Dahut.
In
X,
8, Corentinus says that Dahut is possessed whereas Forsquilis, using Ysan terminology, responds that she is fated. Dahut lives up to Corentinus' description. She knows exactly how to manipulate several men into challenging her father. From Budic, she requests Christian instruction, then snarls and spits when he has gone. (
XIV, 2) Later, when she has failed to seduce him, she stares, kicks the stool that he had used, shrills against Belisama but then laughs long and loud. (
XV,
1) Lir is degenerating into a medieval demon.
The King of Ys is about the transition from the Roman Empire to the Dark Ages containing the seeds of the Middle Ages. Poul Anderson's works cover many historical periods, both past and future.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
In the long letter I wrote to the Andersons about THE KING OF YS, I commented on how Dahut was the first actually evil female character in Anderson's works.* In his reply Anderson said he had not thought of that, but was inclined to agree with me.
Christians and Mithraists would say Lir was always a demon.
Ad astra! Sean
*I should have thought at the time I wrote this letter that Storm Darroway, in THE CORRIDORS OF TIME, was a nasty piece of work herself.
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