Knight Notes: The Wizard, Chapters 18-21

This entry covers the period from Toug’s return to the castle through Able’s decision to enter The Room of Lost Loves. There’s a lot of action, much of which overlaps with the Legend of Perseus.  There is a separate post on Perseus.

Chapters 18-21: Night, Toug’s Boon, That was King Gilling!, A Bargain With Thiazi

Chapter Summaries

In Chapter 18, those in the castle plan a response to the siege by the rebel giants.  Able flies Ulfa out of Utgard  to Glennidam. Able meets Disiri for the first time since returning from Skai, and she tells him “The game is nearly over.”

Chapter 19 begins with Mani giving Idnn an update on events in Utgard.  Beel and Thiazi have another mission for Toug and Svon. Able learns about the Room of Lost Love from Mani. Svon gives Toug some important advice.

Chapter 20 begins with Idnn having a dream about Svon, provided by Uri. Idnn then has a vision of the Valfather, who asks her to help Able win Disiri. Able learns more about Lost Love from Mani. Toug and Svon venture outside for food and slaves, and a battle ensues. King Gilling is slain.

In Chapter 21, Toug and others recover from the battle in the castle. Schildstarr is proclaimed the new king. Able and Thiazi converse at length. Thiazi grants Able a boon in exchange for some answers.

What the Dickens

In Chapter 20, Able describes Thiazi’s motions as “two hands appearing to wash each other.” Thiazi also talks very differently from the other Angrborn, like an educated man, or a lawyer. Schildstarr talks like a Scottish Highlander.  I think Thiazi may be a partial allusion to Jaggers, the cold-blooded lawyer from Great Expectations who continually washed his hands.  The more I look, the more connections I see between the WK and Dickens’ bibliography. I am going to refrain from exploring this line of inquiry any further, or I would never finish this.

Able the Tired

I didn’t notice it at first, but now I can appreciate Able’s great weariness in these chapters.  He has aged twenty years in the few days he has been back from Skai. His body is catching up with the time he spent in Skai. Disiri notices his hair receding from his temples.

Vision of Ravd and the After Life of the WK

Toug has a vision of Ravd at the end of Chapter 19. Ravd is the knight in the golden armor. Able never expressly mentions seeing Ravd in Skai. Able does identify several other famous knights by name that he met there. Did Ravd not go to Skai, or is Able being discreet for some reason?

The afterlife of the WK seems to contain several possibilities. For exceptional knights (Garvaon) and princesses (Alvit), Skai is a possibility.  They have the opportunity to further serve the Valfather, until Ragnarok, in an idyllic existence.  For more ordinary souls, it seems implied that they go, at least initially, to the traditional underworld of Norse Mythology, which is known as Hel. This is not the same as the Christian hell, and is more akin to the underworld of Greek mythology. The Hel of the WK is reached by crossing the “Bridge of Swords”, which is an allusion to the River Gjoll (which has knives flowing through it) and the bridge Gjallarbru.

Norse mythology is inconsistent on this subject, and Hel can be a place of punishment, but also of rest. The area Nastrond seems to be the region of Hel reserved for punishment. Baldr stays in Hel in a “place of honor” until after Ragnarok. Able tells Idnn that she will cross the Bridge of Swords after she dies. Idnn says she “hopes for better”, perhaps implying that she would like to go to Skai, like Alvit. The Valfather’s blessing may foreshadow this fate for Idnn.

Able does imply that Hel and Skai are not the only alternatives. In speaking to Vil in Chapter 26 of The Wizard, he says that of Parka that “Men name her Parka, and she dwells in our own place.” (emphasis added) This may imply that the ultimate fate of souls in the WK is to go to Kleos after crossing the Bridge of Swords. Given GW’s Catholic background, it may be appropriate to think of Hel as a purgatory, and Kleos as Heaven.  I have previosuly suggested that Able’s slaying of Grengarm was the Harrowing of Hell, and that this would suggest that the deceased of Mythgarthr eventually can reach Kleos. So I think this is where Ravd has arrived at, and why Able doesn’t meet him in Skai. Ravd was exceptional, as a character based on John the Baptist would be.

The Death of King Gilling

Gilling is killed by Garvaon after he gets out of bed and enters the courtyard in response to hearing Idnn’s voice.  Toug and Svon describe Garvaon’s men as white faced and frightened, as they witnessed the slaying. Garvaon apparently saw his opportunity with no Angrborn witnesses around.

The Bag of Gold

The second treasure from the Beanstalk tale, a bag of gold, makes it appearance in the chapter “Toug’s Boon.” Beel gives it to Toug and Svon to buy food in the market.

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Knight Notes: The Wizard, Chapters 14-17

This post covers the period from the night after Gilling’s stabbing through Toug’s first trip outside the castle.

Chapters 14-17: Utgard and the Plain, Giant’s Blood, Into Danger, Tools

Chapter summaries

In Chapter 14, we learn that the witch Huld is pretending to be Queen Idnn, to mask the real Idnn’s departure from Utgard.  Idnn briefs Able and his group on what has been happening in Utgard.  In Chapter 15, Lord Beel, Thiazi and Schildstarr form a tenuous alliance. Wistan and Toug squabble, and Baki returns.  Idnn reveals she is Queen of Jotunhome in Chapter 16, and Toug is sent on a dangerous errand by Lord Beel. In Chapter 17, we get to know Vil, Lynnet, and Etela, and Able arrives in Utgard to see King Gilling.

The Attack on King Gilling

The mystery of the attacker is consuming a lot of attention. Thiazi suspects a giant. Beel suspects a member of his own embassy. Some think it could be Baki. It appears that Uri or Baki are playing a role in sowing confusion. One of them talked with Thiazi right before his stabbing, and Uri talks with Beel at some point.  Beel comes to suspect Toug, and begins to send him on dangerous errands, apparently to get him killed or to cause Able to come to Utgard.

Giant’s Blood

The Angrborn blood has moving parts, almost like jellyfish. This is probably a symbol or allusion to something, but I don’t know what it is.

Idnn’s Transformation

Idnn has undergone a transformation from the scared girl since her ride with Able. She seems determined to do  her duty to her father and Celidon no matter how terrible. She marries Gilling, prays for and comforts him, and seems genuinely interested in determining the identity of his attacker. I will suggest a possible basis for her new found strength near the end of this series.

Vil, Lynnet, and Etela

This is a very interesting grouping, especially with Toug added in. On one level, it almost feels like an allusion to Great Expectations: Vil is like Joe Gargery the blacksmith,  Lynnet is Pip’s violent sister (or Miss Havisham?) and Joe/Vil’s husband, Etela is Estella (Pip’s beloved), and Toug is Pip. Org reminds me of the strong, broad shouldered Orlick, who later kills Mrs. Joe.  And Able is almost like Able Magwitch, Toug/Pip’s benefactor. And Mag is Able’s Mother, Able of Mag …  I think GW is playing with Great Expectations references in some of the above character’s names and personalities.

Dickens is one of GW’s favorite authors. In his story the “The Doctor of Death Island,” his protagonist creates a Charles Dickens computer virus that infects the world’s electronic talking books.

Maid Marian

Lynnet is the Maid Marian figure of Robin Hood legend in the WK. Lynnet tells Able she danced the “May dance” in Chapter 22 of The Wizard. This is the only time a month from our calendar is used in Mythgarthr, and initially I thought this was a “mistake” by GW.  Its not. This is a clue signalling to the Robin Hood legend. The Maid Marian, according to Wikipedia, was associated with the May Day and May Games in English tradition.

In various ballads and versions of the legend, Marian is a high born woman, like Lynnet. She is something of a tomboy too, and capable of fighting. She fights Robin Hood in one story. Lynnet is also a capable fighter.

Robin Hood and Marian also appear in T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, which is one of the Arthurian books GW is alluding too. So we really shouldn’t be that surprised that they make an appearance in the WK.

The Black Knight

There is an Arthurian movie called  The Black Knight that was released in 1954. The main character is John, a blacksmith (played by Alan Ladd). He is in love with his lord’s daughter, Linet. Linet’s castle is destroyed and she is taken prisoner by “Viking” raiders.  John the Blacksmith rescues and wins Linet by movie’s end, and helps King Arthur save Camelot.  This plot sounds a lot like the Vil/Lynnet relationship from the WK.  I have said earlier that GW was influenced by the movies Knights of the Round Table and Ivanhoe, and I think he borrowed from or is alluding to this movie too.

Vil/Vili/Weland/Hephaestus

Lets consider a few names from Norse and Greek mythology, and the WK.

Vil’s name is based on Vili, Odin’s brother in Norse mythology.  Vili played a relatively small role in the Norse legends. Vili allegedly gave intelligence and sense of touch to the first human couple. The latter is interesting given that Vil is blind.

Wayland the Smith is a character from Norse and German mythology.  He was a legendary blacksmith who was imprisoned by a king, mutilated (hamstrung), and forced to forge items.  This sounds like Vil’s life. Vil is imprisoned by the giants, blinded, and made to forge things.   Wayland eventually escapes and takes revenge on his captors.  Vil gets free too. The Wayland of legend also forged a number of magic swords, including those used by great legendary heroes like Ogier the Dane, Roland and Sigmund.

Hephaestus was the Greek god of blacksmiths, metallurgy and fire.  In several stories, Hephaestus was cast out of Olympus and down to earth. In one version this was becaused he was ugly or deformed.  Specifically, Hephaestus was lame, or had a club foot (sort of like Wayland).  He made a variety of magical items used by the Greek heroes of legend. Hephaestus took revenge on other gods who wronged him in several stories. The Hephaestus of myth was referenced in The Book of the Long Sun.

We also have the “King Weland” character of the WK. He is apparently a human of Mythgarthr who forged Eterne (with the assistance of Zio). At some point he became King of the Fire Aelf .  We are given contradictory information about his fate.  An armorer in The Knight says “a dragon got him.”  But Baki says, in The Wizard, that he was killed by “a monster of the deep”, one of Kulili’s creatures. Hard to reconcile these two unless it was Kulili in White Dragon form.

Wayland the Smith and Hephaestus are very similar. Both were smiths who crafted magic weapons. Both had a physical handicap involving their legs. Both later took revenge on those who wronged them.

I would like to propose that the similarities between Vil the smith, King Weland of the Fire Aelf, Wayland the Smith and Hephaestus are not a coincidence.

We learned from Baki and Able that the gods of one level can descend and live on another level, but if they do, they cannot return.

I think that the King Weland character of the WK was an Overcyn of Skai, a Vili or Hephaestus type god, that descended to Mythgarthr. Perhaps he did this to aid the humans against the Angrborn. He crafted Eterne with the help of another Overcyn, Zio.

Weland then becomes King of the Fire Aelf. Maybe he wanted to help them next.  The Aelf then turn against Kulili, and call on the dragons of Muspel for help. Setr, Grengarm and others depose and chase Weland back to Mythgarthr. Or maybe Weland saw the writing on the wall and fled on his own. He returns to Mythgarthr, and is captured by the giants at some point.  Maybe he was even captured by the dragons and sold to the giants, because they did not want to kill an Overcyn. The Free Companies sold Berthold to the giants as a slave. I’ll raise another possibility for how he got caught later in this series.

The loop is completed when Setr fights Garvaon and Svon. Vil takes his opportunity for vengeance on the creature that drove him from Aelfrice. He now has a tool, Able’s bowstring, and uses his residual Overcyn knowledge and abilities to make it into a killing weapon.  Vil taking vengeance on Setr is like Wayland and Hephaestus taking vengeance on those who hurt  them.

This theory also explains some of the abilities Vil has:

• Toug notes that Vil is exceptionally strong and seemingly immune to great heat when working at the forge. A god of fire would not be bothered by the heat.
• Vil is able to do sleight of hand with the coins right in front of Mani, Uri and Able, three beings with supernatural gifts.
• His appearing eyes trick.
• Able later observes that “Vil was uncommonly clever at fire-making, which I though extraordinary  in a blind man.” (from “A Ride After Supper”). A god of fire, like Hephaestus, would be good at starting fires.

So that’s my theory: Vil is an Overcyn, the WK’s version of Hephaestus, who descended to Mythgarthr, became King Weland, and was driven out of Aelfrice by the dragons of Muspel. Vil has one other Greek divine counterpart I will review in another post.

Biblical Allusions and Christian Allegory

Lynnet is a biblical allusion to Mary Magdalene, Vil to St. Thomas the Apostle and Veronica’s Veil, and Etela to the Daughter of Jairus.

Mary Magdalene is a woman who Jesus healed by removing “seven devils”, which has been interpreted by modern scholars as mental illness. Lynnet is similarly suffering from a mental injury, and Able heals her after the River Battle.  Lynnet’s family motto “Marigolds and Manticores” and the name Mary Magdalene sound a bit a like, and have many shared letters.  Lynnet is later inhabited by the spirit of “Mag”, again an allusion to Magdalene. Modern religious scholars no longer equate Mary Magdalene with being a prostitute, or the “woman taken in sin” that Jesus saves from stoning. They are different women.

Etela is the Daughter of Jairus. They are both the only female children named in their respective works. Its a weak reference, but the WK mentions Etela “sleeping” in a bed with Toug several times.

Finally, “Truthful Vil” is a reference to both Veronica’s Veil and Thomas the Apostle. Veronica was apparently derived from the Latin phrase “True Image”, so Truthful Vil could be translated to Veronica Vil(Veil).  When Vil is touching Able’s ears, Able describes his discomfort at being so close to a face that showed so many signs of beatings. The Veil was a cloth Veronica used to wipe the face of Jesus during his walk to Mt. Golgotha. It allegedly bore his suffering image forever after this. Able is seeing his own face in Vil’s, reflecting the beatings he suffers during the WK (Sheerwall, Kingsdoom. etc.).

Vil is also like St. Thomas in several ways. He is blind but believes in Able, calling to mind Jesus’s blessing of Thomas, that he “sees and believes” but that those who can’t see and believe are even more blessed. Vil explores Able’s face with his hands, like Thomas explored Christ’s wounds with his hands after the Resurrection.  One of Thomas’s symbols is a builder’s square, and at one point Vil says he has a “square” on his tongue. Thomas also means “twin” and Vil is a twin of sorts to the Norse god Vili.

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