“Both hands cut off …” refers to the law of primitive Haligland, whereby any member of the High Lord’s (King’s) family who was suspected of treason could be legally deprived of both hands, not as a punishment but as a precaution against a threat to the throne.
Bradbrook, a lordship on the coast of Waywold in South Dalemark.
Brid, daughter of Clennen the Singer and sister of Moril and Dagner, who fled North with Moril. Soon after her arrival Brid went to Gardale and trained as a law-woman, and thence to a professional appointment in Loviath. After the Great Uprising she became Countess of Hannart and eventually the first head of the Royal Dalemark Academy of Music, which she helped her brother Moril to found.
Bull, the most usual form in which the Earth Shaker appears. For this reason bulls’ heads are carried in the Holand Sea Festival. It is said that the Bull is most frequently seen in the Holy Islands.
Canden, the younger of two brothers from Waywold in South Dalemark, devoted to freedom fighting. He moved from Waywold to Holand, where conditions were much worse, deliberately to foment rebellion. In Holand he joined the secret society of the Free Holanders and shortly proposed the firing of one of the Earl’s warehouses. The older Free Holanders refused and stayed at home, while Canden led the younger ones to the warehouse. There he found that they had been betrayed and that soldiers were waiting for them.
Canderack, the earldom on the west coast of South Dalemark, where the best wine was grown. Until the reign of Amil the Great, Canderack owned a fleet that rivalled Holand’s.
Canderack Head, south of Canderack Bay, an important landmark for shipping on the South Dalemark coast.
Carne Bank, a mudbank at the far east of the prehistoric Rivermouth, notorious for quicksands and shallows.
Cenblith, a queen of prehistoric Dalemark who first took the One for her lover and then bound him to the will of mortals, apparently either by forcing him to make the great River or by carving an image of him.
Cennoreth, one of the Undying, known in legends as a witch and often called the Weaver. It was said that whatever she wove became truth. She was sister to the legendary King Hern and mother of Manaliabrid, wife of the Adon.
Chindersay, one of the outer ring of the Holy Islands, notable for the dark colour of its rocks.
Cindow, a village northeast of Markind in South Dalemark.
City of Gold, King Hern’s lost city of Kernsburgh, which gave rise to the saying “The City of Gold is always on the most distant hill”, meaning that your ideal is never here, under your hands, but always out over there.
Clans, the tribe families of the Heathens of Haligland. The clans are very large and contain all classes, from aristocrat to lowborn. For instance, Kars Adon and Ked both belonged to Clan Rath, but Kars Adon was King while Ked was lowborn and had no real relation to the royal family.
Clennen Mendakersson, one of the most famous and characterful of the old-style Singers; a musician, composer, and teller of tales. He married Lenina, niece of the Earl of the South Dales, and was the father of Dagner, Brid and Moril. He was murdered near Markind in South Dalemark on suspicion of being a spy, and bequeathed to Moril a cwidder with strange powers, which he claimed had been handed down to him from their ancestor Osfameron.
Climbers, Lawschool slang name for the cloistered court with steps.
Closti the Clam, father of Tanaqui the weaver and a native of Shelling in the prehistoric Riverlands kingdom of Dalemark. He was called the Clam for his extreme uncommunicativeness, which may have been caused by the early death of his wife, Anoreth, or perhaps by the command of the One. He was killed in the invasion of the Heathen Haliglanders before he could tell his children many very important facts.
Collen, one of the two Southern forms of the name Kialan; a name fairly common in Markind.
Collet, the steward of the King of the Riverlands, whose duty was to memorise the King’s debts for lodging and provision.
The Colour Song, composed and sung by Dagner Clennensson.
Come Up the Dale with Me, an apparently innocent love song from South Dalemark which was actually urging rebellion. It was banned.
Come with Me, a song being composed by Dagner Clennensson, which Clennen objected to on the grounds that it could be seen by spies as urging rebellion.
Coran, a townsman of Derent in Waywold in South Dalemark, later well known as a freedom fighter.
Countess
1. A female who is earl in her own right, like the Countess of Aberath.
2. The wife of an earl.
3. Mitt’s name for his bad-tempered horse, which was not even female.
Cow-calling, a traditional patter song to a lively tune. Each verse is two lines longer than the last, until the singer is addressing the whole herd of cows.
Crady, a large town in the south of Andmark in South Dalemark.
Credin, the tidal wave which, at certain seasons, runs up the river Aden from the sea. A lesser wave usually runs up the river Ath at the same time. It is thought the name derives from memories of the mage Kankredin.
Cressing Harbour, a small fishing port to the northeast of the Point of Hark. It was the nearest landing for ships from South Dalemark and much involved in smuggling goods and people from both sides.
Cruddle, one of the traditional instruments played at the Holand Sea Festival, a sort of triangular fiddle with three gut strings. The player held the cruddle under his chin and scraped the strings with a loose horsehair bow. Cruddlers were seldom musicians. Their sole aim was to make as much noise as possible.
Cuckoo Song, a comic song with rather indecent words composed by Clennen the Singer.
Cwidder, a musical instrument rather like a lute but with some of the properties of an acoustic guitar. Cwidders are found in all sizes, from small trebles to medium-sized altos and tenors to large bass and deep bass. Moril’s cwidder was a large bass, but it could be used as a tenor. Cwidders were much used by Singers because they were both versatile and easy to carry.
Dagner, the elder son of Clennen the Singer and a noted composer. Dagner became Earl of the South Dales very early in his life but was so reluctant to leave his life as a travelling Singer that he only took up his earldom after fifteen years, at the urgent request of Amil the Great.
Dalemark, the fifteen earldoms of Aberath, Loviath, Hannart, Gardale, Dropwater, Kannarth, the North Dales, the South Dales, Fenmark, Carrowmark, Andmark, Canderack, Waywold, Holand and Dermath, with the so-called King’s Lands (the Holy Islands, the Marshes and the Shield of Oreth), that, together with their peoples and history, make up historic Dalemark. For prehistoric Dalemark, see Riverlands.
Dapple, the mottled grey horse belonging to Hestefan the Singer. It was blind in one eye. There was usually something amiss with Singers’ horses because they could only afford to buy them cheap.
Dark Land, the place where the souls of the newly dead gather before they make their way to the constellation of the River and on to oblivion.
Dastgandlen Handagner, the full name of Dagner Clennensson, who was named for the twin brothers of the Undying encountered by the witch Cennoreth. It was said that Clennen could not resist long names.
Derent, a prosperous town in the northeast of the earldom of Waywold in South Dalemark.
Dermath, the earldom in the extreme southeast of South Dalemark.
Diddersay, one of the Holy Islands.
Dideo, a fisherman of Holand in South Dalemark, one of the older members of the Free Holanders, who knew how to make bombs. Dideo put this knowledge to use for Mitt, and again in the Great Uprising, when he had a hand blown off by one of his own bombs, but he survived this and ended his days on the City Council of Holand.
Dike End, the birthplace of Mitt, farmed by his parents for the first six years of Mitt’s life. The name comes from the situation of the farm and the nearby village at the end of the great Flate Dike, quite near where it runs into the sea about ten miles west of the port of Holand.
Doen, one of the Holy Islands.
Doggers, Lawschool slang for top of the game league.
Doreth, second daughter of Alk and the Countess of Aberath.
Dropthwaite, a secluded valley at the source of the river Dropwater where the Adon is said to have hidden as an outlaw. A centre of tourism in modern Dalemark.
Dropwater, after Hannart, the richest and most influential earldom of North Dalemark, situated facing southwest astride a wide fjord that is ideal for shipping, and sheltered by the mountains from the normal harsh weather of the North. The chief riches of Dropwater come from wool and leather goods, but it was mostly famous for its strong plum brandy and, above all, for the spectacular giant waterfall at the head of its dale.
Duck, the pet name of the youngest son of Closti the Clam, who later became famous as Mage Mallard.
Duke of Kernsburgh, a new title created by Amil the Great and bestowed upon Navis Haddsson. It was designed to ensure that Navis outranked all the earls.
Earl
1. The aristocratic ruler of one large segment of Dalemark. In the old days, prior to the reign of the Adon, earls held their places as officers of the King but, when Dalemark ceased to have kings, each earl became a small king in his own right, with absolute authority over everything in his earldom. Many misused this power, some brutally, and all went to great lengths to keep it.
2. The title of a clan chief among the Heathens of Haligland. This later became the modern title.
Earldom, a division of Dalemark ruled by an earl. It was said that earldoms came into being when King Hern divided his kingdom into nine and set nine men in charge, whom he called earls after the name of the clan chiefs, to govern under him. These divisions he called marks. Later six more marks were added in the South when Hern’s conquests had reached that far. The system worked well, provided the King was strong. The common people traditionally regarded the earls as only the officers of the King and continued to think this way even after there were no kings.
Earth Shaker, the title of Alhammitt, one of the elder Undying, who had become the god of corn and of the sea. The title might describe the sea, but it possibly also refers to what happens if any of the Earth Shaker’s secret names are spoken.
Edril, the younger grandson of Amil the Great and one of Maewen’s ancestors.
Egil, a hearthman in the service of Earl Keril of Hannart.
The Eighth March, the last of a set of marching songs usually called “The Seven Marches,” and only sung or played in North Dalemark because the words were offensive to the South.
Eleth of Kredindale, the mother of Noreth, who died soon after Noreth was born, declaring to the end that her daughter was the child of the One.
Elthorar Ansdaughter, keeper of antiquities at Hannart in North Dalemark in the time of Earl Keril, a law-woman of great learning who gave up the law in order to study the history and prehistory of Dalemark. She was present at the discovery of the spellcoats and translated them, sometimes rather inaccurately.
Eltruda, the Lady of Adenmouth, wife of Lord Stair, and younger sister of Eleth of Kredindale. Being childless herself, Eltruda brought Noreth up when Eleth died. On the death of Lord Stair, Eltruda married Navis Haddsson and became a considerable force in Dalemark politics and almost legendary for her quarrels with her stepdaughter, Hildrida.
Enblith the Fair, Queen of Dalemark some hundreds of years after the reign of King Hern, daughter of the Undying and said to be the most beautiful woman who ever lived. The musician-mage Tanamoril found Enblith living as a pauper in the woods and tricked the King into marrying her.
Falls
1. In prehistoric Dalemark the great River rose as a waterfall said to be half the height of a mountain. This was the site of Hern’s battle with the mage Kankredin.
2. In historic times the falls at the head of the dale of Dropwater, where the river Dropwater fell nearly three hundred feet to the floor of the valley, were among the most admired sights of North Dalemark.
Fander, a revolutionary in Neathdale in South Dalemark, a grocer by trade, who provided the family of Clennen the Singer with bacon, lentils and, for some reason, a large bunch of rhubarb.
Farn, the southernmost of the Holy Islands.
Fayside, one of the dormitory houses in the Lawschool at Gardale.
Fenna, the daughter and apprentice of Hestefan the Singer.
Fenner, Ganner Sagersson.
Fervold, captain of Earl Henda of Andmark’s private army.
Fire, a ritual bonfire which had to be lit for the One every spring as soon as the River ceased to flood. The fuel had to be specially arranged with the image of the One at its centre and kindled with coals from the hearth of the officiators. The lighting of the fire was celebrated with a feast. When the fire died down and the One was revealed in the ashes, only the eldest male of the family was allowed to remove the image.
Firepot, a clay pot with a lid and cunningly placed vents in which a fire could be kept alight and carried until needed. Until the invention of the wheel-and-flint tinderbox, firepots were in use all over Dalemark and continued in use by Singers and travelling traders until some time after the reign of the Adon.
Fishmarket, a broad thoroughfare in Holand in South Dalemark where fish was sold until the days of Amil IV.
Flags were considered potent symbols in Dalemark from prehistoric times onwards:
1. In the old Kingdom of Riverlands flags were religious symbols and only carried in the holiest ceremonies to honour the Undying.
2. To the Heathen invaders from Haligland flags were equally holy as expressing the honour and status of a clan. They were carried at all times and defended to the death in battle.
3. In historic Dalemark flags were nearly taboo. They were only flown at Midsummer Fairs and by ships at sea. No earls and few kings dared fly flags until Amil the Great designed the royal standard of the crowned wheatsheaf. To this day only the monarch flies a flag.
“Flaming Ammet!”, an oath peculiar to Holanders and a favourite of Mitt’s. Since Ammet was an image of the Earth Shaker made of wheat straw, the notion of it on fire amounted to blasphemy.
Flapper, Ganner Sagersson.
Flate, the general name for the flatlands surrounding Holand in South Dalemark, most of which were at, or below, sea level.
Flate Dike, the main drainage ditch for the lowlands around Holand. It was wider than most roads and ran dead straight for nearly fifteen miles, the water in it flowing like a river to an outlet ten miles west of the port of Holand.
Flate Street, a street in a poor but respectable district to the west of the city of Holand in South Dalemark, where Earl Hadd provided Hobin the gunsmith with a house and workshop.
Fledden, a small town to the north of Andmark in South Dalemark, the birthplace of Earl Henda and one of the few places where Henda could rely on absolute loyalty. The inhabitants held the curious belief that the colour yellow was unlucky.
Flennpass, the last of the passes open in the mountains between North and South Dalemark. It was said that the musician-mage Osfameron had closed the other three passes at the time of the Adon.
Flind, a common name in South Dalemark.
1. A vintner outside Derent in Waywold, who brought Kialan and a supply of wine to Clennen the Singer.
2. A non-existent person mentioned in a password as part of Siriol’s plans for Mitt’s escape.
Flower of Holand, the boat belonging to Siriol on which Mitt served as apprentice, part of the fishing fleet that sailed regularly from the port of Holand in South Dalemark.
Follow the Lark, a song about bird catching whose secret meaning was “overthrow the earls,” composed during the last rebellion before the Great Uprising.
Fort Flenn, the fort at the northern end of Flennpass, in the hands of the North and designed to hold the pass against incursion from the South.
Fredlan, one of the Singers, who travelled in a cart with his family, giving performances all over Dalemark.
Free as Air and Secret, a song pretending to be
about the delights of the countryside which secretly urged rebellion, composed during an early uprising in South Dalemark.
Free Holanders, one of many secret societies of freedom fighters in the city of Holand in South Dalemark, the one to which Mitt belonged from the age of eight. Its members were mostly fishermen who believed ardently that they should free South Dalemark from the tyranny of the earls but who could seldom agree how this should be done. However, when the Great Uprising finally came about, all the Free Holanders were active in it, both in the fighting and in the reshaping of the government afterwards.
Gander, Ganner Sagersson.
Gann, a great hero in the legends from South Dalemark who performed many great feats with his sword, Soulmaker, which was forged for him in secret by the Undying smith Agner while both were captives of the mage-king Heriol. Some stories give Gann as the brother of the witch Cennoreth. See also Gull.
Ganner Sagersson, Lord of Markind in the earldom of the South Dales, who had been betrothed to Lenina Thornsdaughter as a young man. When she left him for Clennen the Singer, Ganner did not, despite pressure from his household, marry anyone else. He seems to have expected Lenina would eventually come back to him (see Bad Luck). Ganner was a just and efficient administrator and one of few Southern lords to survive the Great Uprising untouched. He became regent for the South Dales on the death of Tholian.
Ganter Islands, a cluster of three islands in the Holy Islands.
Gardale, a prosperous valley, town and earldom in the southeast of North Dalemark, site of the famous Lawschool.
Garlands of apples, corn and grapes were worn by all those taking part in the Holand Sea Festival and afterwards thrown into the sea.
Golden Gentleman, the name given by the King of the Riverlands to the image of the One when he finally found it in the keeping of Robin Clostisdaughter.
Gosler, Ganner Sagersson.
Gown, the distinguishing garment of the mage among the Heathens of Haligland. The gown had spells woven in it which appeared as words and, once put on by a mage, was never taken off, even for washing.
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