The Goddess Denied (The Saga of Edda-Earth Book 2)

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The Goddess Denied (The Saga of Edda-Earth Book 2) Page 136

by Deborah Davitt


  But as before, they would not have her heart.

  Outside Erida’s house, Sigrun stared out at the sunset, blindly, as she waited for the others to join her. A shadow fell over her awareness, and she glanced up as the ground vibrated from an impact. “Oh. It’s you.”

  Yes, of course it’s me. Who else would it be? Niðhoggr’s voice was mildly amused. A dark-toned rumble in her mind, with harmonics like tectonic plates sliding over themselves. Intelligent. Subtle. Savage. And it carried the weight of centuries of regret, sorrow, and pain endured. Overcome.

  “I am sure I do not know any other dragons the size of aircraft. Unfortunately, we must go to the north, and speak with your uncle shortly.”

  Jormangand? He is to fire as I am to ice. I would prefer not to fight him. Nith snorted.

  “I would prefer the same. I do not think it a battle that anyone besides Thor and Odin together might win.”

  You . . . heard me. Shock and joy in the dragon’s voice. You hear me! You hear me at last!

  “Yes,” Sigrun replied, still staring at the sunset. His joy warmed her, a few degrees, at least, but the rest of her was empty. You can have this and this and this, and this thing here, you may even enjoy, but these things over here? They’re not for such as you. You’re never going to get what you want. “Apparently, I can.” She reached up, and put a hand on the dragon’s leg, and felt another bead of ice fall down her cheek. I had best get that under control before I see Adam again. “Let us depart.”

  Appendix I: Geographical Information

  Asia

  Korea

  Seorabeol — Seoul

  ______________________

  Nippon

  *Edo — Tokyo

  *Hokkaido Island

  ______________________

  Qin

  Beijing —Capital of Qin

  *Llasa — Capital of the Tibetan Protectorate of Qin

  Europa

  Geographical features

  *Áhkká — Mountain in far northern Sweden; site of an entrance to Valhalla

  Haemodae — Shetland

  *Mount Parnassus — Mountain in Hellas. Location of the Corycian Cave.

  Orcades — Orkney islands

  *Pielinen — Lake in Fennmark

  Sequana river — Seine

  *Taunus mountains, Greater Feldberg and Smaller Feldberg — Located in Hessen, Germany

  Tamesis river — Thames

  ______________________

  Britannia

  Subprovinces

  Cantium, petty kingdom — Kent

  Caledonia, petty kingdom — Scotland

  Cymru, petty kingdom — Wales

  Eboracum, petty kingdom — York

  Kernow, petty kingdom — Cornwall

  Umbria, petty kingdom — Northumbria

  Cities

  Dhu Rinn —Durness

  Dubrās — Dover

  Inbhir Nis — Inverness

  Londonium — London

  Tarvodubron* (“Bullwater”) — Current capital of Caledonia. (Thurso)

  ______________________

  Continental Gaul

  Named Subprovinces:

  Aquitania (Southern France)

  Belgae (Belgium)

  Tarraconnensis, Lusitania, and Baetica (Iberian Gaul)

  Isle of the Blessed — Madeira

  Cities:

  Carthaginensis — Cartagena, Spain

  Lucentum — Alicante, Spain— Seville, Spain

  *Lutetia Parisiorum — Paris

  *Toxandria — Campine, Belgium

  Valentia — Valencia

  ______________________

  Germania

  Agrippinensium — Cologne/Köln

  *Frankonovurd am Main —Frankfurt

  ______________________

  Raccia

  Kiev — Kiev

  Novgorod — Novgorod

  Moskva — Moscow

  Varangkov — St. Petersburg

  ______________________

  Rome

  Lilybaeum — Marsala, Sicily

  *Rome

  ______________________

  Other locations in Europa

  Athens — City in Hellas

  Argos — City in Hellas, noted for claiming to have the tomb of Prometheus

  Cimbri — Denmark

  Delphi — City in Hellas, home of the Oracle

  *Gotaland — Southern Sweden

  Jönköping, capital city (Jönköping, Sweden)

  Mjölby, city on northern border. (Mjölby, Sweden)

  Ostrogotia (eastern province of Gotaland)

  Fennmark — Finland

  Lieksa— City in Fennmark (Lieksa, Finland)

  Turku — Capital of Fennmark (Turku, Finland)

  Polania — Poland

  Caesaria Aquilonis (North America)

  Geographical features

  Aeturnus Flumenis — Mississippi river

  Apalachen mountains — Appalachian mountains

  Bláthach Peninsula — Florida

  Lake Caestus — Lake Michigan

  Lake Erielhonan — Lake Erie

  Lake Monache — Mammoth Lakes

  Mannahata — Manhattan Island

  *Mitsi'adazi (or Goldeseasteð) — Yellowstone, river and region

  Muhheakantuck — Hudson River

  Nivalis mountains — Sierra Nevada mountains

  Ohio Flumenis — Ohio river

  Saxetae mountains — Rockies

  Tó Baʼáadi river — Rio Grande

  Yohhe'met — Yosemite

  ______________________

  Novo Germania, cities and notable landmarks

  *Burgundoi — San Francisco

  Odinhall

  Ceasterhild Brycgian (Citygate Bridge – Golden Gate Bridge)

  Pellicane Island — Alcatraz island

  Cimbri-on-the-Caestus — Chicago (Sigrun’s birthplace)

  Duwamish — Seattle

  Frisii – Montreal

  Marcomanni – Cincinnati

  *Nova Trier — New York

  Statue of Odin and his ravens in Muhheakantuck Harbor

  Saxony — Detroit

  ______________________

  Novo Gaul, cities and notable landmarks

  Alba Aesculus — Albuquerque

  *Arlesus — New Orleans

  Caddo Bluff — Dallas

  Clovis — St. Louis

  *Crann Péitseog — Atlanta

  Croatoan — Roanoke, Virginia

  *Divodurum – Houston

  *Féir Crompán — Carrizo Springs

  *Nimes — Los Angeles

  *Ponca — Omaha

  Romaine — Richmond, Virginia

  *Tongeran – Phoenix

  Tidewater — Norfolk, Virginia

  Non-affiliated countries of Caesaria Aquilonis

  *Chahiksichahik territory

  Chinooks

  Comanche Alliance

  Diné Lands

  Iroquois Confederation

  Lakota Nation

  Hopi Nation

  Oraibi — Major Hopi city

  Ute Federation

  ______________________

  Nahautl, cities and notable landmarks

  *Fuscus Lapillus — Piedras Negras

  *Tenochtitlan — Mexico City

  *Teotihuacan — Ruins of the same name

  *Tikal, Tikali region — Guatemala

  ______________________

  Caribbean region

  Borikén — Puerto Rico

  Coabana — Cuba

  Karankawa — Galveston island (part of Novo Gaul)

  Kùutsmil — Cozumel (part of Nahautl)

  Taino islands — Caribbean islands

  Caesaria Australis (South America)

  Geographical features

  *Ibirapitanga rainforest— Amazon rainforest

  Tawantinsuyu, cities and notable landmarks

  *Coropuna — Volcano

  *Cuzco — Cusco

  *Machu Picchu

&nb
sp; *Nazca Lines

  Middle East

  Notable cities

  *Borsippa — Location of major Magi academy. (Southwest Iraq)

  Byzantium — Capital of Lydian province (Istanbul, Turkey)

  *Chalus — City in Media, on the Caspian. (Chalus, Iran)

  Damascus — Capital of West Assyria, province of Rome

  Ecbatana — City in Media, southwest of Chalus. (Near Lalejin, Iran)

  Gazaca — City in West Assyria (No current real-world location. Approximately Zanjan, Iran.)

  *Jerusalem — Capital of Judea

  Meggido — Judean city (a place called Armageddon)

  Persepolis — Capital of Persia (Real world: ruins south of Estakhr, Iran)

  Shiqmona — Port city of Judea (Haifa, Israel)

  *Tyre —Carthaginian city, province of Rome (Tyre, Lebanon)

  North Africa

  Notable cities and Geography

  *Alexandria — Capital of Egypt

  Carthage (city) — Carthage, Tunisia

  *Chott el Jerid — Saltwater lake/salt flats, Tunisia

  Hippo Regius — City west of the city of Carthage. (Annaba, Algeria)

  Mauritania — Westernmost subprovince of African Carthage

  Oea — City east of the city of Carthage (Tripoli, Libya)

  Rusicade — City east of Hippo Regius (Skikda, Algeria)

  Tacape — City between Oea and Carthage (Gabes, Tunisia)

  Oceans

  The Sea of Atlas — Atlantic

  Pacfica — Pacific

  Erythraean Sea — Arabian Sea

  Imakpik — Bering Strait

  Miscellaneous

  Aotearoa — New Zealand

  Rapa Nui Island —Easter Island

  Mythological

  Ynys Afallon — Isle of Apples, Avalon

  * Indicates a region or city in which narrative events take place. This list is not comprehensive, and is intended to help readers orient themselves, nothing more.

  Appendix II: Calendar Terms and Alternate History

  Caesarian I, called by history “Caesarian the God-Born,” undertook a major reform of the Roman calendar system, which was decidedly out of joint. In antiquity, the year began at the spring equinox, in Martius, and the number of days in the year did not reflect properly Earth’s full solar year. This led to seasons and months no longer matching up, over time.

  Hence, Caesarion the God-Born and his advisors—and other scientists, over the centuries—made the following changes: All months but three were regularized to thirty days. The calendar year’s beginning moved to Ianuarius, instead of Martius.

  One month was renamed for Julius Caesar, becoming Iulius. Two days were added to it, for a total of thirty-two. One month was renamed for Caesarion, and two days added to it, as well. One day was added to the end of December, and, once the notion of Earth orbiting the sun came into vogue, every four years, a second day was added to this last month of the year, to account for leap years.

  Edda-Earth does not concern itself with multiple calendar formats, though the Nahutl (Aztecs), Maya (Quecha), Judeans, and other civilizations have their own calendars. All dates are presented in Roman format for simplicity.

  Months

  Ianuarius 30

  Februarius 30

  Martius 30

  Aprilis 30

  Maius 30

  Iunius 30

  Iulius 32

  Caesarius 32

  September 30

  October 30

  November 30

  December 31, +1 at leap year.

  Days of the Week

  Multiple languages and gods result in a wide variety of terms for days of the week. Gothic and Roman terms are used throughout the text of the trilogy to provide a feeling of cultural syncretism.

  English

  Latin

  Gothic

  Gods/Symbolism

  Monday

  dies Lunae

  Monandæg

  Moon

  Tuesday

  dies Martis

  Tiwesdæg

  Tyr/Mars

  (War)

  Wednesday

  dies Mercurii

  Wodensdæg

  Odin/Mercury

  (Wisdom/Cunning)

  Thursday

  dies Jovis

  Thunresdæg

  Jupiter/Thor

  (Thunder)

  Friday

  dies Veneris

  Frigedæg

  Freya/Venus

  (love/beauty)

  Saturday

  dies Saturni

  Sæternesdæg

  Saturn/Cronus

  (death/wisdom)

  Sunday

  dies Solis

  Sunnandæg

  Sun

  Ascensio Caesare vs. Anno Domini/Common Era

  The Edda calendar takes as its start the year of Julius Caesar’s ascent to the throne of Rome. This occurred in 44 Before Common Era (BCE). Thus, all Edda dates are offset by forty-four years from AD/CE dates. For general reference purposes, see the table below:

  Real Earth

  Edda

  100 BCE

  55 BAC

  45 BCE

  1 BAC

  44 BCE (year of Caesar's assassination)

  1 AC (year of Caesar's ascent)

  43 BCE

  2 AC

  42 BCE

  3 AC

  41BCE

  4 AC

  40 BCE

  5 AC

  30 BCE

  15 AC

  20 BCE

  25 AC

  10 BCE

  35 AC

  1 AD/CE

  45 AC

  5 AD/CE

  49 AC

  1000 AD/CE

  1044 AC

  1906 AD/CE

  1950 AC

  1910 AD/CE

  1954 AC (story start)

  1955 AD/CE

  1999 AC (end of trilogy)

  Alternate timeline events

  In the Edda-Earth reality, the library of Alexandria did not burn at the hands of Caesar’s troops. Rome never fell. There were no ‘dark ages.’ No medieval period. Science continued to progress at a steady pace, and was supplemented by magic. As such, scientists discovered some technologies before Real-Earth did. . . and in some areas, due to the prevalence of magic, technology actually lags that of Real-Earth.

  Ancient times

  ca. 2226 to 2171 BAC: Reign of Sargon of Akkad. Within 100 years after his death, the godslayers and namtar-demons were at work in the world, tearing down the temples and killing gods.

  1583-1556 BAC: Range of dates for the Thera eruption and the destruction of the Minoan civilization.

  1292 BAC or 1290 BAC: Death of Akhenaten. Imperfect suppression of the cult of Aten

  ca. 1146 BAC: Destruction of Homer’s Troy.

  ca. 1035-963 BAC: Life of Saul; ban of magic in Judea. End of golems.

  The Rise of Rome

  102 BAC: Fall of Carthage. Carthage conquered by Rome; the city is burned, but the inhabitants are permitted to retain their language and religious beliefs.

  4 BAC: Julius Caesar did not accidentally burn the Great Library of Alexandria down when he set fire to his own ships.

  1 AC: The Failed Assassination of Julius Caesar. Brutus informs Caesar of the pending attack, and assembles legionnaires to protect Caesar's life. Brutus took one of the assassin's knives through his own back as he and others protect Caesar from the conspirators.

  All of the conspirators are tried, found guilty, and executed.

  Caesar sets aside his 'adopted' son of Octavius in favor of his natural son by Cleopatra, Caesarion.

  15 AC: Ptolemy XV Caesarion Julius Philopator Philometor, Caesarion the God-Born, ascends the throne.

  Octavian’s Rebellion. Brief. Assassination attempts against Caesarion.

  26 AC: Caesarion meets with the Zealots of Judea, and offers them improved self-rule in exchange for loyalty, with the Legions waiting on hand to bur
n Jerusalem if needed. (Second Temple is never burned. No Diaspora.) Judea becomes a loyal province of the Empire.

  55 AC: Caesarion's death. He is followed by his son, Philometrus Julius Caesar Albius. Brief period of unrest and rebellion.

  114 AC: Colosseum construction begins.

  264–324 AC: First hot air balloons developed in Qin for military signaling.

 

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