Governments in Equestria
Nov. 1st, 2017 12:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sgatazmy I find it interesting how many of the high stakes MLP episodes require the mane 6 to spend time researching. I also find it interesting that their research involves lots of cross referencing, translating, and staying up all night doing so before they run into adventure. As someone who loves to research everything, I love the show treats this as part of the saving Equestria deal. Even the characters who hate researching still end up researching.
In the recent finale, I liked them talking a lot about translating Old Ponish and cross-referencing to try and understand Starswirl's journal (whose handwriting was already bad enough). However, this bothered me when Starswirl does appear and he speaks completely normal modern language (or did I miss a few words?) It threw me out of the story because they just talked about how his language was different! I'm fairly certain a thousand years in limbo doesn't work that way.
This is compounded by the fact that last night I watched the Halloween episode from the early seasons with Princess Luna adjusting to modern Equestria. I realized that Luna talks a lot with "thou" "thy" and the royal "we" as well as talking very loudly. This made it that much more unrealistic that Starswirl's language wasn't more noticeably in Old Ponish. I would have expect Twilight to have to translate for him. I can see why they don't do that, but at the same time it is what would make sense since they already set up his language as being different.
Watching the Nightmare Night episode from early seasons, did get me thinking about the government in Equestria. I have the following theories:
(1) Celestia is a grand ruler but dangerous if you get on her bad side. I don't think she was always as we see her now.
(2) The sisters may have previously ruled much more harshly judging by Luna's behavior in the Halloween episode. Oh, and the monarch does have control to be able to say, "No more of this holiday ever for anyone" and the ponies know to follow that until otherwise told. What happens if the ponies went against such a proclamation? What has happened in the past? Clearly they were afraid to not follow her proclamation.
(3) The mane 6 and most of Ponyville are part of an upper class where life is fairly simple and easy. Even Applejack's family that has money issues seems to be well off enough that they are content. Also the mane 6 have eventually grown to be part of the ruling class (do they get paid for that?). They are essentially now Knights of the Roundtable in Twilight's castle. Which is funny because Twilight doesn't even have guards or anything else one would expect her to have for her castle. What power does Twiliight actually have?
(4) There are lower classes in Equestria which we have seen sights of here or there. This is dangerous territory, really. How do those outside of the happy world actually view the monarchy?
(5) It's odd there is a mayor in Ponyville since this is a monarchy. This is made more awkward by Princess Twilight suddenly having a castle there. Not sure how that system of government is supposed to work. Is this how Rainbow Dash never had to face consequences for destroying the weather station? Twilight can just keep excusing her friends or no one dares to cross them. Maybe diplomatic immunity?
(6) The ponies in early seasons talked of banishment and dungeons and go out of their way to make sure the monarchy is happy and served. It leads me to believe things are not as nice as they seem. Who has been banished? Who is in the dungeons that the ponies clearly know about? What happens if you don't give royalty its expected respect? (I suppose one answer to this is Luna is banished to the moon for 1000 years, Discord was made a statue for who knows how long. Who knows what happens to the standard pony that crosses the wrong path, but clearly other ponies aren't wanting to find out.) How does all of this mesh with villains being so easily forgiven these days?
(7) Someone made a great video about Celestia's reaction to the idea of inviting democracy. Love it. (And it has Steven Universe ponies!!!!)
(8) Friendship ideals seem relatively new to the world of Equestria. What used to happen to villains? How has Celestia managed such a large reign? Surely there must have been revolutions in the past? And while I know why HASBRO has no queen or king of Equestria, was there once a queen or king in the world? What happened to them?
(9) Are ponies outside of the Mane 6 really annoyed at all the easy forgiving in the series? Oh I'm sorry she stole your identity and forced her to live in your cult for years, we forgive her so now you have no choice. Justice? Oh, uh, we don't really believe in justice any more. Oh your house got destroyed in all the mess? That's too bad. No, we're not going to arrest that robber. Sorry. What's that, Rainbow Dash completely destroyed the weather station? Well, it was an off day so we forgive her. You can go fix that yourself now.
Oh, and what was the darkness in the castle of the two sisters? I think this may somehow relate to the system of government.
Yes, my fic in my head deals with all of these details. I wish I could write it...
I also wish I had more people to talk to this about!
In the recent finale, I liked them talking a lot about translating Old Ponish and cross-referencing to try and understand Starswirl's journal (whose handwriting was already bad enough). However, this bothered me when Starswirl does appear and he speaks completely normal modern language (or did I miss a few words?) It threw me out of the story because they just talked about how his language was different! I'm fairly certain a thousand years in limbo doesn't work that way.
This is compounded by the fact that last night I watched the Halloween episode from the early seasons with Princess Luna adjusting to modern Equestria. I realized that Luna talks a lot with "thou" "thy" and the royal "we" as well as talking very loudly. This made it that much more unrealistic that Starswirl's language wasn't more noticeably in Old Ponish. I would have expect Twilight to have to translate for him. I can see why they don't do that, but at the same time it is what would make sense since they already set up his language as being different.
Watching the Nightmare Night episode from early seasons, did get me thinking about the government in Equestria. I have the following theories:
(1) Celestia is a grand ruler but dangerous if you get on her bad side. I don't think she was always as we see her now.
(2) The sisters may have previously ruled much more harshly judging by Luna's behavior in the Halloween episode. Oh, and the monarch does have control to be able to say, "No more of this holiday ever for anyone" and the ponies know to follow that until otherwise told. What happens if the ponies went against such a proclamation? What has happened in the past? Clearly they were afraid to not follow her proclamation.
(3) The mane 6 and most of Ponyville are part of an upper class where life is fairly simple and easy. Even Applejack's family that has money issues seems to be well off enough that they are content. Also the mane 6 have eventually grown to be part of the ruling class (do they get paid for that?). They are essentially now Knights of the Roundtable in Twilight's castle. Which is funny because Twilight doesn't even have guards or anything else one would expect her to have for her castle. What power does Twiliight actually have?
(4) There are lower classes in Equestria which we have seen sights of here or there. This is dangerous territory, really. How do those outside of the happy world actually view the monarchy?
(5) It's odd there is a mayor in Ponyville since this is a monarchy. This is made more awkward by Princess Twilight suddenly having a castle there. Not sure how that system of government is supposed to work. Is this how Rainbow Dash never had to face consequences for destroying the weather station? Twilight can just keep excusing her friends or no one dares to cross them. Maybe diplomatic immunity?
(6) The ponies in early seasons talked of banishment and dungeons and go out of their way to make sure the monarchy is happy and served. It leads me to believe things are not as nice as they seem. Who has been banished? Who is in the dungeons that the ponies clearly know about? What happens if you don't give royalty its expected respect? (I suppose one answer to this is Luna is banished to the moon for 1000 years, Discord was made a statue for who knows how long. Who knows what happens to the standard pony that crosses the wrong path, but clearly other ponies aren't wanting to find out.) How does all of this mesh with villains being so easily forgiven these days?
(7) Someone made a great video about Celestia's reaction to the idea of inviting democracy. Love it. (And it has Steven Universe ponies!!!!)
(8) Friendship ideals seem relatively new to the world of Equestria. What used to happen to villains? How has Celestia managed such a large reign? Surely there must have been revolutions in the past? And while I know why HASBRO has no queen or king of Equestria, was there once a queen or king in the world? What happened to them?
(9) Are ponies outside of the Mane 6 really annoyed at all the easy forgiving in the series? Oh I'm sorry she stole your identity and forced her to live in your cult for years, we forgive her so now you have no choice. Justice? Oh, uh, we don't really believe in justice any more. Oh your house got destroyed in all the mess? That's too bad. No, we're not going to arrest that robber. Sorry. What's that, Rainbow Dash completely destroyed the weather station? Well, it was an off day so we forgive her. You can go fix that yourself now.
Oh, and what was the darkness in the castle of the two sisters? I think this may somehow relate to the system of government.
Yes, my fic in my head deals with all of these details. I wish I could write it...
I also wish I had more people to talk to this about!
It's a trap!
Date: 2017-11-02 05:37 pm (UTC)My other problem is that the portal to the EqG mirrorverse is usually the mirror (which is open all the time now, just waiting for some teen to fall into it). But, I guess, Starswirl can conjure up a backdoor to the EqG mirrorverse anywhere and at any time. The EqG mirrorverse looks to me to be a construct that is going to go *poof* on the day the teens graduate from high school.
Re: It's a trap!
Date: 2017-11-02 05:51 pm (UTC)Yes, this whole being in high school thing is weird for me because they don't strike me as teenagers in the pony world. Coupled with the fact the sirens are somehow teens as well does suggest a major difference with the passing of time. I think you are right, the whole construct goes poof when they graduate. Or maybe they remain teenagers for ALL of eternity. Now that is limbo. Can you imagine always being a teenager? I don't even want to be a teen again for one day.
I love the idea of teens just randomly falling into the mirror.
Re: It's a trap!
Date: 2017-11-02 06:11 pm (UTC)The weirdest part of EqG is that the teens populating Canterlot High are mostly Ponyville copies. Starswirl's spell must be adaptive... I wonder how much of this mirrorverse stays the same over the centuries. (I think Starswirl created the EqG mirrorverse whole cloth.)
I should make more icons too. 8^)