Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of Ball State Daily's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query. You can also try a Basic search
36 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Power metal is a subgenre of metal in which a band sings about fantasy, mythology, emotions, personal struggles, and even war and death. Most of the time, a story is told throughout a song, teaching listeners about a mythological god, a historical event, or the band’s personal theme.
Power metal, a subgenre of metal in which a band sings about fantasy, mythology, emotions, personal struggles, and even war and death. Most of the time, a story is told throughout a song, teaching listeners about a mythological god, a historical event, or the band’s personal theme.
by Tt Shinkan Graphic by Tt Shinkan 02/03/2020
Power metal is a subgenre of metal in which a band sings about fantasy, mythology, emotions, personal struggles, and even war and death. Most of the time, a story is told throughout a song, teaching listeners about a mythological god, a historical event, or the band’s personal theme. Learning from Lyrics is a biweekly column that will choose a band and one of their songs, then break down the lyrics to fully understand the story they’re trying to tell. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPvh6UgJtRw[/embed] Brothers of Metal hails from the northern land of Sweden and they deliver power metal with the lyrical themes of vikings and their mythology. Even their attire and the way they present themselves on their social media stays true to their theme. In fact, when researching them, I couldn’t find a serious description of the band. Their biography on Facebook is this: Their song “Njord” is the first single from their upcoming second studio album, Emblas Saga, which is releasing on Jan. 10. The song is a tribute to the Norse god, Njord. Unlike the previous Learning from Lyrics where I went through most of the lyrics and explained the significance of them, I’m only going to include a few lyrics that have significance to Njord’s story or his significance to the Vikings. The beginning of the song doesn’t really have any significance to Njord but is rather setting up the “story” of the song. A group of Vikings is setting said west to achieve great wealth. I’ll also be describing the story of this group and trying to put historical significance to the story. “Mothered by the night, His senses sharp and keen, Shaper of the greatest winds, A viking's ever seen” The first line “Mothered by the night” references Njord’s supposed mother, Nótt, the goddess of night. This is just a theory as not much is known about Njord’s origins. The third line describes one of his roles in the Norse mythos, that being the god of winds. The verse immediately after this describes his other roll: “The moonlit sea, the raging storm, His will and his domain, Bend the sea, oh God of waves, And guide us through the wind and rain” Njord is also associated with the sea and sea-faring. The vikings in this song are calling upon him to help guide them through the raging storm they’ve encountered on sea. Interestingly enough, Njord had almost a cult-like following in those times. He isn’t as popular as Thor or Odin, but he was still very influential. In the third poem of the Poetic Edda, Vafþrúðnismál, it describes that Njord was “Rich in temples and shrines he rules” and was even highly worshipped in eastern Sweden during an early period in history. Toward the end of the song, the band’s appropriately named “Tongue of the Gods,” Mats Nilsson, recites an almost poetic verse: “He is the crushing force of the waves, The awesome power of winds, Guides us to wealth of coin, And brings death upon those untrue.” This verse quickly describes what Njord is the god of: waves and wind; however, this mighty god has one more thing he’s associated with, and that is wealth. The wealth part was so important to his personality that many sought him when they wanted to become wealthy. Not much is known about this mighty Norse sea god other than the above, as well as him being one of the only gods to survive Ragnarok, the destruction of basically everything. He was one of the principal Vanir gods and, as you saw, is still talked about today. Brothers of Metal may not tell full historical stories like Sabaton; however, they tell stories of Viking legends and myths. They teach their audience about how awesome these northern warriors from their mythology were to how they fought in battle. No matter what Brothers of Metal sings about next, their audience will always find a way to learn from their lyrics. Sources: Norse Mythology, Hurstwic, NorseGods.com, New World Encyclopedia Images: Facebook Featured Image: Tt Shinkan
by Tt Shinkan Power metal, a subgenre of metal in which a band sings about fantasy, mythology, emotions, personal struggles, and even war and death. Most of the time, a story is told throughout a song, teaching listeners about a mythological god, a historical event, or the band’s personal theme. Learning from Lyrics is a biweekly column that will choose a band and one of their songs, then break down the lyrics to fully understand the story they’re trying to tell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1gvNaC17B4 Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band whose main lyrical themes are historical battles or acts of heroism throughout history. Every song they produce has some sort of historical significance. Their song “Lion From The North” comes from their sixth studio album, Carolus Rex, a concept album detailing the rise and fall of the Swedish Empire from 1611 to 1721. The song is about Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Adolphus was the king of Sweden from 1611 until his death in 1632. The song focuses on his time during the Thirty Years’ War. "A time of religion and war Legends tell the tale of a lion This beast in the shape of a man With a dream to rule sea and land" In the opening verse, the song in the lyrics above describes the Thirty Years’ War, a war fought primarily in Central Europe from 1611 to 1648. It’s considered one of the longest and most brutal wars in human history, with more than 8 million casualties caused by military conflict, famine and disease. The war started as a conflict between Protestant and Catholic states in the Holy Roman Empire after the election of Catholic Emperor Ferdinand II. Ferdinand tried to force his Roman Catholic religion on the empire. Adolphus decided to enter the war in 1630, and historians are still unclear on why he made this decision. The line where they talk about a lion is referencing the nickname he gained during the war: The Lion of the North. The last line in this verse, “with a dream to rule sea and land” references how he wanted to establish Sweden as a great power in Europe. "And all those who stand in his way Die by God and victorious arms With the righteous that follows him south Once more set ashore to war" This verse is simply describing how powerful Adolphus was as a military leader. His army was made up of well-enlisted men and was a force to be reckoned with. By the end of 1631, Gustavus was now in control of most of northern and central Germany, and now had plans to conquer more territory. Germany is further south than Sweden, which also plays a role in the chorus: "Legends have taught battles fought This lion has no fear at heart Lion come forth come from the north Come from the north" Latin is used for the second part of the chorus: "Gustavus Adolphus Libera et impera Acerbus et ingens Augusta per augusta" According to a latindiscussion.com, the lyrics roughly translate to: "Free and command Harsh and great Honors through difficulties" The chorus is basically explaining Gustavus and how he’s considered one of Sweden’s greatest kings. Why the band chose to use Latin isn’t known; however, at the time of his reign, Latin was the primary language of the Roman Empire, which was who Adolphus and his men primarily fought against in the war. "A storm over Europe unleashed Dawn of war a trail of destruction The power of Rome won't prevail See the Catholics shiver and shake" The third verse explains the Thirty Years’ War and the war between the Catholics and Protestants. Gustavus and Sweden fought alongside the Protestant cause after forming an alliance with the major Protestant state of Saxony. Adolphus and his army defeated the Catholic imperial army at the Battle of Breitenfeld in September 1631, turning the tide of the war. "The future of warfare unveiled Showed the way that we still walk today Der Löwe aus Mitternacht comes Once more he is here for war" Adolphus is known as a pioneer of modern warfare, even earning him another nickname: Father of Modern Warfare. By the end of the 16th century, war tactics were changing to be more strategic; however, exhausting their own capacities came at a price. Adolphus wanted to improve this, and he did. His tactics included forming his infantry in three or four brigades in multiple lines, this drove back the enemy horses and created openings for advancement. He also developed a 3-pound cannon—light enough for a single horse to draw—able to fire eight rounds. His main goal was to rely heavily on tight coordination and throw off the enemies. The third line, “Der Löwe aus Mitternacht,” once again references how important Germany and his control over most of the north and central parts of the country was during his time in the war. The German Protestants who fought under him saw him as a hero and gave him this nickname. This phrase is in German and literally translates to “The Lion of Midnight.” Land of the Midnight Sun is a name given to the lands closer to the North Pole, where the sun is still visible during midnight around the summer solstice. Sweden just so happens to be one of the lands that experiences this. "Stories of old truth unfold Control over Europe he holds Freedom he'll bring Lion and king lion and king" The sixth verse once again details his desire to establish Sweden as a great European power. "Mighty eagle rule alone Liberator claim the throne Lion from the northern land Take the scepter from its hand" The “mighty eagle” they reference might be Ferdinand II. There’s no record officially stating whether he had a connection with the bird; however, Swedish historian Nils Ahnlund did reference him as such in his dissertation Gustavus Adolphus the Great. “A 15th century prophecy averred that a series of disasters would end only when a golden lion emerged from the north to defeat the eagle of devastation. Sweden’s King Gustavus Adolphus, with his flowing blond hair and unfailing courage, won the title ‘Lion of the North’ among his countrymen, his allies and his enemies.” On Nov. 16, 1632, Gustavus Adolphus led his army against Catholic general Albrecht von Wallenstein and his army at Lützen. While leading a cavalry charge, Gustavus became separated from his men and was shot multiple times and killed. His legacy still lives on in Sweden. He rewrote the rulebook on war which inspired future military leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte. This mighty lion established Sweden as a major European power and laid the tracks for future generations to build an amazing empire that lasted more than a century. As you can see, Sabaton puts a lot of time and research into their songs. Even though the song doesn’t come right out and explain everything I mentioned about Adolphus in their song, references to these aspects are heard in the lyrics. No matter which Sabaton song you choose to listen to, you’ll always learn something from their lyrics. Sources: Sabaton, HIstorynet Featured Image: Tt Shinkan
Photos by: Tt Shinkan [ngg src="galleries" ids="29" display="basic_imagebrowser" display_view="default-view.php" template="default"]
by Tt Shinkan
Welcome back to this week's episode of Here's The Tea! This week, we discuss the sudden retirement of Nicki Minaj. Also, the recent death of Mac Miller sparks controversy amongst latest court cases. Find out all of this and more on this week's episode of Here's The Tea!
by Tt Shinkan When you hear “educational music” it probably brings you back to your kindergarten classroom. Sitting on the bright colored carpet, looking up at the teacher who’s teaching your class the latest color song. As you got older, these songs started to seem “childish." Music is supposed to entertain people, not teach them. However, there are a few songs that slip in there and teach people important life lessons. Take one of my favorite genres, country. Sure, a lot of the more “mainstream” songs are about whiskey, love, and tractors but you do get some hidden gems that actually teach listeners something. Luke Comb’s song, “When It Rains It Pours,” basically teaches its listeners that, even though something bad might happen to you, it might have happened for a reason. John Rich’s song, “Shut Up About Politics,” is basically just that. He literally sings that even though he agrees with one political parties views, it’s still nothing but a “big pile of dirty tricks.” We can all still get along if we just put down our weapons and “shut up about politics.” https://youtu.be/t_OynNTbd-Q However, there’s one band that centers their entire career around teaching their listeners, and the genre they’ve decided to do it in isn’t what you would think. Sabaton is a power metal band from Falun, Sweden and almost every song they produce centers around battles and acts of heroism in history. Even their name, sabaton, is a historical reference, referring to the foot armor of a knight. The band has been around since 1999 and consist of the members Joakim Brodén (vocals and keyboard), Pär Sundström (bass), Chris Rörland (guitar), Hannes van Dahl (drums), and Tommy Johansson (guitar). Since their formation, the band has released eight studio albums with a ninth set to be released on July 19th. Seven out of the eight all have the same historical themes to them, with “Metalizer” being an exception. However, their songs illustrate battles fought throughout history as well as telling stories of war heroes the history books didn’t teach us. I first discovered them when I was a sophomore in college. One of my friends introduced me to them one night and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m a huge history buff and sometimes find myself researching historical events in my free time. I’m also a sucker for good metal music, so Sabaton was the whole package for me. One of the first songs I remember listening to was about an American soldier whose grave I happened to see when I went to Arlington National Cemetery a few years back. “To Hell and Back” is about the most decorated World War II veteran in America, Audie Murphy, who joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 after forging his birth year by a year. The song details his time in the war as well as incorporating a poem he had written about it later in his life. The poem, “Crosses Grow on Anzio” is referenced in the song: “Oh gather round me And listen while I speak Of a war Where hell is six feet deep And all along the shore Where cannons still roar” Even the title to the song is a reference to his 1949 autobiography of the same name. After I listened to Sabaton’s song about him, I decided to research him more. I had known Audie Murphy was a prominent World War II veteran but I never knew he was also a poet and actor. Or that he suffered from severe PTSD. Besides singing about American heroes, or the more well known wars, Sabaton also sings about other notable people and battles throughout history. “Shiroyama” is one of these songs. The song is referencing the Battle of Shiroyama which took place on September 24, 1877 in Kagoshima, Japan which basically brought an end to the samurai class. As the song states, the samurai army only had 500 men which was vastly outnumbered by the Imperial Japanese Army’s 30,000. As you could imagine, all 500 samurai lost their lives because they were, as the song states, “surrounded and outnumbered, 60 to 1 the sword face the gun." The imperial forces used guns and were able to fight from a distance while the samurai used swords which required them to fight closer to the enemy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylyqoxh-cXk The song does a fantastic job of describing the struggle the samurai went through during the battle and that “it’s a nature of time, that the old ways must give in” to the changing technologies of the world and move into the future. In a way, it’s a depressing song, but it honors the brave samurai that fought till the very end and never backed down. Sabaton has also allowed me to further research some of my heritage. “Last Dying Breath” is a song about Major Dragutin Gavrilović’s defense against the Serbian capital of Belgrade against the Austro-Hungarian and German attack in World War I. Finding out Sabaton has a song about Serbia made me blast this song in my room for weeks. During their last stand, Gavrilović knew he was vastly outnumbered and didn’t possess as good of artillery as his enemy. Before charging into battle, he gave these words of encouragement to his men: “Soldiers, exactly at three o'clock, the enemy is to be crushed by your fierce charge, destroyed by your grenades and bayonets. The honor of Belgrade, our capital, must not be stained. Soldiers! Heroes! The supreme command has erased our regiment from its records. Our regiment has been sacrificed for the honor of Belgrade and the Fatherland. Therefore, you no longer need to worry about your lives: they no longer exist. So, forward to glory! For the King and the Fatherland! Long live the King, Long live Belgrade!” Upon further research, however, I discovered that the song’s theme is centered around this speech. “Soldiers, heroes, die for your land, Your lives are gone, erased by your command” is the chorus of the song, which, if you couldn’t tell, means that even though Gavrilović’s men were still alive during his speech, the Serbian government had already declared them dead. Unfortunately, his troops weren’t able to defend Belgrade from its attackers and suffered heavy losses with Gavrilović himself being badly wounded. But their bravery and self-sacrifice, earned the respect of their enemies which prompted them to erect a monument, which still stands to this day, recognizing these Serbian heroes. Were it not for Sabaton’s song, I would have never known about these brave Serbian men and their fearless leader who inspired them to fight despite being outnumbered and lacking the strong artillery. Even their albums show a historical theme. Their 2008 album “The Art of War” is about Sun Tzu’s fifth century written work of the same name. Each song on the album centers around a different historical battle where tactics from Tzu’s work are used. Their debut album in 2005, “Primo Victoria” is Latin for “Foremost, Victory." It was during the songwriting process of the title track that Brodén and Sundström decided to give the rest of the songs on the album a historical reference because they liked the meanings the subjects added to their songs. “Carolus Rex," Sabaton’s sixth studio album is a concept album about the rise and fall of the Swedish Empire. Every song on the album has something to do with the Swedish Empire from the founding of the empire on the Baltic Sea in 1611 (“Dominium maris Baltici”) to its fall in 1721 after the Great Northern War (“Ruina Imperii”). Their seventh album titled “Heroes” is about individuals who, according to Sundström, “basically went beyond their call of duty, put themselves into harm's way for the good of others." This is the album where “To Hell and Back” is on. “The Last Stand," released on my birthday in 2016, is about “last stand” military battles throughout history. This album features “Shiroyama” and “Last Dying Breath” and is my favorite album from the band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwctcc2F8kE Their upcoming album, “The Great War,” focuses on, well, The Great War — World War I! Three singles have already been released which are: “Fields of Verdun,” which is about the French victory in the Battle of Verdun in 1916 which lasted for nine months; “The Red Baron,” which is about the famous German pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, who had 80 confirmed air combat victories; and “Great War,” which is about World War I as a whole. The rest of the album lineup has already been released as well as the subjects each song references. If they’re anything like the singles, or the rest of their songs, they’re going to rock! In addition to their albums, Sabaton has a history channel on YouTube called Sabaton History. Each Thursday, historian Indy Neidell takes one of the band’s songs and discusses the history surrounding it. Afterward, he sits down with either Brodén or Sundström to talk about why they chose that story to sing about as well as some interesting facts surrounding it. It’s super interesting and I highly suggest you give that channel a watch. As you read this feature, you might’ve gotten a good history lesson out of it. Which is what I was trying to achieve. Educational music might sound boring in theory, but if you get the idea of it only being limited to just younger kids out of your head, it’ll open up a whole new door for you. Before I started listening to Sabaton, I was only interested in American history and maybe just a little bit of ancient history, but after listening, I have this greater appreciation for the world's history. Sabaton has created a new, unorthodox way of learning. I never would have thought that a Sweden power metal band would teach me more about history than a standard textbook. Whether you choose to listen to them or not, Sabaton will continue to tell stories about acts of heroism and bravery throughout history. It’s because of them that I’ve discovered a whole new world of music. Without them, I would have never discovered bands such as Powerwolf, Alestorm, Amaranthe, Battle Beast, and Brothers of Metal. All of which have made their way into my workout music. Sabaton is the type of feel-good music besides country I can enjoy listening to and feel like a total badass. I remember reading a comment on one of their songs about them being modern-day bards, and I have to agree. They use metal to recite stories about historic events or people, but instead of focusing on one person’s ancestors, they focus on events or groups who have found their way into the history books as heroes. Sources: YouTube Featured Image: Grande Rock
by Tt Shinkan During a press junket in London for “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that Disney is planning to rerelease “Avengers: Endgame” next weekend. This version of the film will include additional footage at the end of the film. In an interview with Screen Rant, Feige said “if you stay and watch the movie, after the credits, there’ll be a deleted scene, a little tribute, and a few surprises.” “A little tribute” could mean a lot of things. Without giving away any spoilers, there was one character who didn’t get the “good bye” they deserved after their death. However, this tribute could also be a reference to the late Stan Lee, who died this past November. The rerelease comes during a weekend where no major blockbusters are set to be released which will draw people back to the theatre to potentially earn more than $2.78 billion thus surpassing James Cameron’s “Avatar” as the highest-grossing movie of all time. “Avengers: Endgame” will be rereleased June 28. Sources: CNBC, ScreenRant Featured Image: IMDb
Country singer, Granger Smith, who’s most known for the song “Backroad Song” and his comedy alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr. announced Thursday on both Twitter and Instagram that his 3-year-old son, River Kelly Smith passed away due to a “tragic accident.”
Welcome to Cryptidbits, the podcast all about finding the truth behind the legends that society hides. On this April Fool’s special, we discuss the legends surrounding Indiana. Was Matt really saved by a mud mermaid? Is there a legendary turtle in the state? Find out all this and more on this episode of Cryptidbits!
by Tt Shinkan With most of the MCU’s heroes either dust or feeling sorry for themselves, there’s only one hero who has enough power to take on the deformed purple Shrek and save the universe. Enter Carol Danvers, a United States Air Force officer and human-Kree hybrid with superhuman strength, speed, and endurance as well as energy projection energy absorption, and flight. Danvers has also been a part of more teams than Wolverine and is even dubbed “Marvel’s mightiest Avenger.” But how did this powerful being known as Captain Marvel come to be? Well fasten your seatbelts, because I’ve traveled to the Kree planet and back to tell you all about the history of Captain Marvel. In March of 1968, Carol Danvers makes her comic debut in “Marvel Super-Heroes #13,” where she meets Dr. Walter Lawson who is secretly the Kree hero Captain Marvel. She is then caught in an explosion and sustains serious injuries. Fast forward to January 1977, Danvers returns to the comic world, but with a self-titled series and a new set of powers. However, Danvers didn’t start out as Captain Marvel, as I previously mentioned, Walter Lawson is the original Captain Marvel, instead, Danvers dons the name Ms. Marvel. The series reveals that during the explosion, a device called the “Psyche-Magnetron” combined Danvers’s DNA with Captain Marvel’s, thus turning her into a human-Kree hybrid, complete with awesome powers. During her time as Ms. Marvel, Danvers has been a part of The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, New Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., Starjammers, and even the X-Men. In fact, Danvers is attacked by Rogue, an X-Man who permanently absorbs her powers and memories due to the mutant’s abilities. This results in Rouge manifesting a Danvers persona. Eventually, this persona is killed by Magneto and Danvers’ memories are restored by Professor X. However, during this time, Danvers transforms into a new character called Binary and is able to draw power from a phenomenon called a white hole where she’s capable of producing enough power as a star. If this, or a play on this is portrayed in “Endgame,” then Thanos is done. She eventually loses connection with the white hole and her original powers are restored. However, she is still able to manipulate and absorb energy, just on a smaller level. She then rejoins the Avengers under the new name “Warbird”. During the “House of M” storyline in 2005, Danvers becomes Captain Marvel for a brief period due to her subconscious want to be liked and accepted. This, unfortunately, only lasts for a short period since the story takes place in an alternate reality created by Scarlet Witch. During the “Civil War” story, Danvers fights alongside Iron Man and supports the Superhuman Registration Act. In July of 2012, Carol Danvers officially dons the name “Captain Marvel” and rejoins the main Avengers. It is also important to note that Kamala Khan takes up the mantle of Ms. Marvel in 2013 once Danvers becomes Captain Marvel. So, how does Danvers fit into the MCU? Well, to start off, the story for the MCU version of Captain Marvel takes place in the 1990s, not the 1960s like her comic book counterpart. Like I previously stated, Danvers is strong and if the Binary storyline makes it into either of the films, that would be a great turning point in the Avengers’ fight against Thanos. However, films typically differ from the comic books and the MCU has proved that it is mostly based on the characters and storylines they’re telling rather than their expanded lore. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the character or just now learning about her, I think we can all agree on one thing; Thanos is in for one hell of a fight. Images: IndieWire Featured Image: Tt Shinkan
With most of the MCU’s heroes either dust or feeling sorry for themselves, there’s only one hero who has enough power to take on the deformed purple Shrek and save the universe. Enter Carol Danvers, a United States Air Force officer and human-Kree hybrid with superhuman strength, speed, and endurance as well as energy projection energy absorption, and flight. Danvers has also been a part of more teams than Wolverine and is even dubbed “Marvel’s mightiest Avenger.” But how did this powerful being known as Captain Marvel come to be? Well fasten your seatbelts, because I’ve traveled to the Kree planet and back to tell you all about the history of Captain Marvel.
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
by Tt Shinkan The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board. It has always been my dream to work at Rooster Teeth, but after watching this year’s YouTube Rewind, I’ve actually changed my mind. From the unknown YouTubers to the Fortnite dances, there was nothing that I loved about this video. So YouTube, if you’re reading this, and chances are you’re not (Because why would you click on a random college publication’s article?), but if by some chance you are, I am throwing my name into the ring for your next hire. If you were to hire me, I would give you fantastic suggestions on how to improve next year’s YouTube Rewind. In fact, why keep it a secret? You people deserve to know what’s been cooking in this mind of mine. So without further ado, here’s a list of improvements I would make to boost those likes on future Rewinds. 1. Cancel it Just cancel the thing. It hasn’t been good since I was in high school and the only good thing about Rewind now is the work of the animators who spend too much time animating a sequence only to have most of it cut out. Also, who the heck were most of those people? 2. Why did you drag Will Smith into this? Will, are you ok? You’re so much better than this. 3. Check the Likes and Dislikes 4. Re-read Point #1 If it hasn’t gotten to you yet, it needs to stop now before it gets worse. 5. Leave Fortnite out of this After seeing kids at a German restaurant at Disney Fortnite-dancing to German music, I have started to lose all hope for the next generation. By including Fortnite in Rewind, you’re further driving that last bit of hope away. I hope YouTube takes at least one of these suggestions. I really think they would help for next year’s YouTube Rewind. Sources: YouTube Images: YouTube, Syracuse, Washington Post Featured Image: Tt Shinkan
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
by Tt Shinkan The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board. It’s that time of the year again. Leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and the sweet and spicy taste of pumpkin spice makes it’s glorious return. Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING, is getting a pumpkin spice makeover for the season. You’ve got breakfast cereal, cookies, ice cream, protein powder, and dog treats, and many, many others. Chances are, if you can think of a product, there’s a pumpkin spice alternative for it this season. I have to admit, I absolutely love pumpkin spice. It’s one of the many things I look forward to during the fall season. Maybe it’s the sweet cinnamon flavor I enjoy or maybe it might just be the exclusiveness of it. After all, it’s only around during a limited time in the year, and I love exclusive things. But how exactly did this seasonal flavor produce such a cult following and why is it so enticing? Let’s start with a little history lesson. This might come as a shock but the Pilgrims didn’t actually eat pumpkin pie at the first Thanksgiving since the ovens they had wouldn’t be able to bake the crust modern pumpkin pies have. However, a variation of pumpkin pie was around during the mid-1600s. This was made by “making stewed pumpkins or by filling a hollowed out shell with milk, honey and spices, and then baking it in hot ashes.” So let’s flash forward a few hundred years to the 1950s. This decade saw poodle skirts, the rise of Elvis, the launch of the Communist satellite, Sputnik, the Korean War, the attempted assassination of Harry S. Truman and the debut of pumpkin spice! McCormick started to sell the tasty blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The actual name of the spice is “pumpkin pie spice” and was originally intended to be used in the pie, but much like how we can’t have nice things, people started to throw this blend onto other things. By the decade of my birth, the 1990s, people started to discover that coffee is much more tasty with flavors. In 2003, Starbucks saw this opportunity of artificial flavoring and decided to add a little pumpkin spice love into their lattes. And thus, the Pumpkin Spice Latte was born. Ever since then, there has been a rise in the popularity of this drink, which gave birth to other food variations of the flavor. So why exactly is this so popular? Well, the answer to that mythical question is a simple one and that is “limited edition”. This flavor is only around for a limited time during the year so of course it’s going to have a cult following. Anything with the tagline “only here for a limited time” sounds much more appealing than something that’s here to stay. There’s timeliness quality to it. For instance, would you rather get a Quarter Pounder with cheese or a McRib? Well neither since both are God awful for you, but you would probably gravitate towards the McRib because it’s only around for a certain amount of time. There’s also another reason for its success, is the time of year it’s sold: Fall. Mostly everyone loves fall, and whoever doesn’t is a liar. The air starts to get cool and crispy while the trees start their slow, beautiful descent into death. It also seems like the air starts to smell sweeter as well. The warm smell of cinnamon fills our noses and the thoughts of home and family flashes in our minds. Fall is a homey season, and pumpkin spice is a homey smell and taste. You instantly feel better after taking that first sip and it seems like all of your problems are gone. Then you finish the drink, realize that you should not be drinking caffeine and then proceed to not be able to concentrate for the rest of the day. I'm doing research for a feature I'm currently writing. Feel free to answer if you want, or not, I really don't care. Anyway, do you enjoy pumpkin spice flavored things? — T.t. Shinkan (@ttshink) October 3, 2018 I was also curious to see how many people liked the flavor so I made a simple poll on both my Facebook and Twitter pages to find out the truth, and the results shocked me. Ok, it didn’t shock me, but it was still interesting to find out. Of my Facebook friends, 52% said they liked pumpkin spice and 48% said they didn’t. The results were super close for Facebook but for Twitter they weren’t as close. On Twitter, 61% said they didn’t like it while 39% said they did. Did this prove anything to me? Not really, but it was still interesting to find out. Love it or hate it, it seems like pumpkin spice will never go away. As long as the spices don’t go extinct then you can expect the flavor to stick around for a long time. You can also expect to have more of your favorite foods get a pumpkin spice makeover. After all, who hasn’t thought about pumpkin spice sausage at least once in their life? Sources: What's Cooking America, Scientific American, Twitter, The Daily Meal Images: Fortune, Scientific American, Twitter Featured Image: Wide Open Eats
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
by Tt Shinkan The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board. Author’s Note: This article does contain spoilers for a few books and series. If you’re interested in anything covered in this feature, I suggest not reading that section if you don’t want to be spoiled. What comes to your mind when you hear “vampire”? Chances are you probably think of a pale, dark haired, often good-looking individual that has weird colored eyes and fangs. Or you might be thinking of a person who sparkles. No matter what you think of, you probably have some sort of favorite vampire story or character. Over the last few decades, vampires have stepped into the pop culture spotlight. Every movie, every TV show, and every book all have different interpretations of these monsters. Throughout pop culture history, authors, directors and artists have had their own interpretations of these bloodsucking monsters. You have vampires who only drink the color red, vampires who sparkle in the sunlight, vampires who have tattoos on their foreheads, and you even have dhampirs. This feature will break down some unique takes on vampires. I’ll start with the father of vampires and where this monster got its start and I’ll end it with my favorite interpretation of these creatures. Dracula It wouldn’t be a vampire feature if I didn’t include the original bloodsucker. Dracula was originally written in 1897 by Irish born author, Bram Stoker. It’s common knowledge that this Dracula is based off of an actual person, Vlad III or most commonly known, Vlad the Impaler. Stoker’s interpretation is what everyone is most familiar with. These vampires are undead creatures who hunt for fresh human blood. Other notable features of these vampires are their immortality, lack of reflection, weakness to sunlight, aversion to garlic and of course, fangs. Shapeshifting into a bat is also a well-known trait amongst this interpretation. Even though there are interpretations of vampires in different cultures, Stoker’s vampire gave birth to future vampire stories and is the starting point to people’s numerous interpretations of them. Carmilla We like to dub Dracula as the father of vampires, but what about the mother of vampires? The story of Carmilla is an interesting one. In fact, this vampire tale came out 25 years before Stoker wrote his novel. Written in 1872 by Irish born author, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, this story is actually the first vampire story to be written in history. To give you a short run down of the story, a young girl named Laura is visited by a young woman in the middle of the night. She falls back asleep and wakes up and feels like she’s been bitten. The story then fast forwards to Laura being a teenager and her father takes in a young girl named Carmilla who just so happens to look like the girl Laura saw that one night. The two girls form a friendship that could be classified as intimate. Additionally, a mysterious illness makes its way to the nearby towns and in a weird twist of events, Laura starts to feel sick as well. She starts to have dreams about a big cat attacking her. A general who lost his niece to this illness goes to Laura’s father for help and tells him about this vampire named “Millarca” who was the apparent cause of his niece’s death. The two men plus a vampire hunter, find Carmilla’s tomb and kill her resulting in Laura’s illness vanishing. Le Fanu’s interpretation of vampires is interesting. Since he wrote the story before Dracula, any vampire characteristics were up to him. Carmilla is able to walk through walls like a ghost and morph into a cat, not a bat. The most unique feature of Carmilla’s vampire characteristics is the fact that vampires must use a name that, according to Carmilla: The Original Female Vampire, “if not her real one, should at least reproduce, without the omission or addition of a single letter, those […] which compose it.” Basically, if a vampire wants to go undercover and use a different name, they must rearrange the letters in their given name to come up with a new one. Hence Carmilla is actually Millarca. The story of Carmilla has been featured in numerous books, movies, TV shows, music, operas, comics, video games and Web series. Marceline (Adventure Time) With the ending of Adventure Time earlier this year, it only seems fitting to include this popular series. The series revolved around a unique cast of characters that include humans, dogs, candy people, and supernatural creatures. With a cast like this, it makes sense that one of the main characters would be a vampire. Marceline is a demon/vampire hybrid who became a vampire after getting bitten by the Vampire King while she slayed him. She is considered the last known vampire in existence. Because of her demon heritage, she is able to suck the souls out of others, which is what she does to the vampires she kills during the “Stakes” mini-series. The essence she sucks from the slain vampires grants Marceline with that vampire’s power. This is why she’s able to fly, heal quickly, turn invisible, and shape-shift. All of these characteristics aren’t a result of her vampiric power. What is a result of her being a vampire is her immortality and agelessness. In the show, Marceline is 1,000 years old but she physically looks like a 16-year-old girl. The most unique quality Marceline has that sets her apart from other vamps is how she feeds. In Adventure Time, Marceline drinks the color red instead of just blood. She is able to drink the color using her fangs and when she does this, the color from that object goes from red to white since the red hue is no long a part of that object. However, she still drinks blood as seen in the episode “Red Starved” when she’s deprived of the color red and enters into a “feral” and “animalistic” state. It is also revealed in this episode that shades of pink, which is a type of red, also satisfies Marceline’s hunger. She also has the normal vampire weaknesses, however, she doesn’t instantly burn up in the sunlight and can actually go out during the daytime if she is protected either by clothing or sunscreen which is SPF 10,000,000. She has also been revealed to not possess the ability to digest syrup. Whether or not this is a result of her vampire nature or just her as a character is still unknown. The Strain Probably the most original interpretation, vampires in The Strain are less human and more monstrous. They are also referred to as “strigoi” in the series which in Romanian mythology are undead people or vampires. Famed director and series creator, Guillermo del Toro, stated in an interview at Comic Con in 2014 that the vampires in his series are actually a mashup of two creatures from two different parts of the world: the Filipino Aswang and the Eastern European strigoi. Aswangs attack their victims by throwing their tongue at them. The series is very interesting. To give a short summary of the plot, the series starts with a mysterious package being transported on a plane. When the plane lands, it’s doors are sealed shut and all the lights are turned off. The main protagonist of the series, Epidemiologist Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, or Eph, arrives on the scene to investigate. He and his team find that almost everyone on board the plane are dead except for four people. The four survivors go on with their lives until they start to show signs of the infection. Additionally, the bodies of the victims start to disappear from morgues. Soon, more and more people are infected by the virus, turning New York City into a scene straight out of a nightmare. Eph and a small group of people, one of which is a Holocaust survivor named Abraham Setrakian who was the first one to truly know what was happening, make it their mission to hunt these bloodthirsty creatures. Like I stated in the beginning, The Strain has a very interesting take on vampires. You might have noticed that I referred to vampirism as a “virus” or “infection” in the series overview, and ultimately, it is. In the series, humans are turned by a worm-like parasite entering the bloodstream either by a vampire biting them or through a cut. Once it’s inside, the parasite starts infecting the victim prompting their body to start turning from human into a vampire. The vampire develops sharp fangs, but they don’t use these to bite their victims instead they use a retractable tongue-like organ hidden under their actual tongue. The vampire’s appearance is much different than other, modernized vampires we normally see. Their ears, nose and fingernails seem to go away along with their reproductive organs since vampires reproduce through feeding and infecting. The fingernails are replaced by sharp talons with the middle fingers extending and strengthening. A vampire’s skin is also pale and smooth. The color of the skin will turn a reddish color right after feeding. Their eyes are the only trait that you would see on a modernized vampire in which their pupils are all black with a red sclera, however, a white membrane coats itself over the eye, used for protecting the vampire. During the daytime, vampires will go underground and “shut down” until nightfall. They don’t sleep. Additionally, sunlight does hurt them and, in the series, is the number one destroyer. Silver will also do the trick of killing or wounding them. A weakness that’s a little more unique is that fact that these vampires can be killed by severing the spinal column. The vampires in The Strain have a lot more interesting features than what I just described and if you’re interested in learning more about them, I suggest reading the graphic novels or watching FX’s series. Both are highly graphic and may be disturbing for some, but they are ultimately interesting and make for a great read and/or binge. House of Night The vampires discussed in this feature all have interesting and unique takes on them, but I said that I would finish it off with my favorite interpretation of them. Written by mother/daughter duo P.C. and Kristin Cast, The House of Night series is a book series consisting of 12 books with the addition of four novellas and a graphic novel. The vampires in this series have some traditional vampire traits, but the Casts bring their own unique spin on them. It is also important to note that “vampire” is spelled “vampyre” in the series so I’m going to refer to the term as “vampyre” for this section. The series starts off with 16-year-old Zoey Redbird who gets “Marked” as a vampyre fledgling by a vampyre tracker who leaves a sapphire crescent moon outlined on her forehead. She then must make her way to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s branch of the House of Night, a boarding school for fledglings like her. There, she meets her friends, Stevie Rae Johnson, Erin Bates, Shaunee Cole and Damien Maslin. At the House of Night, Zoey learns that she has a unique gift or “affinity” for all five of the elements: air, fire, water, earth and spirit. This results in her crescent moon outline to be filled in like an adult vampyre’s. As the story goes on, Zoey and her friends discover dark secrets about the school and one of their teachers that leads them on a path to fighting Darkness. The vampyres in the House of Night universe are unique in that they aren’t actually dead, in fact, they’re pretty much just modified humans. They do not burn in the sunlight, with the exception of Red Vampyres, but I’ll get into that later, instead, the sun makes them extremely uncomfortable. This is the main reason behind why vampyres prefer the night instead to the daytime. They also possess heightened senses and beauty. Vampyres do develop a taste for blood. Red fledglings develop a taste for it early on while Blue fledglings develop this taste during their fourth year as a fledgling. Some vampires also develop affinities for specific things. This could include, animals, writing, art, music, etc. Zoey and her friends develop affinities for the five elements: air (Damian), water, (Erin), fire (Shaunee), earth (Stevie Rae) and spirit (Zoey). Zoey also has an affinity for the other four elements which makes her unique in the series. I do want to point out that the series has two types of vampyres: Blue and Red. Both have similar traits but Red Vampyres are slightly different. When I say “Blue” and “Red” I’m talking about tattoo color. The House of Night’s vampyres have tattoos on their foreheads. These are sort of an identification system for humans to tell a vampyre apart from a human. Each tattoo is as unique as the vampyre it’s on. When they’re “Marked” they get an outline of a crescent moon on their forehead and when they transition into a full-fledged adult vampyre, the outline fills in and a unique pattern representing something about the vampyre’s character is created. For instance, if a vampyre is artistic, their adult tattoos might resemble paint brushes or paint strokes. Red Vampyres are slightly different and a little more similar to traditional vampyres. To start it off, they are undead. It takes roughly four years for a vampyre fledgling to complete the Change from fledgling to adult, but sometimes, a fledgling’s body isn’t strong enough for the Change and their body starts to reject it. If this happens, they will cough up blood as well has have it spill out of every orifice until the fledgling dies. For some unknown reason, the dead fledglings at the Tulsa House of Night resurrect and become evil, corrupted shells of their former selves with no humanity. All they want to do is kill and feed. They are eventually able to return to normal with the help of resident mean girl, Aphrodite LaFont, sacrificing herself to an undead Stevie Rae resulting in the latter having her humanity returned to her and becoming the first Red Vampyre. After their humanity is returned, the abilities and weaknesses that came with being an undead creature is still in effect. Unlike Blue Vampyres, Red Vampyres will burn and combust in the sunlight. Additionally, sunlight will make them drowsy and tired and similar to “The Strain’s vampyre’s, Red Vampyres and fledglings must go underground during the daytime to sleep. They’ll be alright if they sleep above ground but feel safer under the earth. Unlike Blue Vampyres, Red Vampyres are able to alter, wipe and place false memories into people’s minds. And just like a traditional vampire, a Red Vampyre must first be invited into someone’s home before entering. They must also make the choice between good and evil before fully Changing into an adult vampyre. This is seen when Stark makes the choice for good when he swears to Zoey that he will protect her and when Dallas makes the choice for evil when he rejects Stevie Rae as his High Priestess. Like The Strain, The House of Night’s vampire lore is very interesting and much more detailed than what I described. This series was my favorite book series as an early teen/young adult and still continues to be my favorite series well into my adulthood. If you’re interested in reading the series, Marked is the first book in the series and does a much better job of explaining the lore than I did. Since the beginning, people have had different interpretations of vampires. Some are slightly different while some are very creative. It doesn’t matter how you choose to interpret them. That’s the best part about having creative freedom, the power to make up your own rules. Sources: Live Science, Romania Tourism, The Toast, Atlas Obscura, Adventure Time Wiki, IMDb Images: Documentary Tube, Wikipedia, Los Angeles Times, CNN, House of Night Wiki Featured Image: Tt Shinkan
