The Wizard Knight Companion

by Michael Andre-Driussi

  Myth: Norse name meaning “tree fighter.”

  Vil the blind slave who is probably Etela’s father (II, chap. 16, 187; chap. 17, 189). She says he is not (II, chap. 17, 195). Prior to his enslavement, he was a conjurer (II, chap. 22, 271). He claims he never touched Etela: he tried to keep her close and safe from the other male slaves, told her he would turn her into a doll. Which is why she is frightened of him (II, chap. 23, 277).

  Onomastics: Old Icelandic word for “will, desire, favor,” from the Old Norse vili (“will”). Note that Vili is, like Lothur, a brother of Odin.

  Commentary: the transformation into a doll part echoes an element in The Book of Knights. See meynard, yves.

  Vix Thunrolf’s body servant, who is there when Thunrolf, Pouk, and Able emerge from the Mountain of Fire one year after they had vanished (I, chap. 31, 192).

  Onomastics: German patronymic from a medieval personal name Veit (Latin “Vitus”), i.e., “life.”

  Volla Garvaon’s wife, who died giving birth to a boy who also died (I, chap. 57, 355).

  Myth: (Norse) a mythic name used in one of the Merseburg charms. Phol and Volla are a brother and sister pair. See pholsung.

  Vollerland a term for Jotunhome found in old books (II, glossary; II, chap. 16, 181).

  Vortigern see names on the wind.

  Wace see names on the wind.

  Walewein see names on the wind.

  War Way the main road from Celidon into Jotunland (I, chap. 43, 269). It connects the mountain pass with Redhall and probably Redhall with Kingsdoom.

  Weland “the man who forged Eterne. He was from Mythgarthr but he became king of the Fire Aelf “ (I, glossary). Weland seems to have been the first smith of Mythgarthr, as suggested when Disiri tells Able and Toug, “The first pair of tongs was cast down to fall at the feet of Weland, and with them, a mass of white-hot steel. Six brands Weland made, and six broke. The seventh, Eterne, he could not break” (I, chap. 9, 69).

  It seems that Weland went to Alfrice and became king of the Fire Alf, presumably because of their affinity to fire, the engine of the forge. With regard to his death, an armorer at Forcetti speaks to Able and Pouk, saying, “[the man Weland] was King a’ the Fire Aelf . . . Dragon got him, but people still talk about him” (I, chap. 37, 231).

  Late in his reign, King Weland requested aid from Muspel, the level beneath Aelfrice. Help arrived in the form of Setr, who gradually usurped Weland’s throne and led two Aelf clans in their war against Kulili.

  Talking to Able, Michael of Kleos alludes to Weland’s patron, “You should ask whence came the tongs that grasped Eterne “ (I, chap. 44, 277). The glossary gives this patron as Zio.

  Myth: Anglo-Saxon name of a supernatural smith in the early tradition, known as Volundr in Old Norse poetry. The Norse Eddas tell of how Weland and his two elder brothers met three swan maidens by Wolf Lake. For seven (or nine) years they lived in love together, but then one day the women flew away, since they were Valkyries. The elder brothers sought their lost loves, each following a different path, but Weland stayed by the lake. Nidud, a rival king, captured Weland, claiming the smith had stolen his gold. As punishment he cut Weland’s sinews and moved his forge to a remote island. The smith had his revenge by killing Nidud’s two sons and seducing his daughter. Some versions then have him escaping to Alfheim where he lived and worked a long time.

  Weland fashioned the mail shirt worn by Beowulf (Beowulf, lines 450–55), and forged the magic sword Gram (Old Norse “wrath”). Nidud repeatedly calls Weland “Lord of the Alf.” For additional links to Weland see alvit (Weland’s wife) and egil (Weland’s elder brother).

  Wer a villager who joined Berthold the Black in singing to the Overcyns when the demon was pressing (II, chap. 22, 264).

  Onomastics: wer is an archaic term for “a man.”

  Myth: (Akkadian) a storm god. A minor deity, his attendant is Humbaba, the fierce guardian of the forest.

  Western Trader the ship Able takes from Irringsmouth (I, chap. 15, 101). It trades up and down the coast of Celidon and goes west to the islands between Celidon and the land of the Lothurlings.

  White Tijanamir the old Caan’s third son, whose fate foretold was that he would reign but die young at the hands of his followers. He became caan at the death of the Brown Caan. Less than an hour later he was sorely wounded. Unable to even kill himself, he begged his friends, and they obliged (II, chap. 37, 443).

  Wiliga Escan’s lover (II, chap. 36, 432). She was his mother’s maid and she died giving birth to his bastard, Payn.

  Onomastics: Old English word for basket; but in Grimm’s Teutonic Mythology, wiliga is a conversion of Old Frisian wigila, “sorcery, witchcraft” (1033).

  Wistan Garvaon’s squire (II, chap. 12, 130). He is nearly 18 years old (II, chap. 33, 393) and has two sisters (II, chap. 30, 362). At Utgard he challenges Toug on the stairs and takes Sword Breaker when Toug yields (II, chap. 15, 174). He claims he will drop it down the cistern. He comes up with the idea of getting Org to confess to killing King Gilling (II, chap. 25, 309), even if Org has not really done it (311).

  After Garvaon dies, Wistan is Able’s squire, and he argues with Toug and Uns, trying to establish the pecking order. Able dismisses him when he runs from the library at the sight of a ghost (II, chap. 29, 354). But then Wistan declares he wants to be a knight like Able, and he takes him back (362). Able gives him Loth’s sword (II, chap. 32, 390–91).

  He does some scouting before the River Battle (II, chap. 39, 465).

  Onomastics: Saint Wystan (Wigstan) died in a.d. 840.

  with a lance and a prayer and a horse of air” (II, chap. 18, 210). This is a line from Tom O’Bedlam, which see.

  Wizard Knight, The (excerpt) the story first appeared in Conjunctions: 39 “The New Wave Fabulists” Issue (2002) as a selection of five chapters.

  • The Ruined Town (chap. 2)

  • Spiny Orange (chap. 3)

  • Sir Ravd (chap. 4)

  • Terrible Eyes (chap. 5)

  • Disiri (chap. 6)

  Woddet the biggest knight at Sheerwall (I, chap. 33, 205), and just about the only friend Able makes there (I, glossary). He refuses to participate when the knights are mobbing Able. His device is a menhir with a spear through it (II, chap. 11, 126). He is in the campaign that kills the old Caan (II, chap. 37, 443). He is also in the Battle of the Five Fates. He is the second knight to challenge Able at the pass, where he is disguised as the Knight of the Sun, wearing golden armor and a shield with a gold sun. Hela the half-giant girl falls in love with him and he seems to reciprocate. Later he is chosen as the second champion in the three fights against Smiler’s Dragon Warriors (II, chap. 38, 454). He loses to Ironmouth, but survives.

  Onomastics: perhaps wod- of the German “Wodin,” in a pet form, i.e., “little Odin,” suggesting berserker madness in battle.

  wolf a list of wolves in the text includes Fenrir, Geri, Hrolfr, norn-hound, Skoll, Thunrolf, Uld, Ulfa, and Wulfkill.

  Wulfkil a creek that empties into the Griffin where Able, Ravd, and Svon camp the first night (I, chap. 4, 38).

  Wyt a sailor on the Western Trader (I, chap. 20, 127).

  Onomastics: Old English for word “wise” and a Frisian word meaning “white”; close to the English name Wyth, “from the willow tree.”

  Ycer king of the Ice Aelf (II, chap. 33, 396). The leader of an Aelf clan that resisted Setr’s attempt at taking over Aelfrice, he is in league with Disiri and Brunman.

  Yens a little port between Forcetti and Kingsdoom (I, chap. 20, 127).

  Ymir the first giant (II, chap. 4, 46).

  Myth: (Norse) primeval giant from whose body the world was formed.

  Yond Woddet’s squire, who throws himself down on Able when the others are trying to kill him at Sheerwall Castle. Later he scouts with Wistan before the River Battle (II, chap. 39, 465).

  Onomastics: the common use of the Middle English word yond is to designate something in the middle distance, i.e., yonder. But Scott
Wowra notes that in The Faerie Queene, Spenser used it in a different way that still causes argument among scholars, some of whom say it means “furious, transported with rage.” In Spenser’s poem, this applies to Sir Guyon, who twice in book II (cantos ii and iv) tries to stop a battle between two knights, only to get embroiled in the fighting himself. So Wolfe’s Yond seems to be the Guyon that Sir Guyon tries to be.

  Yvain see names on the wind.

  Zio “the Overcyn who helped Weland. He has a lot of names” (II, glossary only).

  Myth: (Norse) another name for Tyr.

  thortower

  thunrolf

  toug

  tower of glas

  tyr

  u

  uns

  v

  vali

  volla

  w

  wer

  western trader

  wizard knight, the (excerpt)

  y

  yvain

  z

  the wizard knight synopsis

  The Knight

  The narrator begins the letter to his brother Ben, telling how he cut off a branch of spiny orange and walked from America to Mythgarthr and then to Aelfrice, only to wake up in Parka’s cave at the edge of Mythgarthr. She tells him his name is Able (1). He goes to Bluestone Island, and when he drinks some rainwater he sees a phantom knight for a moment. Then he joins some fishermen. The next day he goes looking for Griffinsford and finds Bold Berthold’s hut (2). Two days later they set out for the ruins of Griffinsford, where Berthold tells him about the place (3).

  Able lives with Berthold for one spring. One summer day he meets Sir Ravd and Squire Svon, who are trying to restore order to the ravaged and lawless land. Squire Svon picks a fight and Able beats him (4). Svon comes back from the forest with a message from the Aelf (5).

  They arrive at Glennidam where Ravd interviews the villagers one at a time. Ravd sends Able to find Seaxneat or his wife Disira (6). Able calls for Disira but gets Disiri instead. In exchange for one drop of his blood she makes him into a man (7).

  As a naked man Able returns to Glennidam at twilight the next day and strikes down old Toug for laughing at him. He gets Ulfa to sew him some clothes. Then he interrupts the ambush and takes young Toug out toward the outlaw camp (8). But they slip into Aelfrice where they meet with Disiri. She tells Able he must get the sword Eterne. She borrows Toug. Able sleeps in Aelfrice but wakes up in Mythgarthr. Calling for Disiri, he finds Disira instead. Days had passed during his brief time away. He takes Disira to Bold Berthold’s hut (9).

  Able has Disira and her baby stay with them for weeks but then they prepare for her return to Glennidam before winter arrives. On the day Able sees his first giant, Seaxneat raids the hut, leaving Disira dead, baby Ossar left to die, and Berthold missing, presumed dead. Able buries Disira and carries Ossar toward Glennidam (10). On the way there he meets some Bodachan who give him Gylf and take Ossar (11).

  At Glennidam Able questions Toug’s family, then allows old Toug to join him in going to the outlaw cave about an hour away (12). They make their way to the cave (13) and have a big battle with the outlaws. After it is over, Able finds Ravd’s broken sword, proof that he had died there (14).

  After dividing up the loot, Able goes to Irringsmouth to buy passage to Forcetti. He meets Pouk. He buys an unusual mace (15). Able uses unnecessary roughness in renting the captain’s quarters (16). The next day the ship is loaded with cargo (17). Pouk makes it a steady job by staying with Able. Gylf is hiding in the hold. On the second day the ship puts out (18).

  They have a big fight against Osterling pirates. Able is stabbed in the side and lies below decks for many days (19). Though he is badly wounded, he takes Gylf to confront the captain in his cabin. The captain starts to fight and they kill him (20).

  Concerned about his wound, Able asks Gylf to fetch Aelf to heal him. The dog goes and some Sea Aelf come along with Garsecg. They take him to Aelfrice through the sea (21). Garsecg has the ocean heal Able, then teaches Able to summon the ocean force within him. They approach the Tower of Glas (22). As they go up the stairs they are attacked by khimairae. Garsecg turns into a dragon and five khimairae pick up Able and fly high. He manages to hold two as the others let go, and he lands hard on the stairs. These two are Baki and Uri, who become his slaves. Garsecg wants Able to select a weapon from the vast armory, but Able refuses all but Eterne, which is not available (23).

  After days of climbing they emerge on the Isle of Glas in Mythgarthr. Able finds the goblet, the bones, and the glass tube (24). He learns the bones are those of a woman. He talks with Garsecg about the Osterling pirates (25). Garsecg examines the scroll from the tube. It is written in Celidonian script, which Able cannot read. On the way to the beach, Garsecg shows Able his true feathered-snake form (26).

  Garsecg shows him a pool that is a portal to Aelfrice. Thinking of Disiri, Able dives in. He meets Kulili (27). When he swims back up he is in the sea, and the Western Trader is nearby. He boards, meets Pouk, and learns he was gone three years. Sailing north toward Forcetti, the ship puts in at the little port near the Mountain of Fire (28).

  Able and Pouk go up the mountain to the garrison. Because of irregularities, Able is compelled to engage in mock combat. He loses gracefully (29). Then Lord Thunrolf closes his trap and has Pouk chained by the ankle to a large stone he can barely carry. Thunrolf pushes Pouk into the volcano. Able wants to rescue him and Thunrolf, wanting to prove the worth of a knight versus a pretender, asks for a volunteer to go with him. No knight volunteers. In disgust Thunrolf handcuffs himself to Able and they begin the descent. Thunrolf fails to best Able. They rescue Pouk from a dragon Garsecg in Muspel (30).

  When the three emerge back up on Mythgarthr, they find a year has passed since they left. After a month or two of rest, Able and Pouk catch a ride on the Western Trader again (31).

  At Sheerwall near Forcetti, Able tries to seek service with Duke Marder. He practices jousting a few times then is jumped by the knights for a cutting reply (32).

  He wakes up in a bed in the tower of Master Agr. Maid Modguda tells him how Thope was stabbed trying to break up the fight. At night Uri and Baki find him. Baki has him drink her blood for rapid healing (33). The next day Able meets Woddet, then Duke Marder, who gives him the quest to prove himself: holding a mountain pass until there is ice in the harbor (34).

  On the way to the inn, Able and Pouk stop at a farm that has a ghost problem. Able promises to stop by on their way back (35).

  At the inn, Able argues over the bill. Sir Nytir ambushes them on their way out. Able wins, and Nytir tries treachery. Able wins again. He pays a reduced bill (36).

  They go to an armorer to adjust his newly won mail and shield. A storm comes and they stop at the farmhouse (37). At dinner Able hears wind in the chimney and goes outside alone to meet Disiri. He is too slow. He meets Baki, sends her to watch the house, and calls Gylf (38). Gylf comes around, and so does Uri (39). Able arranges to wrestle against Org the ogre (40). Able wrestles Org and loses, but wins when Gylf, Baki, and Uri overpower Org. Then Org wants to serve Able. Uns has run off. Able and Pouk take Org to Sheerwall Castle with them (41).

  The next morning, Able tries to meet with Caspar the Chief Warder but causes an incident at breakfast (42). The solution is for Able to take Org and hold a mountain pass. But his new squire Svon is difficult in the forest, so Able leaves him to avoid killing him (43). During his quiet time he meets Michael, a man from Kleos, who is on his way to find Able in Aelfrice (44). After Michael leaves, Able builds an altar and sacrifices to the gods of Kleos.

  Able and Gylf move to try and catch up with Pouk, who they learn had also moved away from Svon and is heading toward the pass. The man and his dog find shelter in a witch’s cottage (45) where they meet a talking cat named Mani, the deceased witch’s familiar (46).

  The trio catches up with Lord Beel’s group where Able hopes to borrow a horse (47). Able meets Beel and Princess Idnn and becomes impressed into their service unti
l they reach the pass (48). They have their first battle with the half-giants, the “Mice” (49). Beel proposes an archery contest between Able and Garvaon, but he asks Able who told Idnn about the carnage on the cliff.It was Mani, but Able cannot tell him that (50).

  Able has a dream of being a child on the Griffin River. When he wakes he talks to Mani and confirms that Mani told Idnn. The archery contest begins (51). Able’s arrows cause supernatural effects. He leaves in a rush. Gylf finds him later in the dark and leads him back to the camp (52).

  At breakfast Garvaon talks to Able. Able uses his boon by asking Garvaon to teach him swordcraft (53). Able is riding at the front of the line to spot ambushers when Idnn rides up to chat. She talks about her fate as bride for the giant king, and how she had hoped that Able would save her (54). Garvaon teaches swordcraft to Able (55).

  Uns catches up with Able. Able reaches the pass and finds evidence that Pouk had camped there, fought, and left to go further into Jotunland (56). Garvaon gives a second lesson, this time about foining, then asks Able to not be his rival for Idnn (57, 58). Beel tries a magic spell to find the fate of Pouk. Giants attack the camp in their absence (59).

  Beel’s knights train all the servants and maids to fight, and the entire party pursues the giants for the loot they had stolen (61). Able, riding ahead, has dreams and meets up with Gylf, Uri, and Baki. Gylf tells him Pouk is in Utgard (62).

  Able, Gylf, and the Aelfmaidens harass the giants by stealing their mules. Able talks to Gylf about his ability to change size (63). They surprise an old lady in the hedgerow who was on her way to meet a friend (64). She is Gerda and her friend is Bold Berthold (65). Able promises to rescue them both on his way back from Utgard (66).

  A giant catches Able sleeping in his barn. Able kills him in the kitchen. Then he hears the wind in the chimney. He rushes out to find Disiri and hears the many names on the wind. He finds Toug, but Toug cannot speak. Together they look for Disiri (67).