Shadowmarch Reread: names and mythology
I’ve long had a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that the names of the gods in Shadowmarch (mentioned so far in my reread: Perin, Erivor, Kernios, Zoria) are based on real mythology, and I think I found a few of them now:
Perin, the lord of the sky. Perun is the god of the sky in Slavic mythology.
Just skimming this article now, but so far I’ve found: Erisvorsh (God of the storm, wind and thunder. He is an aspect, name, or associate of Perun.) Zorya (Zorya is the goddess of beauty, virgin associated with war and with Perun.) Kirnis (Tutelary deity of cherries.) Zosim (I think there is a Zosim in Shadowmarch?) (Tutelary deity of bees)
Not a god, but the name Ynnir reminds me of Ymir, but I’m too tired to read much and try to puzzle out a connection.
(Come join our Reread at tadwilliams.com/forum!)
((I can’t link because then tumblr will hide my post. Sorry!))
Adding to the list:
Nushash = Shamash, the Shining One, Prince of Justice and Akkadian god of the sun but also Ra, Egyptian god of the sun who is frequently associated with falcons
Kernios/Zergal/Black Earth = Hades with a splash of Ereshkigal, the Great Earth, Mesopotamian mistress of the underworld. Her uncle-husband most definitely did not want to marry her. (Kernios and Zoria are uncle-niece.) Funnily enough, Ereshkigal murders her sister Inanna and Inanna ends up being resurrected by Enki, a god of water. (Kernios was killed by his half-brother and subsequently resurrected by Erivor, a god of water. The idea that the ruler of the underworld is himself dead is also reminiscent of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead.)
Twin sisters Breeze & Moisture were probably inspired by Antu, Great Mother of Sky who is the mother of Enki, Lord of the Earth and Waters and the grandmother of Marduk the Avenger, patron deity of Babylon and god of thunder. Antu’s husband also has children with Ki, Earth Mother, who is the grandmother of Nanna, god of the moon and the great-grandmother of Shamash, god of the sun and judgement
The magic in Shadowmarch reminds me of the Egyptian Book of the Dead.












