The Crown of Dalemark (51 page)

“The Seven Marches,”
the set of lively tunes to which soldiers marched in both North and South Dalemark. Each march had well-known words.

Shelling,
a village much like other villages on the west bank of the great River of prehistoric Dalemark, the birthplace of Closti the Clam and his children.

Shelling River Procession,
held once a year at Midsummer to honor the River as a god. This was one of four yearly ceremonies in which flags were carried, and probably gave rise to the custom of flying flags over the stalls at Midsummer Fairs all over historic Dalemark.

She Who Raised the Islands,
the most common term for the lady of the Undying who, as wife of the Earth Shaker, has power nearly equal to his but is, on the whole, more benign. As Libby Beer she provides fruit and nourishment, but in her stronger aspects she is the earth itself and the only one of the Undying able to control the Earth Shaker. She is adored particularly in the Holy Islands, where she takes the shape of a beautiful red-haired woman dressed in green.

Shield of Oreth,
a mountain plateau in the southwest of North Dalemark that faces the milder weather of the sea. The name is from the least known of the secret names of the One, and it should perhaps be noted that at least three of the Undying and the Adon's sword were to be found there. In early historic times the Shield was well farmed and populous, but it fell into wasteland during the Adon's wars. Navis Haddsson was given ducal lands here and was fond of saying that of all his achievements, the one which gave him most pleasure was the restoration of the Shield to farmland and prosperity.

Singers,
a race of men and women, most of whom claimed descent from Tanamoril or Osfameron, who traveled the country of Dalemark singing, playing music, and telling stories. Because Singers were among the few people able to move freely between North and South, they also carried news, letters, and often fugitives. Some even acted as spies, but this was rare: Singers had their own rigid customs and standards, chief among which was always to tell the truth and never to perform a vile or a violent act. They also passed down by word of mouth innumerable old customs, sayings, beliefs, and incantations, many of which were lost when Moril Clennensson disbanded the Singers in the reign of Amil the Great.

Siriol,
the owner of the
Flower of Holand
, a fisherman and a prominent member of the Free Holanders, the society of secret freedom fighters to which Mitt also belonged. Mitt was apprenticed to Siriol for a while until his indentures were bought out by Hobin the gunsmith. Siriol greatly distinguished himself during the Great Uprising and afterward became first a councillor and then semipermanent Mayor of Holand.

Six steps
up to a front door were standard in Holand in South Dalemark, where the land is only inches above sea level and there is constant danger of flooding, particularly during the autumn storms.

Skreths,
Lawschool slang word for the cloister to the east of the school.

Small Western clan,
any of several minor clans that sailed from Haligland to prehistoric Dalemark during the years before the main invasion.

Soulboat,
a small skiff specially enchanted to hold the souls of the dead once they had been retrieved from Kankredin's net.

Soulnet.
See
Nets
.

Souls
of mortals were believed until quite recently to be the prey of witches and sorcerers, whether joined to a body or not. The mages of primitive Haligland claimed to be able to steal a man's soul while he slept, and Kankredin is said to have been able to take someone's soul at any time he wished. Souls of the Undying and those descended from them were a different matter because they were believed to be combined not only with a body but with the entire country, too.

South,
the eight earldoms of Dermath, Holand, Waywold, Canderack, Andmark, Carrowmark, Fenmark, and the South Dales. This part of Dalemark has a warm climate, a rich soil, and few high mountains. In early historic times it was very wealthy, but it became steadily poorer under the oppressive rule of the Southern earls, until, shortly before the reign of Amil the Great, the South was actually often poorer than the North and only ruled by fear. The North regarded this regime with disgust; the South was deeply suspicious of the North; and each considered itself superior to the other. The South, in fact, was noted for a number of virtues not seen in the North: efficiency, coolheadedness, perseverance, and clear-sightedness, combined with a strong sense of humor.

South Dales,
the earldom closest to North Dalemark and in many ways not unlike the North in climate and geography. But being this close to the freethinking North had a bad effect on the earls of the South Dales: They were the most tyrannical, warlike, and unjust of all the Southern earls.

Spannet,
a stablehand in Adenmouth in North Dalemark.

Specials,
guns made secretly by Hobin of Holand in South Dalemark which he sold only to a chosen few. Each gun had some unusual feature, and all were better than any of the weapons he sold in public.

Spellcoat,
a poncholike garment woven with word pictures that either told a story or stated facts. The garment, in the weaving, became the spell that made the story or fact come true. See also
Weaving; Words.

Spirits
were thought to be everywhere and to govern everything in prehistoric Dalemark, and it was necessary to please or soothe them every day. Some of the more powerful spirits almost had the status of gods and were confused by many with the Undying. The unusual thing about Closti's family is that they did not share this belief. Hern, in fact, rejected spirits out of hand as “unreasonable.”

Spring floods,
as a result of the snow melting in central Dalemark, are extensive even in modern times. In the uncontrolled River of prehistoric times there was always much flooding, which not only devastated homes but also brought fertile silt, driftwood, and fish. This violent mixture of destruction and benevolence caused many people to regard the River as a god.

Square rigging,
the old type of sail which is simply a sheet of canvas hung between two yards across the mast and swiveled at both ends to catch the wind. South Dalemark very early gave this up in favor of the far more efficient fore-and-aft rigged triangular sail, but the North still clung to the old rig right up to the reign of Amil the Great, when Ynen Navisson reorganized all shipping to form his fleet.

Square-topped pillar,
a waist-high primitive altar only found in the Holy Islands.

Squarks,
Lawschool slang meaning “being too bumptious.”

Stair,
Lord of Adenmouth in North Dalemark, a confirmed alcoholic.

Stapled,
Lawschool slang meaning “to be posted on a notice board as a wrongdoer.” Any pupil who was stapled lost certain privileges for a month.

Steam organ,
at Hannart in North Dalemark, a huge music-making machine built into the side of the mountain, operating like a church organ but powered by steam. It was said to have been the brainchild of the Adon and brought sightseers to Hannart from the moment it was built. It is clear that the people of the Adon's time knew all about steam power two centuries before the industrial revolution but considered it only worthwhile for providing entertainment.

Stirring,
Holy Islands dialect for rowing a boat.

Stork,
the totem standard of the King of prehistoric Dalemark, where birds had a significance and potency which it is now hard to define. No one but the King or his accredited agents dared carry the Stork. Thus the people of Shelling knew at once that the messengers were there by royal decree.

Surnam,
Lawschool slang for the one who spearheads an attack at grittling.

Sweetheart,
a black cat rescued from an island by the children of Closti the Clam on their journey up the great River.

Sweetrush,
a pet name for Tanaqui the weaver.

Talismans,
charms for keeping the soul in the body made for King Hern's army by Tanamil the Piper. Many centuries later Dalemark people still call pebbles found with a chance pattern of cross-hatching piper's pieces.

Tally,
the Lawschool term for its list of prizes.

Tan,
a particle added to the front of a personal name to mean “the younger,” as in Tanabrid, Tankol, Tanamil, et cetera.

Tanabrid,
the daughter of the Adon by his second wife, Manaliabrid of the Undying, who married the Lord of Kredindale after the death of the Adon.

Tan Adon,
Young Lord, one of the names for Tanamil the Piper.

Tanamil,
one of the elder Undying, whose name means “younger brother” or “younger river.” It is said that Tanamil was enslaved by Cenblith at the same time as the One and forced to create the Red River. There are many legends about him, some of which confuse him with Tanamoril, the mage-musician. Tanamil, however, is earlier than Tanamoril, for he is said to have played a major part in King Hern's defeat of Kankredin, after which he is said to have gone to the Holy Islands, where he can sometimes be heard playing his pipes at sunset.

Tanamoril

1. Moril's full second name. He was called after his famous ancestor.

2. The name taken by Mage Mallard in his earliest disguise as a minstrel. Under this name he assisted Enblith the Fair to become Queen because, according to some stories, she was his daughter.

3. The name means “youngest brother” and also refers to both Mallard's and Moril's position in their families.

Tanaqui

1. The second daughter of Closti the Clam and Anoreth of the Undying. She was a skilled weaver who made the two spellcoats which were dug up from the hillside above Hannart in North Dalemark. Her name is a punning one, meaning both “scented rushes” and “younger sister.” There has been speculation as to whether Tanaqui is herself of the Undying and, if so, is to be identified with Cennoreth the Weaver, but this is probably without foundation: Tanaqui was plainly a real person. See also
Weaving.

2. The scented rushes that are nowadays rare, growing only in certain habitats in North Dalemark.

Tankol,
otherwise known as Young Kol, head foreman of the mineworkers at Kredindale in North Dalemark.

Tannoreth Palace,
built by Amil the Great in Kernsburgh at the start of his reign, to Amil's own design, and still the royal palace although the present monarch seldom lives there. Amil appears to have invented the name Tannoreth himself (as he invented so many other things in the course of his long reign). It means, if anything, “the younger Noreth.”

Tanoreth,
the “young bound One,” a name for Tanamil the Piper.

Tears,
a potent magic. When Mitt weeps on an image of Libby Beer, he unknowingly invokes her protection.

Termath,
the southernmost port in South Dalemark, the seat of the Earl of Dermath.

“The year's luck to you,”
the ritual greeting between Holanders on the day of the Sea Festival.

“This is my will,”
a form of words used by a dying King to name the next King. These words had the force of law. King Hern, having named his son Closti as King, is said to have continued, “and it is my will that I name all Kings after you.”

Tholian,
the name of several earls of the South Dales. After the last Tholian perished in an abortive invasion of the North a year or so before the Great Uprising, the name was discarded as unlucky.

“To tide swimming…,”
the ancient charm of invocation to the Earth Shaker and She Who Raised the Islands, spoken as part of the Holand Sea Festival. Any who doubt that this is indeed a charm should note that the words
go now and return sevenfold
are thrice repeated in it.

Trase,
Lawschool slang for a team attack at grittling.

Trethers,
Lawschool slang for roll call, for which all pupils had to be present to answer their names.

Tross,
one of the largest of the Holy Islands.

Trossaver,
one of the Holy Islands, held to be the most beautiful.

Tulfa,
the Southern spelling of Tulfer Island.

Tulfer Island,
a large island some eight leagues off the coast of Dropwater in North Dalemark, closely allied to Hannart by marriage.

Undying,
immortals. There are three kinds:

1. The gods and closely related spirits of prehistoric Dalemark, whose images were kept in niches by the hearth and worshiped and placated daily.

2. The Elder Undying, who had the status of gods and whose souls were supposed to be enmeshed in the land. They were worshiped in numerous rituals throughout Dalemark which still remain as fragmentary customs and superstitions, particularly in the North. Though there never was any organized religion and only a few buildings were dedicated to the Undying, it is clear that everyone in early historic times, from the King downward, joined in rituals of worship or invocation to the Undying at certain times of the year. The Elder Undying can be distinguished by their ritualized names—e.g., the One, whose names are not to be spoken; the Weaver of Fates, et cetera.