Echoes

A Poul Anderson fan can enjoy historical references when they occur elsewhere. This evening, on my car radio, I heard part of a drama in which a Norseman in the Varangian Guard had to swear allegiance to the White Christ although he knew that, when he drew his sword, it was Thor that was beside him. Right on, bro! I would prefer an Empire in which (as long as they wanted to) Norsemen kept Thor, Gratillonius kept Mithras, others followed the Buddha Dharma etc and, if the state insisted, all paid lip service to the official cult of the Jade Emperor, the Olympians or the White Christ etc. But I remember the merpeople fleeing from exorcism. See Filming It.

The Merman's Children has an Author's Note, in which the author addresses the readers, and both a Prologue and an Epilogue, which are parts of the narrative. See Foreword. Chamber's Dictionary identifies a prologue as an introduction.