There are certain types of people who simply seem to be followed in the course of their lives by a symphonic heavy metal soundtrack. The Mexica king, Axayacatl, is a prime example of such people. Even factoring in the Mexica empire’s substantial love of theatre, violence, and theatrical violence, his personal comportment stands out. Axayactl […]

Lets talk about cycles. Not those cycles, godsdamnit! Not cycling! No, the cycles to which I here refer are a staple of Nahua and Tenocha-Mexica cosmology—and they refer to the nature of reality and the world. This is surprisingly relevant as of Rivals of Ixalan and the unleashing of the five Elder Dinosaurs near Orazca. […]

The golden city of Orazca—newly home to a massive free-for-all, a deadly and enigmatic artifact and of course, the rising of a bloody sun. Orazca seems to take inspiration from several legendary/mythical cities (such as the mythical El Dorado, the city of gold), but the one that seems most obvious is the city of Teotihuacan […]

Hello again! We're going to be talking about the Sun Empire and its use of 'feathered serpent imagery', its roots in Mesoamerican culture, iconography and thought, and how that influenced the art-style of Ixalan in regards to the Sun Empire's aesthetic. Also, dinosaurs! Lets get off to a ROARING start! Jurassic Petting Zoo Dinosaurs are […]

Welcome back to Historically Speaking! We’ve covered vampires, cat-people and the distinct possibility of bat-gods in previous articles. Today we proceed to examine the probable cultural influences and aesthetics of the green and blue faction of Ixalan—the River Heralds, those jade-encrusted merfolk who guard the path to the Golden City (more on that later—in a […]

Words have weight. A heft, like a cleaver, or a rolling pin. Words like imperator or carnifex, tribune, or legion evoke certain images, certain moods; they carry deep over and undertones and implications. Take the previous examples—they evoke a Roman flavor so before we even see a card, we've drawn expectations. Look at Licia: Words […]

Thanksgiving has creeped up upon us, stealthily, like a...stealthy thing. And so of course, instead of devolving into what the turkey meant in Mesoamerica (it was called the Chalchiuhtotolin, or jeweled bird, a favored animal of the Mexica trickster god Tezcatlipoca—oh damn there I go ahead willy-nilly) we will dive into a bit of game […]

Welcome to Historically Speaking! I’m Charlie Allison, and I’ll be your guide through mythology, anthropology, and burn spells! I’ve been playing Magic: The Gathering since middle school, and Commander in particular since college, putting about a decade of experience brewing, scheming, and fuming over historical travesties under my belt. When I’m not playing Magic or […]