Tuesday 4 October 2022

Legends

"[David Falkayn's] biographies tell how he became a protege of Nicholas van Rijn, but say little about that merchant lord. You may well be surprised to learn that on numerous other worlds, it is the latter who lives in folk memory, whether as hero or rogue."
-Hloch of the Stormgate Choth
The Earth Book Of Stormgate
-Poul Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, December 2009), p. 136.

"...he spoke not of the Silver Bird or Polesotechnarch Van Rijn or any ancient themes known everywhere by heart."
-Poul Anderson, "The Plague of Masters" IN Anderson, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight Of Terra (Riverdale, NY, March 2012), pp. 1-147 AT VI, pp. 45-46.

"'...the days of Adzel the Wayfarer...'"
-Poul Anderson, The Game Of Empire IN Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, June 2012), pp. 189-453 AT CHAPTER ONE, p. 201.

"Later ages wove a myth about Roan Tom."
-Poul Anderson, "A Tragedy of Errors IN Flandry's Legacy, pp. 455-540 AT p. 457.

Periods like the Polesotechnic League, the Troubles, the Long Night etc would generate legends. Thus, future histories should address not only history but also legends but maybe another future history does this better? To be continued.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And it was that impulsive, and fortunate mention of "Polesotechnarch van Rijn" in THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS" by Anderson which linked two originally different series.

And I'm sure there were legends about Dominic Flandry as well.

Ad astra! Sean