Ilia and Miscellany

[mark_asphodel]

I don't believe that Ilia is a matriarchal society.  Yes, I realize that Farina's supports with Karla indicate that women put food on the table, and I wouldn't at all be surprised to hear that female children are welcomed eagerly and mothers held in high esteem.  But there's one rather glaring detail in the way if someone wants to paint Ilia as a truly "women first" society.

After FE6, Ilia becomes a monarchy.  Ruled by a king.  And not some guileless youth-- someone's son, or brother, or some special orphan-- who might conceivably be the puppet of wisewomen.  Zealot is a strongman, an active and experienced general, the leader of that "pretty terrible" brigade of male mercenary knights so mocked by Farina.  His wife Yuno, meanwhile, is portrayed as courageous but retiring, given the title "Grand Flightleader" only in death. 

In context, I do not find Farina's information reliable.  Granted, the mercenary knights folded like wet paper against Bern without Zealot on the scene, but the peg knights didn't do any better.  

-x-

My radio show is a repeat tonight... but it still says LIVE! on the calendar.  I am confused.  I feel like I'm missing something.

ETA: Nope.  Definitely a repeat.

-x-

Where's my jar of rambutan honey?  That wasn't cheap.  :(

Speaking of the rambutan, nothing like coming up to the grocery counter waving a bag filled with what looks for all the world like severed testicles.  The shop boy was deeply perplexed until I explained that they were kind of like lychees.

-x-

Just when you think you've overstated the horrors of slash cliches in FE-dom, someone comes along and posts something really flabbergastingly awful.  Then again, we were discussing the likelihood of Rolf going sociopathic...

Comments

[raphiael]

I always figured Ilia was more likely to have females as heads of families, and even breadwinners, but not rulers, given what we see. Also, Farina? Not necessarily the most trustworthy information source, IMO.

And. . . that Rolf fic. I stared at it for a looooong time before deciding I just didn't have anything nice to say.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Also, Farina? Not necessarily the most trustworthy information source, IMO.

Agreed. And given FE6 came first, I think she's intended as deliberately inaccurate.

I stared at it for a looooong time before deciding I just didn't have anything nice to say.

I haven't been that stunned in a good long while.

[r-amythest.livejournal.com]

I think Ilia and women is a case of telling not showing on the scene.

As far as socially terrible fiction goes, personally I think this one (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6966033/1/A_strange_swap) about takes the cake. The one you refer to is preeeetty bad, though -- and especially boggling considering that the rest of that author's writing is more or less readable.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

The writing itself wasn't the problem. There were pieces that would work well in the context of a different story.

There was also a truly horrible Merric/Marth/Gordin love triangle one starring Merric as the vicious and jealous aggressor. Definitely one of the worst I've encountered, but far tamer than this Tellian horror-show.

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

I think the only reason Ilia might have a "women first" reputation is because of the pegasus knights, and the fact that only women are allowed to ride pegasi. But I never saw it as an "Amazon" country so much as an equal rights one. Farina claims women are more important because they ride pegasi, but men aren't COMPLETELY useless.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Well, Zealot isn't useless. He might be the exception, but he's a pretty important one.

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

*remembers* It may have been me misreading the FE6 translation, but I always operated under the impression that Ilia was ruled by a (presumably all-female) Council of Knights. (I added a Queen in One Year, but I do not believe there is anything in canon to support that, haha.)

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

The Council goes away after FE6 and Zealot takes over. This seems significant, IMO.

[sailorvfan10.livejournal.com]

I never considered Ilia to be a matriarchy myself, just that women were regarded as more equal to (or slightly more important) than the men because they ride pegasi and are considered to be the breadwinners for the family. But I never even really considered them having a female ruler.

That Rolf fic.

I think I read the one you are talking about.

I stared at my screen for a good five minutes with a face somewhat akin to "o_o" before backbuttoning and wondering if I had just imagined the entire thing.

*shudders*

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

and wondering if I had just imagined the entire thing.

There's bad slash, and there's Top Ten Memorably Bad Slash. This may be a contender for the latter.

[sailorvfan10.livejournal.com]

Indeed. It's one of those things that I wish I didn't remember, but unfortunately it just pops up and I only wish I didn't see it.

Unfortunately, once you see it, you can't unsee it.

[shining-valor.livejournal.com]

Not that I have anything truly significant to add to the discussion... But! I've always thought that the pegasi have a highly symbolic place in Ilian society. Thus those who can (or are allowed) to ride the creatures would be given a higher status than poor earthbound creatures. Sort of in the way that being chosen by a unicorn or other enchanted beast gives people higher regard in most fantasy realms.

Besides which, the pegasus knights are Ilia's premier export, if you will. Of course they get spotlight.

As for Farina... let's just remember that she bilked Hector out of 20000. For golden carrots. That seems to be a good measure of her trustworthiness. :P