--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, as I understand it, the bards were…" description: "\"“Now, as I understand it, the bards were feared. They were respected, but more than that they were feared. If you were just some magician, if you'd pis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg" --- # Now, as I understand it, the bards were feared. They were… ![“Now, as I understand it, the bards were feared. They were respected, but more than that they were feared. If you were just some magician, if you'd pissed off some witch, then what's she gonna do, she's gonna put a curse on you, and what's gonna happen? Your hens are gonna lay funny, your milk's…” quote by Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg) > ““Now, as I understand it, the bards were feared. They were respected, but more than that they were feared. If you were just some magician, if you'd pissed off some witch, then what's she gonna do, she's gonna put a curse on you, and what's gonna happen? Your hens are gonna lay funny, your milk's gonna go sour, maybe one of your kids is gonna get a hare-lip or something like that — no big deal. You piss off a bard, and forget about putting a curse on you, he might put a satire on you. And if he was a skilful bard, he puts a satire on you, it destroys you in the eyes of your community, it shows you up as ridiculous, lame, pathetic, worthless, in the eyes of your community, in the eyes of your family, in the eyes of your children, in the eyes of yourself, and if it's a particularly good bard, and he's written a particularly good satire, then three hundred years after you're dead, people are still gonna be laughing, at what a twat you were.”” [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A skilled satirist can ruin a person's reputation more effectively than a curse, leaving lasting humiliation. **In simple terms:** Satire can destroy reputation more than curses. Key Takeaway Beware the power of ridicule. Themes reputation humiliation social perception satire legacy Mood cautious reflective Type cautionary analytical When to use this quote - political scandals - public figures - online shaming - media criticism - personal conflicts Key Concepts cultural critique psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does satire differ from direct attack? - Can reputation be rebuilt after public ridicule? A Different Perspective Satire may be ignored if the audience lacks cultural context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Artists-way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists-way-11197/) [Bard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bard/) [Bard Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bard-written-3328082/) [Bards Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards-feared-3328080/) [Big deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-deal/) [Curse Satire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curse-satire-3095588/) [Dead people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) [Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony/) [Modernity-is-a-sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernity-is-a-sickness-124187/) [Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians/) [Piss Bard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piss-bard-3095587/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Satire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satire/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Songwriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriters/) [Understand Bards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-bards-3328081/) ## Related quotes > [“You piss off a bard, and forget about putting a curse on you, he might put a satire on you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/you-piss-off-a-bard-and-forget-about-putting-a-curse-on-you-he-might/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee-foundation/art-does-not-reproduce-the-visible-rather-it-makes-visible/) [Paul Klee Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee-foundation/) ## More by Alan Moore > [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. 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And if he was a skilful bard, he puts a satire on you, it destroys you in the eyes of your community, it shows you up as ridiculous, lame, pathetic, worthless, in the eyes of your community, in the eyes of your family, in the eyes of your children, in the eyes of yourself, and if it's a particularly good bard, and he's written a particularly good satire, then three hundred years after you're dead, people are still gonna be laughing, at what a twat you were.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Moore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-feared-they-were-respected-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artists" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-feared-they-were-respected-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/alan-moore-583_artists_now-as-i-understand-it-the-bards-were-fe_1973521.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now, as I understand it, the bards were feared. 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