Knight Notes: The “Real” Able and How He Died

Remember, spoilers in every post! This is one of the big mysteries of the WK, and I will propose a solution.

Much of what happens in the seven worlds of the WK universe is reflected in the worlds below, but in a different form. Many people of Mythgarthr are named after the gods of Skai, or are reflections of the gods.  I think Woddet is a reflection of the god Frey, for example. The one-eyed Pouk is a wise, human version of the one-eyed Valfather. Idnn is a reflection of Norse goddess Idunn (Both were menaced by a giant named Thiazi).

The “Real” or first Able, Bold Berthold’s brother, was Mythgarthr’s version/reflection of the Norse god Baldr.  Bold Berthold was a reflection of Baldr’s brother Hodr.  Mag was a version of Baldr’ s wife Nanna (which means “mother”). The name “Able” is a partial anagram for Baldr.  And the second syllable of Berthold’s name is a close match for Hodr; Berthold= Hodr.

In Norse legends, Loki had Baldr killed out of spite or jealousy. Loki is Lothur in the WK.  Loki tricked Hodr, who was blind, into killing Baldr with a mistletoe projectile.

Baldr is dead by the time of the events in the WK. Baldr’s death is alluded to in several places in the WK. When Able is talking with Setr in The Wizard, Setr asks if there are bad Overcyns. Able says:

I explained that there was said to be one at least, and that the rest—though they punished him—did not take his life for his brothers’ sake.

This is a reference to Loki’s/Lothur’s plan to kill Baldr, and his subsequent punishment by the other gods of Skai/Asgard.   Loki was not killed, but imprisoned until Ragnarok in Norse mythology. Its unclear how the gods of Skai punished Lothur for Baldr’s death.

Lothur later threatens to kill Gylf when we finally meet him near the end of The Wizard. Lothur says that the Valfather would forgive him, as he has already forgiven him “worse.” Another reference to the death of Baldr.

I think the generally poor state of affairs in Mythgarthr is cosmic fallout from the death of Baldr. His death has left a spiritual void or upset that has affected the lower worlds. In Norse legend, Baldr’s death began the negative chain of events that eventually culminated in Ragnarok.

Let me expand on the “Real Able”/Baldr connection in the WK.  First, Baldr has a blind brother in Hodr and, and Able had one in “Blind” Berthold.  Second, Berthold mentions that he and other surviving men of Griffinsford were herded into a pond by the giants after their battle. They were then surrounded and had “brands” thrown at them. This is a good match for the death of Baldr in Norse legend.  The other gods had surrounded him and were throwing sticks, rocks and other objects at him as sort of a joke, since nothing could harm him (except mistletoe).  Berthold mentions that he hid in the pond, but when be got out, he slipped, and his shadow fell back in the pond and stayed there.

The reference to the “shadow” may be the signal that the Real Able died in the pond.  The Real Able was Berthold’s little brother, and like a “shadow” to him.  I also note that Neil Gaiman published a book in 2001, American Gods, that featured a reincarnated Baldr with the name …… “Shadow“.  Gaiman and GW are friends and have collaborated on work before, and I can believe that GW would subtly allude to a Gaiman novel that featured the same protagonist.

As an aside, American Gods and the WK have some intriguing similarities:

• Both are about the gods of mythology interacting with people from contemporary America. In Gaiman’s books, versions of the Norse, and other, gods exist in America. In the WK, an American goes to a world where the Norse gods are real.
• Both have a central character who is a version of Baldr who dies during the course of the story
• Both American Gods and Golden City Far (a companion piece to the WK) have supernatural female characters with similar names based on legends of the Middle East: Bilquis, Biltis.
• Both character’s primary divine relationship is with Odin. Loki/Lothur is an adversary in both works.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the two men jointly came up with the idea to write these two books.  It reminds me of how J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis made a deal where Lewis would write a “space” story if Tolkien did a “time travel” story.  Lewis wrote his “Space Trilogy”, and Tolkien started, but did not finish, “The Lost Road.” Remember, Gaiman also had the only cover blurb on the first edition of The Knight.

One of Able’s dreams may show exactly how the Real Able died. In Chapter 41 of The Knight, Able dreams about trying to save someone who is drowning.  The person he helps won’t let go and is now drowning him. I think the Real Able was trying to save his bigger, stronger brother from drowning in the pond.  The badly injured Berthold accidentally drowned his brother Able in trying to stay alive. An alternative possibility is that the Real Able was struck by one of the brands the giants threw at the men in the pond. A brand would probably be a wooden torch or stick, sort of like the mistletoe arrow that Hodr shot.

In Norse mythology, Hodr was punished for killing Baldr by being killed in turn.  Berthold is sort of “punished” by being captured and blinded by the giants. After Baldr died, his wife Nanna (“mother”) killed herself.  The Real Able’s mother, Mag, committed suicide on the Isle of Glas around the time of the Real Able’s death.

Able/Art is also troubled by bad dreams for much of The Knight, and Baldr was troubled by bad dreams before he died.  According to wikipedia, the name Baldr also means “king” or “lord” in Old English, and Mag tells Able that he was a “king” to her, Berthold and her husband.

Hodr and Baldr’s tale does have a happy ending of sorts. They are freed from Hel and reunited after Ragnarok. In the WK, Able rescues Berthold and heals him and Gerda.

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