Thursday 21 July 2016

"Through Pentland Firth..."

"Through Pentland Firth go monstrous currents, and there are places where violence grows worse; one must pass by the Merry Men of Mey, and between the Swalchie and the Wells of Swona and around the bores of Duncansbay. (See also here.) Before daring these, the merman's children found a lee on the Caithness coast..." (The Merman's Children, Book Four, Chapter II, p. 200)

Off the island of Stroma, which is separated from the mainland by a strait three miles broad, is a small vortex called the Swalchie
-copied from here.

Another occasional feature of Poul Anderson's texts is extremely condensed information, as here. The map image shows both Pentland Firth and Caithness. In fact, this read like yet another Epic Journey, the difference in this case being that I can drive from Lancaster to Caithness although not to most of Anderson's exotic locations.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And you could drive to York, where Queen Gunnhild and Erik Blood-ax twice dwelt, as we in MOTHER OF KINGS. To say nothing of visiting, if you wish, the site of the Battle of Stamford Bridge, where Harald Hardrede of Norway was defeated and killed by Harold II of England.

Sean

Paul Shackley said...

Sean,
And I have been to Hadrian's Wall where Gratillonius was stationed.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Another location and Anderson character I should have mentioned!

Sean

Jim Baerg said...

I haven't visited any of the locations you mention, but I live in Calgary & have often visited the Lake Louise area. There is a scene in 'Avatar' set in a canoe on Lake Louise. Calgary is Kal Gar in 'Orion Shall Rise'. I have also driven along the north shore of Lake Superior and there is a scene in OSR where some of the characters there crash land their aircraft somewhere along there.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Jim!

I remember that part of ORION SHALL RISE. The survivors of the crash landing had to temporarily shelve their quarrels, so they could survive the long trek thru the wilderness.

Ad astra! Sean