Skrymir’s story – In the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning (chapter 44), the enthroned figure of Third reluctantly relates a tale in which Thor, Loki, and Thor’s servants, Þjálfi and Röskva are traveling to the east. They encounter the castle of Útgarða-Loki and ask for shelter. The ruler of the castle puts them to tests. The contests, too, were an illusion and the Asgardians lost. Útgarða-Loki reveals that Loki had actually competed against wildfire itself (Logi, Old Norse “flame”), Þjálfi had raced against thought (Hugi, Old Norse “thought”), Thor’s drinking horn had actually reached to the ocean and with his drinks he lowered the ocean level (resulting in tides). The cat that Thor attempted to lift was in actuality the world serpent, Jörmungandr, and everyone was terrified when Thor was able to lift the paw of this “cat”, for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled was in fact Old Age (Elli, Old Norse “old age”), and there is no one whom old age cannot bring down. Útgarða-Loki concludes by telling Thor that it would be better for “both sides” if they did not meet again. Upon hearing this, Thor takes hold of his hammer and swings it at Útgarða-Loki but he is gone and so is his castle. Only a wide landscape remains (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Atgar%C3%B0a-Loki).
Salem Trials – The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than two hundred people were accused. Thirty were found guilty, nineteen of whom were executed (by hanging (fourteen women and five men). One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to plead, and at least five people died in jail (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trial).
Swedish military service – Sweden has had mandatory military service (Swedish: värnplikt) for men since 1901, although peacetime conscription was deactivated between 2010 and 2017. When peacetime conscription was mothballed in 2010, the law on conscription was simultaneously made gender-neutral.
In 2017, the Swedish government decided to reactivate military conscription, referencing increased threats to national security. Beginning in 2018, over 4,000 women and men were called up for service. The conscripts were chosen from a pool of approximately 13,000 young people born in 199 to serve for 12 months (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Sweden#:~:text=Sweden%20has%20had%20mandatory%20military,was%20simultaneously%20made%20gender%2Dneutral).
Fallskärmsjägarskvadron – The 323rd Parachute Ranger Squadron (Swedish: 323. Fallskärmsjägarskvadron) or Fallskärmsjägarna (English: “Parachute Rangers” [1] or “Airborne Rangers” [2] ) is a Swedish military special operations unit, specializing in long-range reconnaissance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallsk%C3%A4rmsj%C3%A4garna ).
Ruma – One of the ancient names for Rome, Etruscan in origin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome).
Chapter Eleven
Vestal Virgin – In ancient Rome, the Vestals or Vestal Virgins (Latin: Vestālēs, singular Vestālis [wɛsˈtaːlɪs]) were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The college of the Vestals was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of Rome. These individuals cultivated the sacred fire that was not allowed to go out. Vestals were freed of the usual social obligations to marry and bear children and took a 30-year vow of chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals that were forbidden to the colleges of male priests. They were believed to be practitioners of magic ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestal_Virgin )
Hasta caelibaris – The hasta is an ancient Roman spear which predated the pilum. The hasta caelibaris means celibate spear. The spear was used during weddings to dress the bride’s hair. The reason this was done was to remind everyone that the first marriage was attended with war and fighting. The Hasta Caelibaris was equivalent to a hairpin or a hairbook ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasta_(spear) .
Melam – Mesopotamian deities typically wore melam, an ambiguous substance which “covered them in terrifying splendor” and which could also be worn by heroes, kings, giants, and even demons. The effect that seeing a deity’s melam has on a human is described as ni, a word for the “physical creeping of the flesh” ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mesopotamian_deities ).
Rawa – Assyrian for twilight, sunset, sundown, or the end of the day (taken from http://sargonsays.com/word/dark ).
Chapter Fourteen
Ashan – An ancient Aramaic term meaning smoke as a sign of destruction or burning (please refer to https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Ashan.html).
Epilogue
Vrtra – A legendary Indian dragon mentioned in the Rig Veda (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vritra).
About the Author
Full/Active Member, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
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Independent Writer.
The ACCIDENTAL ARCHMAGE Series
The ACCIDENTAL ARCHMAGE OMNIBUS Series
The ARCANUM ASTRAY Series
PLANAR WARS Series
ANCIENT FANGS Series
MANUS DEI Series
VOID TEMPLAR Series
PAVEL MAVETH Series, and the
FRIEDA Children’s Book Series
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Next in the Series
Available 3rd Quarter 2021
Also Available: The ACCIDENTAL ARCHMAGE Collection
Additional Stories
ARC ONE – The Goddess of Discord and Loki’s Gift
ARC TWO – Lumeri’s Tale and Rogues of the Same Feather
ARC THREE – Demon Hunter and Wilan’s Trinket
ARC FOUR – Perses
The Accidental Archmage: Book Nine: The Dragon Houses Page 24