and share them with the people of Magadha that he
arranged his own death. Then, on his deathbed, he vowed to be reincarnated
as a Roman.
This indeed took place. In his new life, the man grew up to join the
Roman guild of engineers. He even married the daughter of the Master
Robot-Maker, and had a son by her.
Once he learned the secrets of the Bhoota Vahana Yanta, the man resolved
to transfer the information back to Pataliputra. But he was well
aware that now, since he was a member of the guild, he would be killed as
soon as he left. So he cut a gash in his thigh, inserted the plans in his flesh,
and sewed the wound back up.

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 3d

did youtube lose its mind over how many adverts they put in vids now? its unusable??

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Reposted by Simon

Frog and Toad Bot @frogandtoadbot.bsky.social · 13d

The night was cold and dark.

“Listen to the wind howling in the trees,” said Frog. “What a fine time for a ghost story.”

Frog and Toad craddle warm cups of tea in their hands, as they sit in cozy chairs in front of the fire.

From "Shivers"
In *Days with Frog and Toad*

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 5d

Was at a talk ages ago that referenced this carving and liked it so much I put it in one of my comics about the bell that got stolen from Fortingall

a comic panel from the Malky Dungeon comic The Bell
it depicts the The Bishop's Stone surrounded by the unquiet dead arising from the earth at night

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 5d

the Log Lads

a male blackbird and a Robin sitting on a log awaiting cheese

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Reposted by Simon

Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 10d

sometimes a fella needs to make a drawing of Loki

a drawing of Loki, a lithe cheeky looking fella with a big ginger moustache he is sitting on the Snaptun stone in a field of long grass, white horses gallop by in the background, the sky is dark

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 7d

I'm going to be collecting a few of the shorter Malky Dungeon comics into a single volume but I'll also be including a cover plus exclusive art and sketches for it so if you support me you'll get some new work as well

Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 7d

Bluesky if I wanted to sell some of my comics as a digital download is there a best site for that? like Ko-fi, Gumroad? any in particular?
Thanks!

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Reposted by Simon

Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 7d

Bluesky if I wanted to sell some of my comics as a digital download is there a best site for that? like Ko-fi, Gumroad? any in particular?
Thanks!

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 7d

Bluesky if I wanted to sell some of my comics as a digital download is there a best site for that? like Ko-fi, Gumroad? any in particular?
Thanks!

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 8d

I’ve been really bad at getting much comic work done this year but I might try and do a new short Malky Dungeon story later perhaps featuring this fella … it will be set in Orkney

a sketch of a mischievous hairy looking orb creature with big round blank eyes, a snub nose and a big mouth

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 10d

sometimes a fella needs to make a drawing of Loki

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 13d

New Loki art from me

www.patreon.com/posts/loki-a...

Loki atop the Snaptun stone | Simon Dickie

Get more from Simon Dickie on Patreon

www.patreon.com

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 13d

You should join my patreon if you'd like to see a sketch of Loki sitting on the Snaptun stone coming up soon

Reposted by Simon

Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 15d

The Govan Stones is one of the most important historical sites in Scotland.
It's one of the few surviving places that has material evidence for this lost kingdom and culture of that most elusive early medieval people, the North Britons and I'd love to see it preserved for the future

The Govan Stones @govanstones.bsky.social · 15d

🎉 We've hit 10,000 Facebook followers!

💲 Please help us raise £10,000 of crucial funding - Just £1 per follower would get us to our goal.

Thank you all so much for following, and for any donation you can make!

tghts.enthuse.com/cf/graveyard...

Graveyard Guardians: showcasing Govan's Archaeology and Natural Heritage

Govan Heritage Trust is hoping you can help us raise £10,000 for a project that will transform the future of the Govan Stones and Govan Old. We're raising money for a 2-year initiative that will showc

tghts.enthuse.com

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 15d

remember theres still good things in the world

a pleasingly round robin sitting on his log in the woods

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 15d

The Govan Stones is one of the most important historical sites in Scotland.
It's one of the few surviving places that has material evidence for this lost kingdom and culture of that most elusive early medieval people, the North Britons and I'd love to see it preserved for the future

The Govan Stones @govanstones.bsky.social · 15d

🎉 We've hit 10,000 Facebook followers!

💲 Please help us raise £10,000 of crucial funding - Just £1 per follower would get us to our goal.

Thank you all so much for following, and for any donation you can make!

tghts.enthuse.com/cf/graveyard...

Graveyard Guardians: showcasing Govan's Archaeology and Natural Heritage

Govan Heritage Trust is hoping you can help us raise £10,000 for a project that will transform the future of the Govan Stones and Govan Old. We're raising money for a 2-year initiative that will showc

tghts.enthuse.com

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 16d

speugs are getting ever more bold, they flew right over to me when i was leaving the house

a row of house sparrows lined up on a fence

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 20d

I thought the free speech crisis was when biden was exterminating a people he regarded as subhuman from existence and the police were beating the absolute shit out of students protesting it but your talkshow host thing is bad too i guess

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 21d

can't really find the right words to express how I feel about the silence over this compared to the yank wank over that nazi dipshit that got clapped

Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 21d

The police told Trey Reed's family that he'd been found dead in his dorm room. They found out from the media that he'd actually been found hanging from a tree in the middle of campus. www.mississippifreepress.org/trey-reeds-f...

Trey Reed’s Family Calls for an Independent Autopsy After Tree Hanging Death

Demartravion “Trey” Reed’s family is seeking an independent autopsy after the Delta State University student was found hanging in a tree.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 21d

the speug squad awaits their scran

a flock of house sparrows sitting lined up on a fence

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Reposted by Simon

Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 21d

In Perth last week, I went to the museum @perthmuseum.bsky.social to say hello to my favourite smiley Pictish stone. It features four faces and was found near Abernethy. #ReliefWednesday

A large lump of sandstone with a smiling cartoonish face carved into it.

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Simon @malkydungeon.bsky.social · 22d

any time this site tries to claim moral superiority over twitter has me at a marvel like how bluesky routinely bans people going through a fuckin holocaust without explanation or how its owners suspend trans women whenever nazis complain to them???