The Goddess Denied
Page 136
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
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Nippon
*Edo — Tokyo
*Hokkaido Island
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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
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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)
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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
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Germania
Agrippinensium — Cologne/Köln
*Frankonovurd am Main —Frankfurt
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Raccia
Kiev — Kiev
Novgorod — Novgorod
Moskva — Moscow
Varangkov — St. Petersburg
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Rome
Lilybaeum — Marsala, Sicily
*Rome
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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
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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
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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
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Nahautl, cities and notable landmarks
*Fuscus Lapillus — Piedras Negras
*Tenochtitlan — Mexico City
*Teotihuacan — Ruins of the same name
*Tikal, Tikali region — Guatemala
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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.
350 AC: The Edict of Diocletian.
Diocletian decrees that all subject/client states have autonomy in matters of religion. Proselytizing banned.