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Did aen Elle have slaves other human race like dwarf,goblin etc?

Not to our knowledge. (Dwarves and gnomes being elder races, but humanoids.)

For starters, we have no info if any other races live in the dimension Aen Elle inhabit. Which leaves us to consider the time before they left the Continent.

The sole implication in the books about elven relations with dwarves being difficult at times is when Yarpen Zigrin mentions in Blood of the Elves:

“Elves!” snorted Yarpen. “They – to be accurate – happen to be strangers just as much as you humans, although they arrived in their white ships a good thousand years before you. Now they’re competing with each other to offer us friendship, suddenly we’re all brothers, now they’re grinning and saying: ‘we, kinsmen’, ‘we, the Elder Races’. But before, shi— Hm, hm… Before, their arrows used to whistle past our ears when we—” “So the first on earth were dwarves?” “Gnomes, to be honest. As far as this part of the world is concerned – because the world is unimaginably huge, Ciri.”

Folks have run with this statement and assumed Aen Seidhe must have enslaved and massacred dwarves, but this sounds like an overstatement to me. Unless this is a reference to Silmarillion, where the Sindar elves hunted petty dwarves for nearly 1000 years.

As pertains to the Wozgor and Dauk - proto-human races - that's an open question.

#asks #aen elle #the witcher lore #the witcher books #notions of elves having wiped out the vran are from the games #dwarves #wozgor #dauk

Forgotten Manuscripts: Elven Scrolls

I decided to machine translate select sections related to elves & the like in Rękopis znaleziony w Smoczej Jaskini (The Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave). I think it will prove illuminating to everyone seeking to interpret or write on these aspects of the Witcher. I will also include A. Sapkowski's "recommended reading" sections. You will be surprised, and yet not at all surprised, after going through even a few of these, if only cursorily.

(Could The Manuscript be a nod in the direction of The Manuscript Found in Saragossa (penned by another adventurous Pole)? By that time, the author had certainly already adventured in the fantasy genre a fair share, compiling The Manuscript as a testament to his extensive reading. I appreciate the companionship this gesture extends to fellow travellers.)

Enjoy.

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Locations

AVALON

The mythical Land of Fairies (FAERIE), a place of rest and refuge for heroes tired of the worldly life. The Land of Eternal Happiness and Youth, identified with the famous land from Irish mythology Tir nan-Og, the Land of Youth, and the Celtic Isle of the Blessed, the equivalent of the Homeric Elysium and the Isle of the Hesperides.

The name Avalon is clearly of Welsh provenance and means the Isle of Apples (afallen means "apple tree" in Welsh, afal - "apple"). According to Welsh mythology, the rulers of the island of Avalon were the divine pair of Avallac and Modron. Avalon, according to legends, is a land far beyond the western sea, a land sunken beneath the waves, like LYONESSE or YS, or an island hidden in the mists, most often located near Glastonbury, where the mythical Ynis Witrin, the Glass Island, was supposed to be located. Legends placed the oldest Christian monastery and chapel on the Glass Island, with the nearby but inaccessible to mortals Ynis Avalon - the "pagan" Fairy Land. This is a symbolic confrontation of the Old and the New. Avalon was also located on the islands of Mona (Anglesey), Manau (Man), Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) and Inis Sun (Ile de Sein in Brittany), which were in fact the main centers of the Druidic cult. Many Druidic sanctuaries and ritual places were located on islands - both on the sea and on lakes. Excavations confirm this.

Recommended reading: Arthurian Canon

FAERIE

The Land of Fantasy, inhabited by ELVES or FAIRIES. It is also sometimes translated as "land of the prophets" (Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene is "Queen of the Prophets" in Polish). From Faerie comes the word "feeria" (e.g. a feast/party of lights).

ISLANDS OF HAPPINESS

Fairy (Elven) Lands. Mysterious lands, where happiness and spring always reign, and no one ages or gets sick.

Some of these islands drift, floating on the water of seas or lakes, others are hidden under water and come to the surface only at night, yet others are invisible and appear only to the chosen ones. The most famous include the Isles of Happiness (The Isles of the Blest), Tir na nOg (The Land of Youth), Tirfo Thuinn (The Land under the Waters), Tir nam Beo (The Land of Life), Tirn Aill (The Underworld), Mag Mor (The Great Plain), Mag Mell (The Plain of Joy) and Tir Tairngire (The Plateau of Happiness).

When the Children of the Goddess Danu, the gods of the TUATHA DE DANANN, were losing their power over Ireland, some went - literally - underground and became the DAOINE SIDHE. Another faction, led by Manannan mac Lir, emigrated to the Isles of Fortune. The famous Irish mythologist Bran, son of Febal, encountered Manannan crossing the seas in his chariot on one of his famous journeys.

Recommended reading: Tom Deitz, David Sullivan series (Windmaster's Bane, Fireshaper's Doom, Darkthunder's Way, Sunshaker's War, Stoneskin's Revenge, Dreamseeker's Road, Landslayer's Law, Ghostcountry's Wrath, Warstalker's Track); Morgan Llywelyn, The Isles of the Blest

#wiedźmin #the witcher #the witcher books #andrzej sapkowski #the witcher lore #The Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave #elves #aen elle #aen seidhe #unicorns #the wild hunt #oberon #auberon muircetach #celtic mythology #fantasy literature #fantasy #the witcher essay

Cursed Rulers: Parallels Between Auberon & Emhyr

’Emperors rule their empires, but two things they cannot rule: their hearts and their time. Those two things belong to the empire.’

’The end justifies the means.’

The Witcher saga often presents us with shadow doubles, twisted reflections of characters who mirror each other in parallels and divergences alike. Just as Andrzej Sapkowski reinterprets fairy tale and myth, he also creates analogous versions of character archetypes. Leaders of the highest order for their people, both Auberon Muircetach and Emhyr var Emreis pursue the greater good at the expense of decency and their own (un)humanity. A greater good to be achieved through similar means – both seek to beget a prophesised child through incest with Cirilla, their descendant.

Etymology

Let’s start with names, for the names we give our characters often reveal new layers of meaning that inspired us in conceiving them; especially if the author is a self-confessed fan of the subject matter.

Nilfgaard’s Emperor’s real name originates in the history of the British Isles and in the Arthurian legendarium. In Welsh, Emyr denotes ‘ruler’ or ‘king’. Emreis, meanwhile, qualifies as the Welsh counterpart to the Greek Ambrose, serving as the equivalent for the Romanized Ambrosius. Ambrosius Aurelianus, a semi-mythical figure thought to have lived around the time Romans had recently left the Isles for good, was a Romano-British warlord credited with turning the tide against the invading Angles and Saxons. Very little about Sub-Roman Britain is verifiably beyond doubt, which means the era lends itself richly to myth craft (for which reason historians search within this period for the historical Arthur).

Most chroniclers and myth-makers way back when were monks. Gildas mentions Ambrosius Aurelianus first in De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. A Roman by blood, methods, and upbringing, Ambrosius is thought to have claimed the position of a High King after the Bryton Vortigern, and to have ushered in over a century of peace by pushing out the Germanic tribes, defeating them at Mons Badonicus (Mount Badon). Bede describes Ambrosius as ‘a modest man of Roman origin, who was the sole survivor of the catastrophe in which his noble parents had perished.’ From Nennius onward though, the myth grows and factual matter starts to ebb.

Geoffrey of Monmouth links Ambrosius with the wizard Merlin, Uther Pendragon (whom he makes Ambrosius’ brother), and Constantine III (allegedly Ambrosius’ father). Co-incidentally, Emreis or Emrys is also the birth-name of Merlin (Latinized from the Welsh Myrddin, the great bard). But for the sake of comparing to Emhyr var Emreis as known in the Witcher, making Constantine III the father of Ambrosius is especially noteworthy. A Roman general come to power during the Roman Britain revolt, Constantine headed out to Gaul with all the mobile troops left in Britain in 407, leaving the island vulnerable to the migration of Germanic tribes. The general ended up declaring himself the Western Roman Emperor; a position he held for two years beside the sitting emperor Honorius. Then he was put to death by another general (who, surprise-surprise, also went on to declare himself). Geoffery of Monmouth changes his Constantine III’s background a little from the historical one, but, importantly for us, makes it so Constantine’s sons – Ambrosius and Uther – are smuggled to Brittany after their father’s death. There the exiles are gathering strength in order to return and challenge the usurper Vortigern. These plot beats are familiar to what we know of Emhyr’s childhood and rise to power.

In Welsh, Emrys also means ‘immortal’ but Emhyr var Emreis – despite having lived several lives – is still a mortal ruler. Auberon Muircetach, on the other hand, exudes eternity. So old as to appear near immortal to Emhyr’s daughter, the Alder King retains a youthful appearance despite the thousand yard stare in which is buried unimaginable sadness. In his folk origins, Auberon is leading several lives.

Bearing Hen Ichaer (ichor (Ancient Greek), blood of the gods), Auberon (Old French) appears first in the 13th century Les Prouesses et faitz du noble Huon de Bordeaux and gives Shakespeare his fairy king Oberon who rules the spirit world. In turn, the name in Old French originates in the Germanic Alberich (or Elberich), denoting ‘the ruler of supernatural beings’. The most well-known Alberich is probably Wagner’s, from De Ring des Nibelungen, and though called a dwarf he treads closer to Svartálfar (dark elves) in character; dwarves and elves being, on occasion, conflated in Continental Europe. An important nuance is that Alberich much like Auberon is the keeper of his subjects’ magical treasure (Rheingold/Andvaranaut Ring or Elder Blood respectively), which is the source of power and wealth of each one’s race. Circling back to the suitability of Shakespeare’s adoption of the name for his fairy king, the root ‘alb’ in Alberich originally stands for ‘white’ and forms the trunk of Albion – denoting the British Isles with its white cliff face.

The character of Auberon Muircetach (and of the other Alder elves) is linked to Goethe’s Erlkönig; a haunting force of corruption and death, a stealer of souls who covets youthful innocence. This stands in contrast to Johann Gottfried von Herder’s translation of the Danish folk ballad Elverkongen’s Datter (The Elf-King’s Daughter) which inspired Goethe, but where the protagonist is a wilful, selfish female spirit. Androgyny though, is not novel in elves. Erlkönig translates into English variously as Erlking, the Elf-King, and the Alder King. Erle (or Elle in Old Danish) stands for ‘alder’ in German, and Ellefolk is a folkish use of ‘elves’ in Denmark. Calling the Otherworld elves in the Witcher Aen Elle – the Alder Folk – is thus hardly wilful.

But what do elves and alder trees have in common? As elven culture and origin story in the Witcher draws heavily on the pan-Celtic world, an amusing example emerges on the plains of Albion. During the mythical Cad Goddeu – Battle of the Trees – the alder trees are animated by Gwydion and march in the vanguard while Bran the Blessed (a Welsh God-king figure) boasts alder twigs as personal protection and heraldry. Alder is the warrior of trees; the bark bleeds when cut, changing from white to red. Alder is also linked to the realm of water and wetlands – predominant on the plains of Somerset surrounding the Glastonbury Tor (a well-known place of power and an entry to Caer Sidi and the Otherworld). Bran is wounded by a poisoned spear in the course of Cad Goddeu and so he is sometimes deemed one of the first prototypes for the Fisher King, an Arthurian figure Sapkowski’s Auberon (and elves) amounts to in lieu of symbolic fit – an ailing ruler, rendered impotent with an injury which dooms the realm. In this manner links between the Continental Erlking and Welsh mythology shape up.

Finally, Muircetach – an alteration of the Irish Muirchetach – also stands for ‘mariner’. Befitting of an Elf-King who has traversed the seas of time and space.

Intent

In the Witcher, both Auberon and Emhyr are embroiled in a plot of siring the child of prophecy with Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon – their blood relative. Genetically, the incest is a matter of degree: Emhyr is Ciri’s biological father, Auberon Ciri’s ancestor 8 generations past. Symbolically, however, the degree collapses with Auberon because a few human generations are meaningless to elves. They call Ciri Lara’s daughter, effectively deeming Ciri Auberon’s granddaughter. But the reader – not unlike Ciri herself – won’t know about this until the very end of the tale.

Notionally, both rulers bind their actions with Ithlinne’s prophecy. The problem with prophecies is they decouple arguments from verification, lending themselves to the rationalization of all and any action. At least insofar as knowing the future accurately is impossible. This is the case for humanity, it is not the case for elves. Elven prophecies were made by the elves and for the elves in the first place. Consequently, the degree to which each ruler knows the prophecy to be true and believes in it differs.

For Emhyr, mystical secret knowledge of the universe is irrelevant in comparison to political expedience: reason of state is what the tomorrow will bring. The Nilfgaardian Emperor is neither a mystic nor a fatalist. Contrary to the Alder King – a Sage, a ruler, and an elder – who has witnessed and likely verified some of what the Seers have prophesised.

Elves conceive of the nature of time as cyclical in which the fate of things is tied up in the endless repetition of endings giving birth to new beginnings, the dance of attraction between life and death, two sides of the same coin which form the singular eternal truth of existence – change is only an eternal reoccurrence and re-arrangement of all. Auberon, you see, is a bit of a mystic. And even without Seers privy to secret knowledge, an extraordinary life span reduces the elves’ proclivity to black swan fallacy, or at least pushes the error probabilities. But at the end of the day, mysticism takes the cake.

The idea that either ruler must be the progenitor, however, comes at the instigation of an outside force.

Shortly after Ciri’s birth Emhyr is visited by a sorcerer. Emhyr has a strong aversion to mages; he was cursed by one. Even so, Vilgefortz proves himself capable of helping him regain the Nilfgaardian throne and is straightforward about what he wishes in exchange – gratitude, favours, privileges, power. Vilgefortz tells Emhyr about Ithlinne’s prophecy – a version about the fate of the world; a human interpretation. Then he plants the seed as to what Emhyr should do to steer the fate of this world. Naturally, he has his own agenda.

It is not a huge leap of imagination to conceive of Auberon having been similarly persuaded by Avallac’h (an elven Knowing one who thematically parallels the human Vilgefortz). Not only are Avallac’h and Auberon tied by broken familial bonds, they are each a participant of the Elder Blood programme; and each, a Sage. Avallac’h serves nearly as a double for Auberon, his own fate also tied with Ciri’s, his own wound also related to Lara. And Auberon is a ‘willing unwilling’ in his arrangement with Ciri; implied so by his rage when he reveals Ciri ought to be grateful for his lowering himself to the endeavour at all. There is an alternative.

Neither the Emperor nor the Alder King is pursuing the incestuous course of action out of lust. But both have the option to waive being the sire. Ithlinne’s prophecy is not explicit about the father of the Swallow’s child. For elves the match is backed by science. For humanity – pragmatism.

Emhyr has ordered to wipe out the Usurper’s name from the annals of history and is cementing his earthly power, conquering and ensuring the succession laws play out in his favour. Not only is he legitimatizing his rule over Cintra – the gateway to the North – by marrying its last monarch’s granddaughter, but by keeping it in the family he is also consolidating his rule among the Nilfgaardian aristocracy. The Emperor’s concern lies with the dynastic struggle for power: it is his blood that should rule the world and because history is bending its arc according to Nilfgaard’s dictation that means surmounting the Nilfgaardian succession laws. From such perspective, not fathering Ciri’s child would create numerous problems. Ciri as Emhyr’s heir would remain behind any other male offspring he might have (with any Nilfgaardian aristocrat). Ciri might not be acknowledged as a legitimate successor in Nilfgaard in the first place as she is a foreigner, born in Cintra at a time when her father was not yet an emperor; a bastard, effectively, and a girl besides. Ciri’s husband, moreover, may have designs on power himself and his remaining under Emhyr’s control, or Ciri’s control, is not a guarantee. It is difficult to be the correctly-shaped chess piece in a match over the interests of the state. That a widely recited prophecy about the fate of the world could lend an aura of destiny to the brutal political machinations undertaken to seek retribution and pursue earthly power is convenient; a descendant who will be the ruler of the world – a bonus. But to get there, sacrifices must be made.

‘Cirilla,’ continued the emperor, ‘will be happy, like most of the queens I was talking about. It will come with time. Cirilla will transfer the love that I do not demand at all onto the son I will beget with her. An archduke, and later an emperor. An emperor who will beget a son. A son, who will be the ruler of the world and will save the world from destruction. Thus speaks the prophecy whose exact contents only I know.’

’What I am doing, I am doing for posterity. To save the world.’ – Emhyr var Emreis, Lady of the Lake

Notably, the manner in which the Emperor claims to understand Ithlinne’s prophecy does not make guarantees that a father’s incest with his daughter will ensure his progeny will one day save the world. The saviour is a few generations away and the causal arrow between now and then is not direct: the son could die, could father a child with a genetically non-fitting partner, could be sterile, or could turn out to be a daughter altogether. Not to even begin with what the world needs saving from in the first place; again, elven prophecies were written by the elves and for the elves. Emhyr var Emreis is neither an elf, a geneticist, an idealist, nor a mystic. He is an autocrat.

Elder Blood is the creation of elves and it is elves who understand how their genetic abilities play into handling what was foretold by Ithlinne. Emhyr’s daughter, the Lady of Time and Space, is the descendant of an Alder King who has utilized Hen Ichaer in the past and whose ambitions lie in an altogether different ball park than that of an Emperor of one single world. Appropriately to the Saga’s love for subversion, it is ironic that human understanding of elven prophecies remains on the level of poetry, while elves – the irritatingly poetic, mystical species – can read the science elevating the prophetic jargon into something more.

Which nevertheless does not invalidate the problem with prophecies: they lend themselves to the rationalization of action, frequently concealing the real horses the powerful might have in the race. Legitimatization of the ruler’s right to remain the leader of their people is relevant in Auberon’s life too. More on that when we return to the Fisher King parable and the nature of curses upon the two rulers.

Role & Relationships

Let’s take a look at the characters’ personalities.

Appearance: A Play of Contrasts

A very tall, slender elf with long fingers and ashen hair shot with snow-white streaks. An elf with most extraordinary eyes – as in all Elder Blood carriers – reminiscent of molten lead. A man with black, shiny, wavy hair bordering an angular, masculine face that is dominated by a prominent nose (hooked, presumably, or Roman if you like). The Emperor of Nilfgaard does not resemble an androgynous elf by any means. But this does not mean nothing remains in him of the elven gene pool.

Not only does Emhyr’s etymological origin link with the Romano-Celtic world underpinning all things elven in the Witcher. Nilfgaardians are effectively the Romano-Brytons. The human population in the South of the Continent mixed with elves heavily, retaining a lot of elven law, customs, language, and DNA. As Avallac’h says about heritability, ‘the father matters’, and Emhyr was one half of the equation for getting Ciri.

Rex Regum – King of Kings

The readers are probably more familiar with the imperial system and how that features in the depiction of Nilfgaard. Auberon Muircetach’s position as the Supreme Leader of the Aen Elle – as opposed to merely a “king” – is instead much more reminiscent of the station of a High King. Ancient and early kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland boast many High Kings (e.g. Ard Rí Érenn Brian Boru, Ard Rí Alban Macbeth, Vortigern, King of the Britons, etc). The High King was usually elected and set above lesser rulers and warlords as an overlord in a land that shared a high degree of cultural unity. Emperors usually ruled over culturally different lands (regularly obtained through recent or ongoing conquests).

In character such high kingship was sacred: the duties of the ruler were largely ceremonial and somewhat restricted, unless war, natural disaster or some other realm-wide occasion created a need for a unified command structure. The Irish High King, for example, was quite straightforwardly a ruler who laid claim to all of the land of the Emerald Isle. Noteworthy, because the ruler is frequently seen as the embodiment of the land, associated with the health and well-being of the realm that the land sustains. In quasi-religious terms, High Kings gained their power through a marriage to, or sexual relationship with, a sovereignty goddess; frequently, a mother goddess who was associated with the life-giving land. As one of the most frequently studied elements of the pan-Celtic cosmology, this feature is instantly recognisable in the outlook of the elves in the Witcher and factors heavily into Auberon’s relationship with Ciri.

Ciri who is the avatar of the Triple Goddess – the Virgin, the Pregnant Mother, and the Old Woman, Death. As Sapkowski notes in The World of King Arthur:

’…no Wiccan mystery in honour of the Great Triple, cannot be performed, [without] the goblet and the sword.

Grail and Excalibur. The rest is silence.’

Through the Triple Goddess’ interaction with her God-counterpart (a ruler who briefly assumes the role of the god) is showcased the eternal cycle of life – one which cannot be realised without the interaction of the cup (feminine) & the sword (male). Excalibur is the symbol of rightful sovereignty and its wielders are frequently powerful men. But Ciri is a woman and a woman is the Grail, bringing salvation and new life. To possess the Grail is to legitimize oneself as the ruler, as the leader, protector, and father figure of the realm. Thus, a King of Kings must do exactly that. A protector, a father figure, and a druid (wise man) merge into a symbolic whole in the Supreme Leader of the elves.

(But Ciri is also the witcher girl and owns a sword, unyielding before the matter of her gender. And though many a men might take her for the Lady of the Lake, she is not about to part with her sword.)

The Realm is All

From early age, Emhyr’s father instilled an understanding in his heir that nothing counts more than the interest of the state. The blood of the Emreis family must be on the throne. Fergus never abdicated, not after torture, not even after his son was turned into a mutant hedgehog in front of his eyes. Love for his child did not sway Fergus from having his son suffer in the interests of power and the realm. This is how the shard of ice in Emhyr’s heart forms.

Auberon, equally, ‘thinks of England’ when attempting to regain his daughter’s legacy and restore their people’s power. The circumstances of Lara’s demise, however, beg the question about the Alder King’s role in facilitating or enabling the conditions that let things spiral out of control and break beyond repair. The stakes were infinitely higher for Auberon than they are for Emreis’ dynastic struggle. But what would an answer to this question change? In their cold hearts these characters see themselves each as duty-bound.

Ambitious and gloried, they nevertheless occupy different stages in their lives.

Emhyr’s ambition burns bright and fresh. Auberon’s has dwindled into a shadow of the past; buried under having witnessed and lived through the sacrifices that a ruler makes in the name of power. Emhyr chooses to seek retribution and power beyond what would befall him should he accept his life as Duny (the cursed, pitiful Duny), the prince consort of Cintra. Never losing sight of his goal, love and human happiness become but temporary phases and means to an end, and Emhyr returns to Cintra only in the form of flames and death to pursue his daughter in insane ambition. The White Flame retains an active disposition; a lust for life.

Neither Emhyr nor Auberon gallop at the head of their armies though, leading instead from the rear. They have lackeys for carrying out their will remotely (e.g. Cahir and Eredin). Emhyr, however, is said to be otherwise highly involved in the ruling of his empire, even if many revolutionaries who had helped him on the throne had hoped he would remain but a banner of the revolution. In contrast, the Alder King has more or less withdrawn from life and active service. In the presence of Avallac’h and Eredin, Auberon appears much more like the standard Emhyr had refused to become.

Of course, many decisions the equivalent of which Auberon has already made are still ahead of Emhyr, including as concerns the freedom of his daughter.

A Ruler’s Heart

Did Emhyr believe that he would be able to see Pavetta in Ciri and thus push through with the incest? Did Auberon hope to glance the memory of his wife in the eyes of Lara’s ‘daughter’ and manage in this way?

As already noted, neither ruler is pursuing their plans out of lust, but as lust must be induced for the act to bear fruit I cannot help but wonder what these characters must do to themselves to follow through with their plans. The love that is called for in order for new life and hope to be born is, in this instance, abnormal. Yet it is undoubtedly love that plays a huge role in determining both Emhyr’s and Auberon’s eventual fate.

Until the emergence of false-Ciri, Emhyr var Emreis is said to have had numerous ladies in the imperial court. Little is known about Auberon’s disposition, but by the time Ciri starts frequenting his bed chamber it has become evident the image of a dowager king fits the elf like a glove; disaffected with romantic dalliance, he is still aware of the courtly intrigue and expectations surrounding it.

‘The next evening, for the first time, the Alder King betrayed his impatience. She found him hunched over the table where a looking glass framed in amber was lying. White powder had been sprinkled on it. It’s beginning, she thought.

[…]

‘At one moment Ciri was certain it was about to happen. But it didn’t. At least not all the way. And once again he became impatient. He stood up and threw a sable fur over his shoulders. He stood like that, turned away, staring at the window and the moon.’ – A. Sapkowski, Lady of the Lake

Emhyr’s marriage to Pavetta, Ciri’s mother, was an unhappy one. In his own words, he did not love ’the melancholy wench with her permanently lowered eyes,’ and eventually would have had the vigilant Pavetta killed. Inadvertently, Emhyr caused Pavetta’s death anyway.

‘I wonder how a man feels after murdering his wife,’ the Witcher said coldly. ‘Lousy,’ replied Emhyr without delay. ‘I felt and I feel lousy and bloody shabby. Even the fact that I never loved her doesn’t change that. The end justifies the means, yet I sincerely do regret her death. I didn’t want it or plan it. Pavetta died by accident.’ ‘You’re lying,’ Geralt said dryly, ‘and that doesn’t befit an emperor. Pavetta could not live. She had unmasked you. And would never have let you do what you wanted to do to Ciri.’ ‘She would have lived,’ Emhyr retorted. ‘Somewhere … far away. There are enough castles … Darn Rowan, for instance. I couldn’t have killed her.’ ‘Even for an end that was justified by the means?’ ‘One can always find a less drastic means.’ The emperor wiped his face. ‘There are always plenty of them.’ ‘Not always,’ said the Witcher, looking him in the eyes. Emhyr avoided his gaze. ‘That’s exactly what I thought,’ Geralt said, nodding. – Emhyr and Geralt, Lady of the Lake

After Pavetta’s demise Emhyr hounds his own daughter to the ends of the earth, killing her grandmother, burning down her home, and driving Ciri into an exile from which she never fully recovers. An exile which kills the innocence in her; the snow-white streaks in Ciri’s hair are from the trauma.

In contrast, Auberon does not seem to even know what became of Shiadhal – his partner and the mother of their daughter together. On the verge of death he confuses Ciri for Shiadhal, and says, ’I am glad you are here. You know, they told me you had died.’ The Alder King recalls Shiadhal affectionately, in the same loving breath as he recalls their daughter Lara. Lara whose exile – voluntary or not – killed her.

When Ciri was six years old, Emhyr took a lock of hair from her and held onto it; out of sentiment and for his court sorcerers to use. One of Auberon’s last lines to Ciri involves tying a loose ribbon back into Lara’s hair.

In regard to their brides-to-be, both rulers are saddled with fakes. A fake Ciri-Pavetta and a fake Lara-Shiadhal. But Emhyr’s and Auberon’s attitude toward the fake is diametrically opposite. Emhyr sees false-Cirilla as ‘a diamond in the rough’. Auberon calls Ciri ‘a pearl in pig shit, a diamond on the finger of a rotting corpse.’ For Emhyr, a diamond is the essence of the poor peasant girl. While a pearl in pig shit, for Auberon, remains the essence of Ciri. Neither ruler can entirely ignore the social vigilance extended toward the ruler’s bedchamber either. The idea of a ‘foreign bride’ is frowned upon among the Nilfgaardian aristocracy; it decreases their ability to influence the Emperor. Ciri’s social status at Tir ná Lia is never explicitly addressed, but the presence of human servants – all of whom that the reader sees are female – and casual xenophobia from Auberon himself does not make it hard to venture a guess.

‘If I were … the real Cirilla … the emperor would look more favourably on me. But I’m only a counterfeit. A poor imitation. A double, not worthy of anything. Nothing …’ – False-Cirilla, Lady of the Lake

‘It’s all my fault,’ she mumbled. ‘That scar blights me, I know. I know what you see when you look at me. There’s not much elf left in me. A gold nugget in a pile of compost—’ – Ciri, Lady of the Lake

The Alder King is unable to bring himself to love Ciri. The Emperor relents at the very end, in the one moment where it matters, caring for his daughter at last as a father should. Moreover, Emhyr ends up eventually marrying his own reason of state and comes to love the false-Cirilla. And the contrasts do not end here. Real Ciri threatens to tear Emhyr’s throat out for what he is planning to do to her (unknowing he is her father), yet with Auberon Ciri turns submissive and grows attached. She weeps over Auberon’s corpse and vows vengeance on Eredin for killing the Alder King. Ironic, as Auberon never intended to let Ciri go, while Emhyr does let his daughter walk free. The shard in Auberon’s heart never melts. It shifts in Emhyr’s.

In their last meeting with the girl, both rulers implicitly reveal their blood relation to Ciri.

Cursed Rulers of the World

Emhyr’s tale begins and is framed with a curse. Likewise Auberon’s. And for both it is love in its different manifestations that will shift the curse just enough to offer closure. Because healing largely entails obtaining closure.

‘They were silent for a long time. The scent of spring suddenly made them feel light-headed. Both of them. ‘In spite of appearances,’ Emhyr finally said dully, ‘being empress is not an easy job. I don’t know if I’ll be able to love you.’ She nodded to show she also knew. He saw a tear on her cheek. Just like in Stygga Castle, he felt the tiny shard of cold glass lodged in his heart shift.’ – Emhyr & false-Cirilla, Lady of the Lake

The reference to H. C. Andersen’s fairy tale of the Snow Queen is self-evident. Emhyr var Emreis is an Emperor whose heart has been pierced by a shard of ice. In the Saga, the legend is elven and refers to the Winter Queen who conducts a Wild Hunt as she travels the land, casting hard, sharp, tiny shards of ice around her.1 Whose eye or heart is pierced by one of them is lost; they will abandon everything and will set off after the Queen, the one who wounded them so gravely as to become the sole aim and end of their life.

There are two ways in which to interpret the way Sapkowski applies the legend of the Snow Queen in the Saga.

First, as a complement to the author’s stance that in life - where most things are shit - the Grail is a woman, because it is the love of a woman and the hope a woman instils that often makes men act in inconceivable ways. Love is the great motivator and the great balancer of scales, almost as powerful as death. Or even more so?

‘I would not like to put forward the theory that hunting for the wild pig was the primordial example of the search for the Grail. I don't want to be so trivial. I will - after Parnicki and Dante - identify the Grail with the real goal of the great effort of mythical heroes. I prefer to identify the Grail with Olwen, from under whose feet, as she walked, white clovers grew. I prefer to identify the Grail with Lydia, who was loved by Parry. I like New York in June… How about you?

Because I think the Grail is a woman. It is worth investing a lot of time and effort in order to find it and gain it, to understand it. And that's the moral.’

– A. Sapkowski, The World of King Arthur

In this reading, we find the framing to the stories of Geralt and Yennefer, Lara and Cregennan, Avallac’h and Lara, and many others. Including the story of Ciri herself – for Ciri is ultimately the author’s Grail in more ways than one. More than one party goes to great lengths to solicit her favour in a guise that includes elements of a love relationship, but not the heart of it.

Secondly, we can interpret the legend in universal terms: the shard of ice is the definitive experience of our lives which distorts reality and makes the rest of our lives spin around it in one way or another. For Emhyr, such an experience could have been the trauma experienced in his youth. Fergus’ uncompromising death conditioned the boy early on to sacrifice personal feelings to the cause and let the only true feeling in his heart remain forever locked behind the ends a ruler must go to unthinkable lengths to achieve. Fergus did not deem his son above suffering for a cause and the son learned the lesson. Until…

In Andersen’s Snow Queen, Gerda manages to find her brother Kai in the Snow Queen’s castle, but despite her calls his heart remains cold as ice. Only when Gerda cries in despair do her tears finally melt the ice and remove the piece of glass from Kai’s eyes and heart. In the Witcher, the shard in Emhyr’s heart moves first upon witnessing his true daughter’s angry tears. The second time – in thanks to the bogus princess of Cintra; his poor raison d’etat.

It brings us to the defining contrast in Emhyr’s and Auberon’s stories, and it concerns alleviating the suffering of those are bound to you by blood or love.

From the Ashes

Recalling another case of incest that resulted in Adda the strigga, we may remember that the Temerian king recognises that his daughter is suffering and insists on disenchanting her instead of killing her. Realising that your own blood – who has been thrown into this world of agony thanks to you – is suffering and consequently choosing to do something to alleviate this suffering fortifies the Saga’s faith in enduring human decency. Geralt, too, is thoroughly vexed by the prospect of letting the same evil happen to Ciri that happened to himself and does everything within his power to prevent it. Here lives the redemption of man and in redemption – his rebirth.

‘They passed a pond, empty and melancholy. The ancient carp released by Emperor Torres had died two days earlier. “I’ll release a new, young, strong, beautiful specimen,” thought Emhyr var Emreis, “I’ll order a medal with my likeness and the date to be attached to it. Vaesse deireadh aep eigean. Something has ended, something is beginning. It’s a new era. New times. A new life. So let there be a new carp too, dammit.”’ – Emhyr var Emreis, Lady of the Lake

As Emhyr and false-Cirilla take a stroll in the gardens after Stygga, they pass a sculpture of a pelican pecking open its own breast to feed its young on its blood. An allegory of noble sacrifice and also of great love – as False-Ciri tells us.

‘Do you think—’ he turned her to face him and pursed his lips ‘—that a torn-open breast hurts less because of that?’ ‘I don’t know …’ she stammered. ‘Your Imperial Majesty … I …’ He took hold of her hand. He felt her shudder; the shudder ran along his hand, arm and shoulder. ‘My father,’ he said, ‘was a great ruler, but never had a head for legends or myths, never had time for them. And always mixed them up. Whenever he brought me here, to the park, I remember it like yesterday, he always said that the sculpture shows a pelican rising from its ashes.’ – Emhyr var Emreis & False-Cirilla, Lady of the Lake

It is difficult to set aside our trauma and not pass it on. Letting our children be free and not sacrificing them on the altar of our fate is to rip open ourselves, calcified and bound to our path, and to feel all of it as we grope in the dark to feel for them. Emhyr’s father might not have gotten it entirely wrong, though his mind at the time was set on making his child an extension of himself. The cycle of death and rebirth begins and ends within that to which we give birth. Giving our children a chance before it is too late, we also give a chance to ourselves.

By finding it in his heart to extend to his daughter the courtesy his father Fergus never extended to him - by letting Ciri free - Emhyr lets the part of himself that has defined his entire life die. His end stops justifying the means. He breaks the cycle on the edge of the precipice to which he has brought them and thus, allows for the possibility of new beginnings for himself and for Ciri.

In a sense, False-Cirilla and Emhyr get the ending Ciri and Auberon might have gotten if –

Into Ashes

The story of Auberon Muircetach achieves a fundamentally different resolution.

‘What does the spear with the bloody blade mean? Why does the King with the lanced thigh suffer and what does it mean? What is the meaning of the maiden in white carrying a grail, a silver bowl—?’ – Galahad, Lady of the Lake

Galahad asks the questions that the innocent Perceval in his Story of the Grail failed to ask, thus losing his chance at freeing the Fisher King from his curse. Fisher King is the guardian of mysteries, among them the Holy Grail. But it is not because of gain that a chivalric knight with a shining sword should seek to free the Fisher King from his curse, but rather because it is a human thing to do. Sapkowski claims to be partial to Wolfram von Eschenbach’s rendition of the Grail myth in Parsifal:

‘Let's not wait for the revelation and the command that comes from above, let's not wait for any Deus vult. Let's look for the grail in ourselves. Because the Grail is nobility, it is the love of a neighbor, it is an ability for compassion. Real chivalric ideals, towards which it is worth looking for the right path, cutting through the wild forest, where, as they quote, "there is no road, no path". Everyone has to find their path on their own. But it is not true that there is only one path. There are many of them. Infinitely many. … Being human is important. Heart.’

‘I prefer the humanism of Wolfram von Eschenbach and Terry Gilliam from the idiosyncrasies of bitter Cistercian scribes and Bernard of Clairvaux...’ – A. Sapkowski, The World of King Arthur

The unimaginable sadness in Auberon’s eyes belies the suffering of the Alder King – the avatar of the Fisher King. Insofar as the story between elves and humans goes in The Witcher, all elven males share aspects of the Fisher King’s fate; symbolically, they are the protectors of their Grail – elven women. Surviving his wife and daughter, witnessing the fading of his ambitions and the knock-on effects – Auberon has lost his line. The Fisher King’s injury represents an inability to produce an heir.

A ruler who is both the protector and physical embodiment of his land yet remains barren, sterile, or without a true-born successor, bodes ill for the realm. Auberon has lost control of the source of his people’s power, leaving the elves imprisoned and scattered across worlds. In losing a daughter, he has lost more than a world.

Compassion – Consent to Co-suffering

‘Lara.’ The Alder King moved his head, and touched his neck as though his royal torc’h was garrotting him. ‘Caemm a me, luned. Come to me, daughter. Caemm a me, elaine.’ Ciri sensed death in his breath. – Auberon Muircetach, Lady of the Lake

Only time can tell what it would take for Ciri to become, and become accepted, as the daughter of elves.

In Lady of the Lake, Ciri passes through the shadow world of the Alders as a manifestation of fate. Her footsteps sowing discord, movement, and change into the immutable, time-locked amber of the elven utopia. Her presence providing the trigger that will unshackle the past from future in a world where for a long time nothing has changed, died, or been reborn. She is destined and destiny, annihilation and rebirth, the grain of sand in the gears of the great mechanism; a strange girl. The child of hope and the Goddess who ought to be Three.

‘Zireael,’ he said. ‘Loc’hlaith. You are indeed destiny, O Lady of the Lake. Mine too, as it transpires.’ – Auberon Muircetach, Lady of the Lake

Lara is dead. Emhyr’s daughter still lives. There is nothing Auberon can do for Lara anymore and thus, the ice in Auberon’s heart has crystallised. Emhyr still has a chance; he is where Auberon once was. And yet, there is one thing Ciri, the witcher girl, can still do for the Alder King; and herself. Her presence in this world is, after all, also part of her coming to age story.

‘Va’esse deireadh aep eigean… But,’ he finished with a sigh, ‘it’s good that something is beginning.’ They heard a long-drawn-out peal of thunder outside the window. The storm was still far away. But it was approaching fast. ‘In spite of everything,’ he said, ‘I very much don’t want to die, Zireael. And I’m so sorry that I must. Who’d have thought it? I thought I wouldn’t regret it. I’ve lived long, I’ve experienced everything. I’ve become bored with everything … but nonetheless I feel regret. And do you know what else? Come closer. I’ll tell you in confidence. Let it be our secret.’ She bent forward. ‘I’m afraid,’ he whispered. ‘I know.’ ‘Are you with me?’ ‘Yes, I am.’ – Auberon Muircetach, Lady of the Lake

The only way Ciri the Grail knight will be able to find her own true self – the Grail – is by curing the suffering Alder King from his curse. By becoming Auberon’s destiny, Ciri must close the circle for him; bring closure. The Alder King would never let her go because thaw is no longer able to touch his heart. Unlike Emhyr, Auberon does not repeat the motif of alleviating the suffering of one’s blood and/or love; and thus, he dies. It is Ciri, in fact, who realises Auberon is suffering. She discovers her heart can awaken to compassion; even for those who have wronged her. So Ciri must do what only she can, because remaining human is what is important. Heart. The sacrifice a ruler makes on the altar of power includes his own heart, which is why there should never be only one, but always two; always.

there is no road, no path". Everyone has to find their path on their own. But it is not true that there is only one path. There are many of them. Infinitely many. … Being human is important. Heart.

‘Time is like the ancient Ouroboros. Time is fleeting moments, grains of sand passing through an hourglass. Time is the moments and events we so readily try to measure. But the ancient Ouroboros reminds us that in every moment, in every instant, in every event, is hidden the past, the present and the future. Eternity is hidden in every moment. Every departure is at once a return, every farewell is a greeting, every return is a parting. Everything is simultaneously a beginning and an end. ‘And you too,’ he said, not looking at her at all, ‘are at once the beginning and the end. And because we are discussing destiny, know that it is precisely your destiny. To be the beginning and the end. Do you understand?’ She hesitated for a moment. But his glowing eyes forced her to answer. ‘I do.’ – Auberon Muircetach, Lady of the Lake

Death Crone to Auberon Muircetach, Ciri never becomes the Mother Goddess in the books. It is a choice she must make for herself, and the time for such a choice still remains ahead of her. Everyone has to find their path on their own. In a sense, however, both rulers serve as father figures, facilitating Ciri’s leaving for a path of self-discovery. And, as we know, one day the Aen Seidhe will leave Geralt’s world. Perhaps this too the Knowing Ones knew, and for this reason alone Auberon never could have budged from seeing through his purpose in this part of Ciri’s story.

Something is ending, but something is also beginning. Destiny, however, accursed, must run its course.

That is the hope, and the release.

Footnotes

Could the Winter Queen be Shiadhal? Why not-why not… ↩︎

My note about The Witcher's lore was based on my (short) memory of the books and all I wanted to show was how many mistakes were made in 'Blood Origin'. So thank you all who forced me into deep check.

If you're intrested in the book version of the lore check this YouTube channel

I know... I know.

This channel is in polish, but most of the vlogs have subtitles. And the essays are great.

BTW: The linked one is the story of origin of Hen Ichaer (based on the books)

#the witcher #the witcher lore #The Witcher: Blood Origin #Blood Origin #netflix witcher #Youtube

So @fandomwarehouse just made this post about Vernon Roche squinting and now I'm in the middle of an existential crisis because my knee reaction to Roche needing glasses is "of course he would throw them into the fire and swear he doesn't need them". But. But. This is a man that, quoting, "whore himself" to Nilfgaard. So the idea of him not using a tool that could objectively help him (any sort of visual impediment could be fatal in his line of work) doesn't make sense then. And now I'm wondering how expensive glasses are in the witcher universe and if Roche could afford them (that is after Foltest's death because he loses everything at that point). Anyway. I'm going to think more of Roche and glasses ☹

That is an interesting question! I wanted to look up before replying if the unofficial disability supplement to the Witcher tabletop RPG has anything to say on this. It says: “spectacles can only be commissioned as they are uniquely tailored to you and require the incredibly skilled hands of gnomish craftsmen and their highly coveted secrets of sanding and shaping glass and gemstone lenses that help improve eyesight.”

This isn’t official canon but it’s something that feels in keeping with canon to me. Glasses would probably be highly valuable and not available everywhere so the biggest question is whether Roche could obtain them once he’s no longer Foltest’s man, like in TW3 when he’s a guerilla fighter hiding in a cave.

It’s also likely they would be suitable for reading but not for combat, but fortunately Roche is a close combat fighter, not someone who has to aim at a distance. They might look something like what this merchant from Touissant wears, or Thaler’s monocle thing. Geralt has those funky glasses one can get in TW3 but to me those felt more like a joke item than something meant to be lore accurate.

Then again anything can be made possible through the power of fic. Maybe Barnabas (the gnome from Thronebreaker) opened a glasses factory in the Rivian city of Broadhead where Queen Meve leaves him in charge of reforming the factories after the 2nd Nilfgaardian war (in one TB path). Soon, cheap reading glasses are mass produced and available via traveling merchants all over the Continent, vastly improving accessibility of print material for the population. It’s amazing what a difference can be made by a single act of an enlightened queen :)

I’d say whether Roche wears them depends on the kind of prejudice he thinks he’s likely to face. This might seem wild now when so many wear glasses or contacts, but for those of my parents’ generation the stigma against glasses was so strong that some people would be socially afraid to wear glasses even in their old age. We know Roche is still affected by childhood bullying in his adult years, with the way he’s still touchy about his mother’s background, and he also needs to project strength in front of his soldiers.

But maybe when he’s alone, and having to go through some secretly obtained maps or correspondence, he takes out the small embroidered case, with the pattern all worn and faded by now, and opens it with care to retrieve the expensive lenses that had been a precious secret gift from his late king…

#the witcher lore #vernon roche #barnabas beckenbauer #asks

A FULL FAMILY TREE OF THE WITCHER UNIVERSE.

includes: Cintran Dynasty, Temerian Dynasty, Redanian Dynasty, Elves, Some Kaedwen, Some Lyria, Some Skellige, Some Nilfgaard.

Compatibile with Sapkowski’s canon, with some game-exclusive characters added.

link to full size.

Do NOT repost.

#the witcher #the witcher 3 #the witcher 3 lore #the witcher lore #the witcher resources #wiedzmin

Phew! Alright, I haven't seen a post about it here yet, but all writers and fans of the witcher need to go and download this FREE resource by Sara Thompson called 'Medicine on the Path'. It has amazing art, lore and will help improve the diversity and representation in your writing.

It has amazing new witchers like this guy, Joren of Ellander, a wolf school witcher.

And Vesemir doing witcher sign language, which I'm totally going to use when I borrow @tumbleweedtech's headcanon about Letho being hard of hearing.

There is so much, this is just a taster to whet your appetite.

Go download it! Share it!

Below the cut is the bingo card for Disability Pride Month 2021.

#the witcher #the witcher lore #free resource #make sure you share it on Twitter #show it to your friends #disability representation #geralt #geralt of rivia

They had to look far - and they found: in Ebbing, in Duchy de Salm. For the young duke Roegner de Salm a marriage with the Queen of Cintra was a huge honour and promotion, so Roegner - even though he knew the rumours - agreed with no hesitation. Calanthe, so they said, almost lost interest in marriage again and she was supposed to try and sabotage the whole thing, pretending in front of her bridegroom a crazy hag and hellcat… But she changed her plans when she first saw Roegner - the duke was in fact devilishly handsome!

If there was love in the royal marriage, or not, today no one could tell. But beyond any doubt - and in spite of the rumours - the marriage was compatible - especially after they had their daughter Pavetta.

A lot of noise was caused by a gossip, how supposedly after finding Calanthe’s inability to give him another heir, male, this time, Roegner schemed to get rid of his wife (with the help of poison) and find himself a younger and more fertile princess, and that Calanthe discovered his plans and acted first. Though the rumour was told even by people who believed themselves bright, it was beyond any doubt just that - an ugly and slanderous rumour.

Roegner died of smallpox in Cintra, at the age thirty-five, and was buried in the royal crypt underneath the castle. Andrzej Sapkowski - Genealogy of Ciri, Calanthe/Roegner.

#the witcher #the witcher edit #the witcher lore #queen calanthe #calanthe fiona riannon #king roegner #roegner de salm