Choths

Of the two rescued Ythrians, Keshchyi is a young member of the Weathermaker Choth, which is a single extended household, whereas Ayan is the Wyvan of Stormgate Choth which, we know from The People Of The Wind, comprises families living in different places. Choths differ in size and structure. Basically, Ythrians:

"'...live in small groups - single families or extended households -...'"

-Poul Anderson, "The Problem of Pain" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2009), pp. 103-134 AT p. 112.

Mainland choths have thousands of members whereas, in the Oronesian Islands, a single family can constitute a choth with children expected to become independent.

 

"Wings of Victory" introduces Ythrians but does not mention choths. "The Problem of Pain" mentions choths but focuses on the Ythrian New Faith. (The word translated as "Faith" might have been better translated as "Way"/"Dharma/"Tao/"Logos" etc?) "Wingless" and "Rescue on Avalon" each introduce a particular choth but both are set in very early periods on Avalon before any human beings have joined choths. The only narrative to feature human choth members is The People Of The Wind. However, Earth Book introductions indicate what is to come:

 

"...as you well know, because of its nearness to populous Gray, our choth receives more humans into membership than most."

-Poul Anderson, INTRODUCTION WINGS OF VICTORY IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2009), pp. 75-77 AT pp. pp. 75-76.

 

"Arinnian of Stormgate, whose human name is Christopher Holm and who has rendered several Ythrian works into Anglic, prepared this version for the book you behold."

-Poul Anderson, INTRODUCTION (to "A Little Knowledge") IN Anderson, David Falkayn: Star Trader (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 599-600 AT pp. 599-600.