A History Of Ys

In Poul and Karen Anderson's The Dog And The Wolf (London, 1989), Runa proposes to write:

" 'A history of Ys, from the founding to the end.' " (p. 187)

- because:

" 'They should be remembered, those splendours and great deeds.' " (p. 187)

They should and I wish that the Andersons had been able to write them. We know that Runa's history will not be written because Ys remains forever behind a "Veil". That is one decree of its Gods that still abides, implemented by Niall who is under a gess or obligation from Dahut - which is one reason to believe that Dahut was transfigured by one of the Three, presumably Lir, not by Anyone else. The histories of Ys, including the account of the discovery of America, were lost when the library, with every other Ysan building, was overwhelmed. Runa has to interview survivors and also to write down memories from her education whenever they occur to her.

She urges Gratillonius that, although the subject is painful to him, his city, Queens, children and friends deserve their memorial so he should give her his oral history. Ironically, Bishop Corentinus might underwrite the project because:

" 'the fall of the proud city is a powerful moral lesson.' " (p. 187)

Thus, this could have been a Christian history of Pagan Ys. Runa receives Christian instruction.

When Gratillonius first hears of this project, he instantly recalls Verania's song beginning:

"I remember Ys, though I have never seen her -' " (p. 187)

- appropriately, since, despite Runa's efforts, Ys will in fact be remembered only in poetry, legend and fiction, not in historiography.

Meanwhile, other histories begin. The Roman bureaucrats plotting to undermine Gratillonius' remaining authority recall a Solar Commonwealth bureaucrat persecuting Nicholas van Rijn in Poul Anderson's future history. All too plausibly, political disagreement becomes personal animosity.

Gratillonius, who would have led the colonisation of America if Ys had endured, founds a colony of Ysan survivors and leads the rebuilding of civilisation. He dispatches his son-in-law to chart the interior of Armorica, quietly rebuilds defensive networks and works manually alongside others to construct a furnace. Instead of sinking into serfhood or slavery, he hopes that his people will become:

"Coppersmiths, goldsmiths, jewellers - masons, sculptors, glassworkers - weavers, dyers - merchants, shippers, seamen, fresh growth in ...trade...civilization, and the strength to ward it!" (p. 226)

Meanwhile, his daughter Nemeta, the self-proclaimed last worshiper of the Three, living alone in the wood, sets up in business as a witch paid to cure sick animals by chanting in an unknown tongue - Ysan? Does she invoke the Three or only the local " '...forest Gods...' " to Whom she refers? (p. 252) At least initially, we are not told which. Are we to understand that she founds medieval European witchcraft?