The Wizard

Publication(s)

  • First publication 2004 by Tor.

Analysis

Summary

Complete plot summary -- SPOILERS

Comments

  • The story of the giant's glove (p. 38, Tor paperback) is from the legend of Thor and Skymir.
  • Able seems to have played the role of the Green Knight who challenged Sir Gawain (pp. 97-98, Tor paperback).
  • The poem Svon quotes (p. 210, Tor paperback) is based on Tom o'Bedlam. Here is the original stanza:
    With a host of furious fancies
    Whereof I am commander,
    With a burning spear and a horse of air,
    To the wilderness I wander.
    By a knight of ghostes and shadowes
    I summon'd am to tourney
    Ten leagues beyond the wild world's end.
    Methinks it is no journey
The Mythgarthr version varies from this quite a bit, substituting "a lance of prayer" and "beyond the moon." It's closer to that world's reality.
  • "I found myself drawn into a tunnel whose sides were green glass," (p. 265, Tor paperback) could be a reference to Green Glass.
  • General comments on place in Wolfe's corpus
  • Sources of quotes
  • Meanings of names
  • References to other works
  • Etc.

Interpretations

Unresolved Questions

  • Who killed King Gilling?

Crom 20081209
On p, 324 (int the Tor paperback), Garvaon is accused and does not deny it. "What you did I judge to be no crime. Neither the first time nor the second." His motive was probably to save Idnn from a fatal pregnancy. A strong peasant woman like Gerda might bear a giant's offspring and live, but a pampered noble lady like Idnn stood no chance. DaveTallman 20090101

  • Was there another plot to kill King Gilling the night of the first attack? What was the fire-Aelf warning about? Who put out the lights?

DaveTallman 20090102

  • Who became king after Arnthor?

DaveTallman 20090109
(I think it was the rejuvenated Bold Berthold, with a good claim as a blood relative of the hero Able, who could have become king himself if he hadn't left. Morcaine and Gaynor hoped to retain power on Able's coat-tails. The fact that Berthold later killed the giant king is a confirmation, since kings can challenge kings.)

Blurbs

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