Wednesday 17 September 2014

Six Dennitzan Heroes And One Saint

"...the olden heroes, Yovan Matavuly who led the Founders the long lightless way to this our Morning Star, Toman Obilich who slew wild Vladimir on the crown of the Glacier, Gwyth who dared the storms of the Black Ocean, Stefan Miyatovich - great ancestor of Gospodar Bodin - who in the depths of the Night Years cast back the reavers from our very homes."
-Poul Anderson, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight Of Terra (New York, 2012), pp. 341-342.

Although they inhabit its surface, the Dennitzans call their colony planet their Morning Star - a new beginning. In Constitution Square, a bronze fountain depicts Toman's fight with Vladimir. A table in the Council Hall of Novi Aferoch is made from timber out of Gwyth's ship. Stefan Miyatovich exactly parallels Brian McCormac, defender of Aeneas during the Troubles and ancestor of Hugh McCormac. Dennitzans call the Troubles "the Night Years," not to be confused with the later Long Night, which we hope Dennitza will survive.

So far, four heroes:

Yovan;
Toman;
Gwyth;
Stefan.

To these, we add:

Andrei Simich, the poet who celebrated the previous four;
Gospodar Bodin Miyatovich, who led "Bodin's raid" (p. 341);
St Kossara, Bodin's niece, who brought peace through his valor.

That peace lasted through his lifetime, a real happy ending. His return from the raid was celebrated by songs, bells and dancing maidens crowning him with flowers.

In Anderson's historical fiction, some characters believe that, e.g., Thor is a real being that can intervene on their behalf. In his historical fantasies, Thor is a real being that can intervene on their behalf. In the hard sf of A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows, pagan ychani believe that Aferdhi, Blyn and Haawan are real beings that can be held afar by a sign and a prayer while Orthochristians believe that St Kossara is a real being who sends them peace through Bodin's valor.

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