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sora-ko — APH - Silent Night

Published: 2008-12-29 01:33:28 +0000 UTC; Views: 35486; Favourites: 1434; Downloads: 521
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Description Very belated, but here goes my Christmas-themed pic this year.

Francis, Gilbert, Ludwig and Arthur as French, German and British soldiers on the Christmas Truce of 1914 , an event that really occured during World War I.

I think this topic has been done a couple of times already in Hetalia fandom, but after it also came up in this year's Christmas sermon in my church, I somehow ended up drawing this, anyway.

It's also inspired by the movie Joyeux Noël (I highly recommend watching it). The poems used here - authentic ones, it seems - are taken from the beginning of the movie, where they are recited by three young children. That scene never fails to send cold shivers down my spine. ;__;

Thanks to ~kuroyonakidori for transcribing the French one for me when my suck-tastic French skills failed me.


Edit: Translations taken from the movie subtitles:

German:
We have one and only enemy,
who digs the grave of Germany,
Its heart replete with hatred, gall and envy,
we have one and only enemy.
The villain raises his murderous hand
his name, you know it, is England.

French:
Child, upon these maps do heed
This black stain to be effaced
Omitting it, you would proceed
Yet better it in red to trace
Later, whatever may come to pass
Promise there to go you must
to fetch the children of Alsace
Reaching out their arms to us
May in our fondest France
Hope's green saplings branch
And in you, dear child, flower
Grow, grow, France awaits its hour.

Edit #2:
DEAR GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME AND MY NATIVE LANGUAGE.
Entschuldigung an alle Deutschsprachigen, es heißt natürlich "Ein Feind ist unser". Nicht unserer... erererer?
Das Blag im Film hat genuschelt. Ehrlich.

--
characters (c) Himaruya Hidekaz
Related content
Comments: 175

sampea [2014-03-24 02:29:49 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful! I am listening to Silent Night as I watch this, it makes it even prettier!

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zevranarainai1 [2013-10-15 18:38:36 +0000 UTC]

Every time I read about this event my heart shatters. This picture is lovely 

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MuirOfLanternWaste [2013-04-16 01:10:20 +0000 UTC]

It's OK.... I can hardly speak Mandarin, which is supposed to be my native language. (I only know the words for food... go figure. XD)

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Saxony-APH [2012-12-08 12:09:01 +0000 UTC]

Der Moment als ich erfuhr das es hauptsächlich Sachsen waren welche beim Weihnachtsfrieden mitmachten ... (Jedenfalls laut Wikipedia lol)

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sora-ko In reply to Saxony-APH [2013-01-10 21:14:55 +0000 UTC]

Aaah! Du bist doch bestimmt der gleiche Sachsen-RPer, mit dem ich erst vor ein paar Tagen auf tumblr über den Weihnachtsfrieden und hinterhältig vorgetäuschte Verwandtschaften mit Angelsachsen gesprochen habe. Die Welt ist klein!

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Saxony-APH In reply to sora-ko [2013-01-10 21:44:36 +0000 UTC]

W-was ... omg... ja der bin ich? Also bist du krautykraut? DU BIST DAS??? KJhdakjsdhkjshdsj ICH LIEBE DEINE BILDER OKAY? /FANBOYS /gleichmalfollowen hahahaha omfg!!!

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sora-ko In reply to Saxony-APH [2013-01-11 00:04:34 +0000 UTC]

Lol - jaaa. Auch wenn ich schon seit 2 Jahre in dem schlimmsten Kreatieeef stecke, das man sich vorstellen kann - das freut mich sehr, dankeschön.

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Saxony-APH In reply to sora-ko [2013-01-11 13:52:18 +0000 UTC]

Hmm Kreatieeef ? XDD Versuch doch einfach mal wieder Sachsen zu malen?

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Feechamax [2012-06-08 22:13:22 +0000 UTC]

Woaaah du bist ne deutsche *-* Hätt ich jetzt nicht erwartet xD Du bist awesome. Ernsthaft!! <3

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gemmawolf [2012-05-31 16:34:24 +0000 UTC]

I saw Joyeux Noel in school, and I loved how it was in all three languages depending on the characters in each scene. I've always known of this event and loved how common sense and human spirit somehow worked its way into the war. (I'm so tacky at times >.<)

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JStarPye [2012-05-13 20:04:37 +0000 UTC]

I seriously have no words to describe how amazing this is. You incorporated Hetalia into history without altering anything. I love how happy everyone looks in here!

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kairo88 [2012-01-13 19:25:40 +0000 UTC]

I watched this film today... the part where the children recite the poems gave me chills

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VicodinFlavoredMints [2011-12-22 23:22:04 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful work!

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Caedy [2011-12-18 16:20:49 +0000 UTC]

You have been featured here Cae's Christmas Features - Day 11 - Soldiers

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phoenix-of-fire [2011-11-12 14:23:24 +0000 UTC]

I have got to watch that film at some point, if it can inspire such a great picture! ^^ Seeing the four of them sitting peacefully together in that trench is simply stunning! (Though going by Hetalia's characterizations, it's even more amazing that England and France aren't fighting...XD)

And those three poems are simply perfect for this picture. I loved how you kept the three in their original languages; I would never have expected that I'd understand the French poem, to tell the truth... (I'm from Germany and my English is fine, so those weren't a problem).

The English poem shocked me actually; I didn't expect it to be so aggressive. The German one made me feel sad somehow, and the French seemed to try and focus on the positive aspects (regaining their 'children').

Is the English translation of the French poem in your description an official one? On the one hand the translation is not quite accurate, on the other hand it still rhymes...but I saw that someone posted a more literal translation, so that's fine.

Amazingly done! I love it!

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sora-ko In reply to phoenix-of-fire [2011-11-12 17:33:19 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for your nice comment. I took the translations straight from the movie because I figured they knew best, but yeah, it's not entirely accurate in the French case. And the English poem shocked me as well, especially since it seems to be an authentic one - silly me thought advertising genocide was reserved for Germans. What lovely times these were.

(Been meaning to correct the fail!German in there. But... /lazy)

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Wargames50 [2011-10-05 13:03:18 +0000 UTC]

This is very good. I found your art work a long time ago when I just started out on DA and now to find it again in another awesome fandom really makes my day Keep on drawing!

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ShadowinEX [2011-09-04 23:59:32 +0000 UTC]

Then Iggy started summoning the devil?

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Wargames50 In reply to ShadowinEX [2011-10-05 13:01:25 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, that seems to be how these things end, huh? lolz

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Starflower95 [2011-08-07 01:29:48 +0000 UTC]

This is really, really beautifull!!!

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firelilyofthephoenix [2011-07-26 22:40:00 +0000 UTC]

i love hitalia! xD

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JazUmiN13 [2011-07-20 19:10:58 +0000 UTC]

Why no ITaly?

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Hana-Nyu [2011-04-09 03:28:38 +0000 UTC]

;w; I-I-I... I want to cry, It's so beautiful....

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Writer-Natalya [2011-03-18 22:28:17 +0000 UTC]

this is totally awesome, it's kind of a pity this has only ever happened once in history. :/ seriously, one time.

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Gothwork In reply to Writer-Natalya [2011-03-22 03:08:07 +0000 UTC]

If it makes you feel better, it did happen in a few parts of the trenches in the christmases after. They weren't as big as the one in 1914, but they still happened. And I read somewhere that after the war was declared over, troops got out of the ditches and celebrated together. So there's a little bit of hope

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Writer-Natalya In reply to Gothwork [2011-03-22 22:55:50 +0000 UTC]

YAY! 83

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Gothwork In reply to Writer-Natalya [2011-03-22 22:58:06 +0000 UTC]

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Writer-Natalya In reply to Gothwork [2011-03-22 23:32:46 +0000 UTC]

YAYTHEWORLD XD as many as i could find anyway X) in the order i found them/remembered them.

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Gothwork In reply to Writer-Natalya [2011-03-23 00:01:05 +0000 UTC]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I WILL EAT YOUR SOOOOUUUUUL!!!

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Writer-Natalya In reply to Gothwork [2011-03-23 00:08:00 +0000 UTC]

DAWWWWWW XD there IS a shinatty! hmmmm i wonder...... :iconyayholyromeplz:

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Gothwork In reply to Writer-Natalya [2011-03-23 00:16:08 +0000 UTC]

Haha, I have found you holy rome!! Now to take you as my adorable prisoner!! XD

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Gothwork In reply to Gothwork [2011-03-23 16:39:47 +0000 UTC]

Oh,I found another kumajiro

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Writer-Natalya In reply to Gothwork [2011-03-23 00:44:54 +0000 UTC]

>w< I gladly accept! XD

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Gothwork In reply to Writer-Natalya [2011-03-23 03:40:09 +0000 UTC]

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Writer-Natalya In reply to Gothwork [2011-03-27 09:59:16 +0000 UTC]

xD

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sourcandyland [2011-02-22 20:20:22 +0000 UTC]

This is beautiful. I've always loved this story. It seems that humans do things right evey once in a while.

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tigeressofthestars [2011-02-01 00:09:35 +0000 UTC]

I saw a movie about this once, I'm not sure if it's the movie you're talking about or not. It's a story that I really like (is story even the right word?). The one thing that makes me sad about it though, is that Hitler was there

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sora-ko In reply to tigeressofthestars [2011-02-03 10:09:56 +0000 UTC]

Duuude, World War I, not II. :'D Not about Hitler in the slightest.
... well he was a random soldier during that time, but it hasn't been confirmed he ever took part in a Christmas Truce. If he did, he hardly could have been everywhere on the front where they happened, so no danger of his ominous presence lessening the beauty of the fact that these truces DID happen. ^^

Thanks for your comment though!

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tigeressofthestars In reply to sora-ko [2011-02-04 20:05:09 +0000 UTC]

Sorry, I have WWII on the brain I'm trying to minor in it.

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sora-ko In reply to tigeressofthestars [2011-02-04 20:31:34 +0000 UTC]

Oh dear, I'd hate to minor in something so depressive. :'D But good luck to you!

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tigeressofthestars In reply to sora-ko [2011-02-05 05:25:05 +0000 UTC]

I find it facinating acutally (WWII, not the Holocaust *can't spell*) Thanks anyway.

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black-tzuki [2011-01-29 01:27:47 +0000 UTC]

1. geiles bild, richtig klasse, favo
2. son bild, nur mit anstoßen wollte ich auch mal malen, irgendwie, wie gesagt, wer zu spät kommt...
3. ist das england oder scotland, ich hoffe scottland
b) und warum ist prussia da?(das er zu deutschland gehört ist mir schon klar), aber stört mich auch nicht wirklich, find cool, hab nur an 3 wegen 3 länder gedacht

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sora-ko In reply to black-tzuki [2011-02-04 20:38:28 +0000 UTC]

Danke!
Naja, ich dachte mir, da Preußen bis zum Ende des 1. WKs die dominante Macht im Kaiserreich war, und demnach in meinem Headcanon Gilbert Ludwig zu der Zeit noch sehr beeinflusst hat (ab 1918 war dann Schluss), UND weil ich den Chara einfach so gern mag... hab ich mir die Freiheit einfach mal genommen, auch wenn's die Drei-Länder-Symmetrie zerstört.

Und - jau, ich hätte auch gerne Schottland genommen! Den gibt's ja aber nur leider (noch?) nich in der Serie, also musste halt England her.

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black-tzuki In reply to sora-ko [2011-02-04 22:29:55 +0000 UTC]

Ja zerstört ein bisschen. Aber Preußen awesomenes macht as wieder weg.
Ich frag mich eben nur. Ob da auch preußen Truppen gekämpft haben.

Warum hast nicht ein OC gemacht. Gibt eine ziemlich bekannte Version von ihm.(Es gibt auch son geiles!!! FF von Britainquest. Man ich liebe das: [link] . Die FFs von Kaint von Hetalia, sind iso alle total geilsten. Besonders "Never ever have i", so geil, da liegst du unterm Tisch)

Ja die deutsche Sprache, schwere Spache. Ich könnt mir auch vorstellen das es unserer heißt, weiß ich doch nicht wie die damals gesprochen haben.
tzuki

p.s. blätterteig ist lecker(ich hoffe das es jetzt mal zu teigwaren gehört)

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catiecakes09 [2011-01-27 19:28:31 +0000 UTC]

ooh i love that movie!!!!!!!!

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mysticross [2011-01-27 15:51:55 +0000 UTC]

I almost cried reading these poems and seeing your deviations ; _ ;

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E-S-Lynnette [2010-12-31 19:59:33 +0000 UTC]

i'm a chile of Alsace~

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Moonstreakneko [2010-12-07 08:24:54 +0000 UTC]

The first thing I thought when I saw the picture was "That reminds me of Joyeux Noel." It is a pretty neat movie. And I love the begining. Awesome pic.

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claudiakat [2010-11-26 05:17:11 +0000 UTC]

Just...

The emotions it sends...

I can't explain it.

Maybe I'll just use the word...

Awe.

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jaensdenim [2010-11-25 23:12:08 +0000 UTC]

So pretty ! "Joyeux Noël" is a movie I watch every year during Christmass. It's so good ! (And I get all teary at end every time I watch it, dammit T.T !)

(... And now I can't help but to picture Prussia as an opera singer...)

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