Turning the page, we read the pov of a goddess who roams among the sea creatures that she has made and often rises early to watch over her sea with the morning star on her brow. Impossible. Think about it. Earth and Venus are not planets. Instead, an immense female form rises above the horizon of a flat Earth with what appears to the dwellers on the Earth as the morning star on her forehead.
In the case of Ermanaric, Poul Anderson writes historical fiction. In the case of Niaerdh, he imaginatively reproduces an earlier stage of Northern European mythology. Thus, in the overall context of this particular narrative, we are not supposed to accept the goddess as real. And yet, within the context of this opening passage of "Star of the Sea," we can enter into that polytheist world-view and imagine what it would be like for a goddess to survey her sea. The opening passage can be read as a fantasy short story embedded within the historical science fiction of a Time Patrol instalment. Fiction invites us to enter the points of view of its characters even if those characters are impossible according to a scientific world view. So let us imagine the world as seen by Niaerdh.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Besides what Stirling wrote, I would suggest a quibble: other pagan sea gods, such as Poseidon, might object to Niaerdh intruding on their "turf."
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: though classical Romans tended to 'identify' gods -- if it's a sea God, it's Neptune/Poseidon/whatever.
NB: that was easier because that far back Indo-European religions were visibly related for the most part. Tiwaz Fader was Sky Father, for example -- and so were Jupiter (Diu Pater) and Zeus Pater.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Granted, what you said about many Indo-European pagan gods having common roots.
Ad astra! Sean
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