The Wizard Knight Companion Read online

  There are a few enigmas about this. In the first place, when Able breaks a branch off in America or Mythgarthr, it seems to act in a negative way as a “Golden Bough” in allowing him to enter Aelfrice, where he is treated roughly for messing with the tree. To make up for his transgression, Able plants three spiny orange seeds, yet later he has no qualms about taking spiny orange branches to make arrows. Thus, despite his memory of taking only a branch, it seems that he must have cut down an entire tree for his six-foot staff, which seems like a very small tree. Otherwise, his persecution by the Moss Aelf was disproportionate, since he only took a branch.

  In the ruins of Griffinsford, Bold Berthold shows Able where the real Able had planted a seed before he left. There is a stump, which they mourn, but at the edge of the field is a 25-foot-tall spiny orange tree. It is ambiguous as to which one was planted by the real Able (in fact, maybe this presentation amounted to a test of Able by Bold Berthold). Aside from that, there is a haunting sense that Able must have cut down the other one: that is, the stump belongs to the tree that is now his bow.

  Much later, when Sir Able is preparing to hold the mountain pass, he rides off on Cloud one night and returns with a lance made of spiny orange. It seems like this must be one of the two in Bold Berthold’s field, either the tall one, or the former tree of the stump, but the latter requires some troubling time travel. If it is the tall one, perhaps Able cuts it knowing that he has already paid for it (by planting the seeds before).

  Stonebowl one of Smiler’s chief ministers, the one with the dragon-shaped sword (met in II, chap. 38, 452; named on 455).

  Surt the helper of ship’s cook Hordsvin on the Western Trader (I, chap. 19, 125). Both men fight beside Able against the Osterling pirates. Able never meets him. The similarity of his name to that of Setr seems like a smoking gun, leaving an impression that Able’s grievous wound, in his side, might have come from Surt on behalf of Setr.

  Myth: (Norse) Surt or Surtr, the most famous named giant: a Fire Giant from Muspell who burns earth and heaven.

  Svon Ravd’s squire (I, chap. 4, 37), later Able’s squire (I, chap. 43, 269). Obr is his father and he has an older brother. Able leaves him in the forest because he is afraid he would kill Svon (I, chap. 44, 273). Svon quarrels with Pouk and goes south, followed by Org. He meets a Mouse and gives him a gift, but the half-giant comes back at night and keeps hanging around until Org kills him. Spooked by Org, Svon heads north, passing Lady Idnn and getting into the fight with Toug wherein Toug breaks Svon’s nose with a sucker punch (II, chap. 2, 23).

  Svon starts to remember the outlaw attack in which Ravd died (II, chap. 1, 28). His shield bears the image of a swan (II, chap. 12, 133). He marries Queen Idnn, who has become very enamored of him.

  Arthuriana: the Knight of the Swan is a figure of Chivalric Romance, a mysterious rescuer who comes in a swan-drawn boat to defend a damsel. Originally attached to the family of Godfrey of Bouillon and the Crusade Cycle, in Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival the Swan Knight is Lohengrin, son of the Grail knight Percival. This version is the source of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin, the most famous Swan Knight today.

  Commentary: Svon’s initial problem is his bad attitude. Toug teaches him humility by breaking his nose in their fight, or perhaps through Toug’s behavior after the fight, and this seems to go a long way in helping Svon’s personality mature so that he becomes closer to an ideal knight. It is ironic, because a beating from Ravd or Able, which Svon had been so actively seeking, would probably not have had the same salubrious effect.

  Swert Beel’s valet, whom Beel orders to verbally abuse Able (I, chap. 61, 373). He does so, reluctantly. He comes to Able after the Battle of Utgard to bring him to Beel (II, chap. 23, 284).

  Onomastics: Old High German word for “sword.”

  Swiftbrook the manor Beel offers to Able (I, chap. 50, 317).

  Swit a knight of Duke Marder (II, chap. 11, 126). His device is a gazehound couchant (lying down or crouching, but with head up). A gazehound is one that tracks by sight rather than by scent.

  Onomastics: Polish word for “dawn, daybreak, sunrise.”

  Sword Breaker Able’s sword-like mace, “sort of like a steel bar” (I, glossary). It is a foreign weapon, a mace of the Lothurlings (I, chap. 15, 106). It looks like a sword when sheathed. Named after it broke the captain’s sword (I, chap. 20, 129). Later given to Toug (I, chap. 20, 130).

  From Stone: “Tau-kien. Chinese weapons with hilts like swords and heavy square metal bars in place of blades. Whether they were used as weapons or for exercise is uncertain, probably the former as some of them are very well finished. Some weigh as much as ten pounds.” Figure 778 #4: “Four sided blade with shallow grooves on each side . . . length of blade 30.75 inches.”

  payn

  q

  r

  real able, the

  red tijanamir

  rowd

  s

  scaur

  sevengates

  skathi

  snari

  spell of divination

  stonebowl

  swert

  sword breaker

  t

  Thiazbor a giant stronghold owned by Thiazi (II, chap. 8, 88).

  Thiazi Gilling’s minister and wizard (II, chap. 6, 69). He built the Room of Lost Love in his tower at Utgard.

  Myth: (Norse) the giant who stole Idunn and her apples of youth. He was slain by the gods when he chased Loki back into Asgard.

  Thoas a duke of Celidon (II, chap. 39, 465).

  Myth: (Greek) one of the Greek heroes at the Trojan War.

  Thope Marder’s master-at-arms (I, chap. 32, 200). Able jousts with him three times. The knights beat Able, and when Thope tries to stop them, he is stabbed (I, chap. 33, 205). Presumably Thope is stabbed by one of the knights, but Modguda has just said how they hate Agr, Marder’s marshal. Woddet says, “Some wretch put his blade into Thope’s back” (I, chap. 34, 210). So it is another mysterious stabbing at a melee, like the stabbing of Able in the fight against the Osterling pirates and the stabbing of Gilling.

  Thortower Arnthor’s castle, located in the center of Kingsdoom (II, chap. 28, 348). Princess Morcaine has a tower, and Queen Gaynor has at least a garden, if not a tower of her own. Other locations include the Red Room and Escan’s library. The castle also has ancient dungeons that reach down into Aelfrice.

  Three Hearts and Three Lions the armorer at Forcetti, talking about painting designs on shields, says, “There was one wanted three hearts ’n three lions, all on the one shield. We done it, but it cost the world” (I, chap. 37, 230). This is a reference to a 1961 novel by Poul Anderson, in which Holger Carlsen, a soldier in World War Two, awakens from a head wound in a world of romance as Ogier the Dane. In this alternate world, the evil of faerie is expanding into Europe. The two forces in opposition are Law (Church and humanity) and Chaos (magic and faerie). Holger’s girlfriend is a swanmay and Morgan le Fay plays a role.

  Thrym captain of Gilling’s guards (II, chap. 6, 65). He is the biggest Son of Angr Able ever sees, being twice the height of the tallest man (66). He is in the ambush group (II, chap. 23, 283). Beel kills him (284).

  Myth: Norse name meaning “crash,” he was the giant who had the hammer in “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer” (by an unknown poet). Thrym refused to give it back unless he was given Freyja as his wife. So Thor disguised himself in bridal clothes and went in her place.

  Thunor the Valfather’s eldest son, the model for knights (I, chap. 44, 274).

  Myth: (Norse) the Old English name for Thor, thunder god of the Æsir.

  Thunrolf lord of Round Tower, the garrison at the Mountain of Fire (I, chap. 29, 179). A baron, he wants to prove to Able that a true knight is better than Able, whom he assumes is a fake knight or a Tom O’Bedlam madman. Frustrated that none of his own knights will volunteer to prove this point, he chains himself to Able and enters the Mountain of Fire. After returning to Mythgarthr he offers to adopt Able (I, chap. 31, 193).

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sp; Onomastics: The German name “Thun” is a location name for one who lives near a watch tower, or an occupational name for one in charge of a tower; “Rolf” (also German) is “renowned wolf.”

  Thyr “the first peasant girl” (II, glossary; II, chap. 17, 188).

  Myth: (Norse) Thyr, “slave girl,” is the human wife of demi-god Thrall. Their descendants are the race of thralls (serfs). See lut.

  Commentary: Able mentions Thyr in an exclamation while looking at Utgard, “But oh Thyr and Tyr look at the size of it!” The sense of this seems to be that everyone, from lowly slave to a high god, would surely be impressed by the sight of the giant castle.

  tijanamir “prince” title among the Osterlings (II, chap. 37, 442). The six sons of the old Caan are all titled tijanamir, from the Red Tijanamir through to the Black Tijanamir.

  Onomastics: possibly “Tijan” (masculine name) plus “emir” (the Arabian title for a military governor).

  timeline see history.

  Tom O’Bedlam an anonymous poem written circa a.d. 1600 about a Bedlamite, a vagrant begging madman. This Tom thinks he is a knight on a fantastic quest for his lady-love, the madwoman Maudlin. The line containing “—and a horse of air,” quoted in the text, is from the final stanza:

  With a host of furious fancies

  Whereof I am commander,

  With a burning spear and a horse of air,

  To the wilderness I wander.

  By a knight of ghosts and shadows

  I summoned am to tourney

  Ten leagues beyond the wild world’s end.

  Methinks it is no journey.

  The ballad itself has countless versions, and the snippets given in The Wizard Knight show variation with the form given above: The line “With a burning spear and a horse of air” becomes “With a lance of prayer and a horse of air,” and “Ten leagues beyond the wild world’s end” becomes “Ten thousand leagues beyond the moon” (II, chap. 18, 210).

  This allusion within the text makes it plain that Able is seen as a Tom O’Bedlam character who is right rather than insane. Indeed, Able has a “horse of air” in his flying mount Cloud, and he commands a host of strange beings: the fire Aelf maidens Baki and Uri, the god dog Gylf, the ogre Org, the witch’s cat Mani, and ultimately a few armies of Aelfrice.

  Toug son of old toug, brother of Ulfa. He is one of the peasant boys who tries to rob Able early on (the other one is Haf). After Able is transformed into a man, he gets Toug to guide him to the outlaws near Glennidam, but they end up going to Aelfrice, where Able leaves Toug with Disiri. Much later, after Able kills the giant Bymir in Jotunland, he meets a mute Toug who guides him to where Eterne is hidden (I, chap. 67, 413). Able requests a boon that Toug put a griffin on his shield. Toug sees Able die. He later uses the knife he finds in Able’s saddlebag—probably the dagger Able took from the outlaw cave (I, chap. 14, 100)—lashing it to a pole to form a crude lance.

  In the battle against giants, a serving man hits Toug. First the man jumps on Toug’s horse behind him and grabs the reins, heading them away. Toug resists and the man hits him on the ear and dumps him (II, chap. 3, 31). Later Toug has to settle with him, presumably with a beating, after Able mentions it (34).

  After returning from Skai, Able has Toug heal Baki (II, chap. 4, 42–43). Squire Wistan challenges Toug, frustrated over the non-

  answers about witch and cat. Toug yields, surrenders Sword Breaker. Wistan says he will drop it down the cistern (II, chap. 15, 174). Baki warns Toug that Beel will give him trouble if he suspects Toug will aid in Baki’s quest to get Able to go to Aelfrice (II, chap. 15, 177).

  Beel’s secret mission for Toug is to go outside the castle and look for giant scaling ladders (II, chap. 16, 183). Toug beats Wistan on his way out.

  Toug saves Etela, her mother, and her father Vil. Toug becomes a knight, but as a result of his suffering he is a somewhat reluctant knight. It seems likely that he marries Etela.

  Onomastics: Old High German word for “it is useful; be useful.” In this sense it is similar to the names Able and Nytir.

  Tower of Glas the skyscraper palace Setr built in Aelfrice (I, chap. 22, 140–41). Like a successful Tower of Babel it reaches the next heaven, appearing in Mythgarthr as an equatorial island.

  Tristan see names on the wind.

  tumbrel “Are you the only man in Mythgarthr who doesn’t know the tale of the knight and the tumbrel?” (II, chap. 13, 149). A tumbrel is a two-wheeled cart.

  Arthuriana: a reference to Lancelot, who, having lost his horse, hesitates to take the tumbrel. “Does a knight of honor mount the cart of dishonor? Anything must be endured to save the queen.” He climbs on and is tagged ever after as “knight of the cart,” signifying chivalry and shame.

  Tung a master of arms who taught Garvaon. “Master Tung used to say a true swordsman was a lily blooming in the fire” (I, chap. 55, 342).

  Tung-shan (full name Liang-chieh of Tung-shan) was the 9th century founder of Ch’an Buddhism. In systematizing the ranks of awareness between Absolute and Relative reality, he used concrete metaphors to explain them. Thus, he wrote that in the Fourth Rank of Buddhism, “The master swordsman / Is like the lotus blooming in the fire.” Here the lotus is absolute reality and fire is relative reality.

  Onomastics: Tung-shan, “East Mountain,” is a place in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

  Commentary: presumably “lotus” was changed to “lily” because there are no lotuses in the European-like environment of Celidon.

  Tyr the bravest of the Overcyns (II, chap. 17, 188). See zio.

  Myth: (Norse) an early war god, later associated with law and justice. In Old Norse Tyr was a synonym for “god,” such that Odin bore the title “Sigtyr,” the god of victory (Davidson). Tyr was brave enough to feed the wolf Fenrir, and willing to sacrifice his hand in order that the monster could be bound.

  Uld a farmer who used to live in Griffinsford and had six fingers (I, chap. 3, 34). His house was across from Baldig’s.

  Onomastics: a variant of -ulf (Old Norse ulfr), or wolf.

  Ulfa old Toug’s daughter, the girl who makes clothes for Able in Glennidam after he is transformed (I, chap. 8, 60). She is three years older than her brother Toug, but the gap increases during the years he is away in Aelfrice (II, chap. 10, 108). She leaves home to find Able, eventually meeting up with Pouk and camping at the mountain pass. Captured by giants, they end up at Utgard Castle. She marries Pouk. Able secures their freedom and flies Ulfa home to Glennidam on Cloud.

  Onomastics: (Icelandic) feminine form of Ulfur, meaning “wolf.”

  Ulfa’s mother she is hiding in the pantry when Able shows up at old Toug’s house (I, chap. 8, 62).

  Uns a hunchbacked peasant who raised the ogre Org and later joins Able’s group. His mother is Nukara and his brother is Duns. His special talent is reading the weather (I, chap. 38, 234). He meets up with Able again at the mountain pass (I, chap. 56, 345). He is stabbed during the fight between Able and Loth (II, chap. 33, 392). Able straightens his hunchback in his healing miracles.

  Onomastics: Icelandic word meaning “until,” from Old Norse unz.

  Uri a Fire Aelf maiden, friend or sister of Baki (I, chap. 23, 149). Setr makes her Able’s slave (150). Uri is the one who swears to serve Able (149). She was a khimaira at the time. She was one of the dancers at the attempt to feed Morcaine to Grengarm.

  There is a question of why she did not say Baki needed aid (II, chap. 7, 82) in the episode where Toug ended up healing Baki (II, chap. 4, 41). One possibility is that she feared trouble with Able after the Grengarm episode. Another is that she is serving Able by keeping him away from such a potential trap as healing Baki (either through blood or through Overcyn magic).

  Uri tells Able that Baki stabbed Gilling (II, chap. 13, 147).

  Onomastics: (Hebrew) a male name meaning “God is my light.”

  Utgard Gilling’s castle, also the town around it (mentioned I, chap. 61, 372). Where Gylf found Pouk (I, chap. 62, 385). In the castle are B
ittergarm, Gilling, Pouk, Schildstarr, Skoel, Thiazi, and Ulfa. In the town are Alca, Gif, Logi, Etela, Lynnet, Rowd, Sceef, and Vil.

  Myth: (Norse) a realm outside of Asgard.

  Uthor father of Setr, Morcaine, and Arnthor (II, chap. 33, 395). He had these children by a water dragon of Muspel. Without an heir, Arnthor, the throne would have passed to his brother’s line.

  Arthuriana: Uther, father of Arthur.

  Vafthrudnir a giant famous for wisdom (II, chap. 12, 136).

  Myth: (Norse) a giant who had dialogue with Odin in the Edda.

  Valfather, the king of Skai and the model for kings (I, chap. 11, 80). His wife is Frigg. Thunor is his oldest son, and Lothur is his youngest son. Among his daughters are Idnn and the Lady.

  He visits the human Queen Idnn when Uri is about to name the person who attacked King Gilling (II, chap. 20, 234). This makes him a suspect (see mystery of king gilling’s murder for details).

  Myth: (Norse) Odin, king of the Æsir. From Old High German wal (“battlefield, slaughter”), Odin is War-Father, or Norse valr (“those slain in battle”). But also a pun on All-Father, a title of Odin.

  Odin and his two brothers, Ve (or Lothur) and Vili, created the cosmos and all animate things. Odin gave one of his eyes to Mimir so that he might drink wisdom from his well. See mirmir.

  Vali a man who helps old Toug in trying to kill Able (I, chap. 8, 64). He wants to take Seaxneat’s place as the middleman between outlaws and Glennidam (I, chap. 12, 86).

  Myth: (Norse) a son of Odin, or a son of Loki.

  Valt Leort’s squire, “and a good one” (II, glossary; II, chap. 9, 96).

  Onomastics: perhaps from Valter, the Swedish form of Walter “strong fighter,” or the Teutonic “powerful ruler.”

  Ve Vali’s little boy (I, chap. 8, 65).

  Myth: Norse son of Bor and brother of Odin. The name means “giver of feeling.” See lothur.

  Vidare one of Marder’s knights who beats Able, his comeuppance is a broken nose (I, chap. 34, 214).