Historical Achievements

Dardanus migrated from Italy and founded Troy.

When Troy fell, Aeneas migrated to Italy where his descendent, Romulus, founded Rome and Augustus Caesar founded the Empire.

As the Roman Empire declined, Gaius Valerius Gratillonius built defensive systems that would become feudalism.

As the Solar Commonwealth and the Polesotechnic League declined, David Falkayn founded Avalon.

After the Commonwealth had fallen, Manuel Argos founded the Terran Empire.

As the Terran Empire declined, Dominic Flandry prolonged its existence and strengthened certain planets that would hopefully survive its Fall.

After the Terran Empire had fallen, Roan Tom formed an alliance of Kraken, Sassania and Nike.

While the Commonalty was still strong, Daven Laure opened up the Cloud Universe whose owners will command more wealth than many civilizations.

Thus, after three declines and subsequent periods of impoverishment, Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization ends with a period of expansion and enrichment.

Time Passes

In Roma Mater (New York, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson, the Roman Centurion Gratillonius becomes King of Ys and persuades the Nine Witch-Queens of that city to send a storm to destroy a Scotian fleet that will attack not Ys but a city further down the Armorican coast. The Ysans would not have harmed anyone who was not attacking them but Gratillonius is Roman prefect as well as Ysan King.

After the defeat of the Scoti, the narrative for several chapters ceases to follow a single sequence of events. The Andersons convey that a period of time passes with Gratillonius as the Ysan King.

Chapter XVI begins:

"Ys jubilated." (p. 288)

Not only is there a Fire Fountain in the Forum for six weeks but the Nine can promise "...fine weather - part of the celebrations..." (p. 288).

Chapter XVII begins:

"After the victory celebrations, Ys settled back down into the ways of peace." (p. 302)

Chapter XIX:

"Festivals surrounded Midsummer." (p. 337)

In Chapter XX, section 1, we learn that Gratillonius' deputy among the legionaries has "...kept them in sharp form...," cooperating with the Ysan regulars, but can now announce a party. (p. 348) We imagine that the Green Whale where they will feast is the inn to which two of them, and we, were introduced in Chapter IX. Sometimes it happens that men who are used to popular entertainment see and unexpectedly appreciate some Shakespeare. That happens here. Expecting a comedy by Plautus, they instead see Aeschylus' Agamemnon translated into Ysan by one of the Nine. They want to know what happens next and one of them has " '...heard Greek plays go in threes...' " (p. 351).

Chapter XX, section 2:

"Summer advanced in triumphal procession." (p. 351)

Gratillonius has time for himself. In Ys, the King can walk around town and meet Ysans. He sails, rides, hunts, explores, talks late with philosophers, participates in sports, relaxes and practices handicraft. The authors describe the scenery as he walks home.

Chapter XXI:

"Summer welled forth in its final great warmth, light, and greenness." (p. 356)

Chapter XXII:

"At equinox all the Nine must be in Ys, attending the Council and carrying out certain rites." (p. 366)

Chapter XXIII:

"The Black Months were upon Armorica. As Midwinter drew nigh..." (p. 380)

By the end of the volume, months have elapsed. Dahilis, one of the King's nine wives gives birth...

That Guy Marius Again

In Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson, each of the Nine Witch-Queens of Ys has her own house where she is served by free servants, not by slaves. (There are no slaves in Ys although Ysan ships might engage in piracy and slave-trading elsewhere.) Each Queen inherits a house and redecorates it to her taste.

A post on this blog could list the Queens and descriptions of their houses but for the present we concentrate on Lanarvilis, visited by the King in Chapter XXII. Her house is the "...most luxuriously appointed..." with Oriental drapes, Egyptian portraits, Grecian figurines and Roman busts (p. 374).

The busts are of those "...whose workmanship had shored up, enlarged, repaired their state." (pp. 374-375) The names listed are Marius, Caesar, Augustus and Hadrianus. We have met them all before:

Marius defeated barbarian invaders of Italy in Poul Anderson's The Golden Slave and his name is the title of the opening story of a future history;

Caesar made Ys a foederate of Rome;

Augustus sent his engineers to build its sea defences;

Gratillonius, now King of Ys, was on Hadrian's Wall when Maximus summoned him to be dispatched on his mission to Ys.

Thus, a simple list of four names summarises that much history.

Witchcraft, Natural Philosophy And The Universe

Imagine human knowledge as a finite but growing circle on an infinite plane. However large the circle grows, there is always an infinity beyond it. As the circle grows, both its area, the known, and its circumference, the contact with the unknown, increase. Thus, the more we know, the more we realize how little we know. Someone with a small circle has a small circumference and thus has very little contact with the unknown or awareness of its extent.

"What does he know of England who only England knows?"

A Kurt Vonnegut novel contains the rhyme:

"My name is Yon Yonson.
"I live in Wisconsin.
"I work in the paper mills there.
"When people ask me my name, I say,
" 'My name is Yon Yonson...' " etc.

That expresses someone that knows who he is, where he is, what he does and nothing else and is proud to repeat this endlessly instead of listening to anyone or anything else. The name implies sameness with his father. Not only has Yon always been in Wisconsin but his family has.

In Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson, the inhabitants of the city of Ys already know enough, both through witchcraft and through natural philosophy (early science), to know that there is a very great deal that they do not know.

A Witch-Queen in a trance says:

" 'It is lonely being a spirit out of the flesh. The stars are more far away than ever we knew; the cold of those vastnesses comes seeping down over the world, through and through me.' " (p. 90)

Authors and readers know that the Queen senses interstellar space but how can she be aware of it?

An astrologer, who is thus also an astronomer, says:

" 'I am not at all sure of the horoscopes I cast...If there is fate, then methinks 'tis on a grander scale, the forces of it all but incomprehensible to us.' " (p. 328)

He is old and experienced and is enough of a natural philosopher to sense that there is more to natural laws and to their effects on humanity than can be expressed in the kind of horoscopes that he has inherited from his ancestors.

Returning to the Witch-Queens, one of them says:

" 'This is something that must be, lest the time-stream flow still worse awry.' " (p. 345)

Does she sense something of what future physicists or time travelers might come to know about alternative time-streams? In Poul Anderson's "Star of the Sea," which also refers to a goddess but is historical science fiction, not historical fantasy, Time Patrollers know that they have traveled back to a time before a split in events and that they must guide events "...out of the unstable space-time zone..." - an extraordinary concept. (Anderson, The Time Patrol (New York, 1991), p. 391).

Good King Grallon II

(First see earlier post, "Good King Grallon.")

 At last, another wife addresses Gratillonius directly as "'...dear Grallon...' " (Poul and Karen Anderson, Roma Mater (London, 1989), p. 355).

Here, she is no longer mispronouncing "Gratillonius" but simply using the new Ysan form of the name, the one that, with its alternative "Gradlon," will be recorded in the legend from which the Andersons have created the fictitious character, Gaius Valerius Gratillonius.

Rereading but now scanning ahead, I notice one other reference in this opening volume of the tetralogy. Back to the King's favorite wife, Dahilis:

"His right name eluded her. It was lengthy, Latin, unmusical. Her tongue remembered how Ysans sometimes rendered it. 'Grallon. Oh, Grallon.' " p. 414.

It was she herself who, at least in our hearing, had stumbled on "Gratillonius," first saying "Grallon," then correcting herself (p. 317). Thus, very carefully, through five stages and over hundreds of pages, the authors have transformed the Latin name of their Romano-British character into the name of the legendary Ysan king.

Lir II

Having established earlier that one god, Lir, was the father of another, Mananaan, I then asked about Lir's parentage but established only that he was " '...dawn-begotten...' " (Poul and Karen Anderson, Roma Mater (London, 1989), p. 124). That could have meant either "begotten by the dawn" or only "begotten in the dawn" but read further and the answer is given.

The Symposium, meeting in Star House, has a discussion that we recognize as a curious fusion of philosophy and mythology. They set out to discuss " '...the nature of God and Spirit, the meaning and destiny of Creation...' " (p. 324). First, it is explained that:

" '...we who are educated, do not take ancestral myths for literal truth, as if we were Christians. They are symbols. As different languages, or different words in one language, may denote the same thing - albeit with subtle variations of aspect - so, too, may different Gods represent the same Being. They change with time as languages do, They develop according to the evolving needs of their worshipers. The very heavens change through the aeons; nevertheless, the reality of Heaven endures.' " (p. 326)

I agree with most of that. In particular, the resurrection of a deity is a symbol, not a literal truth. In that context, we learn that in the Beginning, Tiamat, the Serpent of Chaos, Who threatened to destroy Creation but was slain by Taranis, had been the mother of Lir who therefore killed Taranis, plunging heaven and earth into darkness, until Belisama descended into the underworld to ransom Taranis and brought Him back to make peace with Lir. Taranis dies and is reborn every year until the End of All Things. Ysans enact this mystery because Taranis dies in the defeated King and is resurrected in the victor who fathers new life on the Nine who are chosen by the Goddess. It all makes sense, almost.

Other Ysan families claim legendary descent from other Gods. There is a mystery about what happens to the dead. The Temples of Mithras and Cybele have cooperated, as I suggested earlier, but Gratillonius dislikes the Cybelean cult and thinks that Christ is a better God for women.

Bribing The Gods

" 'Manandan, I offer You a bull, white with red ears and mighty horns, for every lad of mine who comes home,' Niall cried." (Poul and Karen Anderson, Roma Mater (London, 1989), p. 286).

Does this sound like a very early and immature stage of religion? If there is a superhuman being Who can control the elements, why does He want bulls? And would we respect such a being if He helped us only when bribed? A higher concept of divinity is of beings who work for our good regardless.

Poul Anderson imagines this kind of religion continuing into the future. Nicholas van Rijn is intelligent, informed and canny. He has amassed vast wealth by his own efforts and more by employing capable people. Furthermore, he knows that this is the case. Yet he offers candles, altar cloths and the like to St Dismas in return for success in his enterprises, like a mariner putting oil in a lamp in the temple of Tanith on returning to Tyre in one of Anderson's Time Patrol stories.

Van Rijn seems to be like many successful people who acknowledge that there may be some truth in religion but who leave the custody of that truth in the hands of the priests. Meanwhile, they conduct their own mercantile affairs while making an outward observance by at least paying for the endowment of places of worship.

Conflict In Ys

 

The King Of Ys tetralogy by Poul and Karen Anderson is a tragedy - although I am not sure that it is that in the Classical sense? We can see the hero's doom, though not his death, bearing down upon him but is it brought about by any weakness or flaw in his character?

In any case, the Irish King Niall curses Ys on page 287 in terms that are quite specific and that will be fulfilled later. Dahilis is pregnant and that is also highly relevant to the fate of Ys.

Conflicts:

Gratillonius refuses to wear the crown;
he persuades Ysans, against their better judgement, to defend the Empire;
forgetting that burials are forbidden, he promises to bury his second in command, then insists that he must keep his promise;
unwittingly, he initiates a Mithraist in running water sacred to the Goddess;
later, he will refuse to consummate his marriage with one of the Nine.

There are probably other conflicts that I will re-find on rereading.

The Myth Of Mithras

In Poul and Karen Anderson's Roma Mater (London, 1989), Gratillonius instructs a Mithraic postulant. The Andersons acknowledge that little is known about Mithraic doctrines but they "...present those which are reasonably well attested." (p. 480)

Gratillonius starts to speak of " '...the One from Which Everything comes...,' " then checks himself because Time, Aeon, Chronos, Saturnus, the Source, the Fountainhead, the Ultimate is "...for the higher ranks, those allowed into the sanctuary..." and, in any case, is not prayed to. (p. 305)

Christians and Buddhists pride themselves that they have no hidden or esoteric doctrines. This passage implies that Mithraists did. In some Indian traditions, meditative techniques are divulged only to initiates so that they will not become debased. John Blofeld, an expert on Tibetan Buddhism, wrote, in a very short chapter on secret Tibetan rituals, that anyone who claims to reveal such rituals should be disregarded because he is either lying or breaking a confidence. Zazen, which I practice, is open to all and much has been written about it but it is advisable to heed an informed instructor before starting to practice it. I would refer enquirers to the Group, not instruct them myself.

Having avoided mention of the Ultimate, Gratillonius identifies the highest God as Ahura-Mazda, variously named Ormazd, Jupiter, Zeus etc. The names do not matter so that, in this case, there is not any one true name. Gratillonius had said earlier that he did not worship Jupiter but, on that occasion, he referred to the chief Olympian, not to the highest Mithraic deity. I notice that, in Classical mythology, Saturn, a Titan, and Jupiter, an Olympian, belong to successive generations of gods while, in Mithraism, Saturn is a name for the Ultimate and Jupiter is a name for the highest god.

If we fight for Ahura-Mazda against Ahriman (Evil, Chaos), then our Commander is Mithras who was born from a rock, as was the Chinese Monkey King although I imagine that this is a coincidence. Shepherds saw, adored and made offerings although:

" 'This happened before there was life on earth.' " (p. 306)

Contradiction?

Ahura-Mazda made the Bull slain by Mithras. From Its body came life and "...from Its blood the wine of the Mystery." (p. 306) There was a flood, an ark and a last supper. It all sounds very crude. How is it known if it happened so long ago?

Good King Grallon

Like everyone else, Poul and Karen Anderson inherited the French legend of a King Grallon or Gradlon in the city of Ys. In their King Of Ys tetralogy, they created a fictitious character called Gaius Valerius Gratillonius. How is the latter transformed into the former?

The Ysans have trouble pronouncing the Latin name "Gratillonius." One of his nine wives says:

" 'This Gra - Gra-lo - Gratillonius has met the leaders of Ys...' " (Roma Mater, London, 1989, p. 158).

His favorite wife, Dahilis, says:

" 'You are much like Hoel as I remember him, Gra- Gratillonius.' Her Latin weak, she occasionally had trouble keeping the syllables of his name in place." (p. 166)

Later, Dahilis says:

 " '...I am, am with you always, Grallon - Gratillonius...' " (p. 317)

Thus, she gives him his Ysan name for the first time. He will be known as "King Grallon" and even as "good King Grallon" despite all the problems eventually caused by his Kingship. The way in which a heroic character acquires the name by which he will later be known is always an important part of his story but here the transition from "Gratillonius" to "Grallon" is so gradual and understated that it will be missed on a casual reading - and, for me, it was unearthed only by careful rereading.

Why Mithras Lost II

The cult was too elaborate. As described in Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson, there were three underling ranks of junior initiates, Ravens, Occults and Soldiers. Above them in a congregation were Lions, Persians and a Father attended by a Runner of the Sun or Heliodromos. A Persian wore a robe, mask and Phrygian cap.

After death, an initiate hopes to feast with Mithras but must first pass through seven gates en route to the stars, each guarded by an angel who first insists on further purification. The ascending soul leaves:

its vitality to the Moon;
its voracity to Mercurius;
its carnality to Venus;
its intellectuality to the Sun;
its militancy to Mars;
its pride to Jupiter;
its selfhood to Saturnus

- then, in the Light of the eighth heaven, is forever One with Ahura-Mazda, so I am not sure when the feast with Mithras occurs.

Christianity is simpler although Dante made the same interplanetary journey as the Mithraists.

Lir

Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson confirms on page 271 that, as their names suggest, the Ysan sea god, Lir, is indeed the father of the Irish sea god, Manannan mac Lir. This gives an even greater unity to Poul Anderson's historical fantasies. There are two generations of gods:

the father is active in the Ys tetralogy;

the son is a character in two of the five "Viking" novels, The Broken Sword and The Demon Of Scattery.

What is Lir's parentage? The vestals sing:

" 'Lir of Ocean, dawn-begotten...' " (p. 124).

A summary of the origins of Ys suggests that Lir as a deity might have pre-existed his association with the sea:

"Lir, whose cult was more ancient than colony or tribe, took unto Himself the awe and dread of the sea." (p. 212)

Manannan is humanoid (see image) whereas Lir, never anthropomorphized, is sometimes described as three-legged and single-eyed but only to evoke "...something strange and terrible." (p. 122)

Of the Ysan Triad, Belisama, "the Brightest One," incorporating Ishtar-Isis, is the most comprehensive. She:

leads Taranis back from the dead to reconciliation with Lir;
is present at the act of generation;
ts the triple goddess;
leads the dead in the Wild Hunt.

These are most of the functions of a deity?

Elven Gardens

I think that the most haunting place name in Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson is "Elven Gardens." When Gratillonius first saw the city of Ys:

"He could scarcely believe that human beings dwelt there, not elves or Gods." (p. 104)

- so it is appropriate that the city contains an Elven Gardens.

The Gardens are shown on the map of the city. In the text, they are first mentioned on page 137 and again on page 248.

"...he could look over roofs to Elven Gardens; arbours, topiaries, early-blooming flowers. Adjoining, the Temple of Belisama..." (p. 137)

A wall with guarded entrances excludes the public. The area is small but hedges and narrow, curving, tree-roofed paths provide privacy. There are statues, a stream, staircases, arched bridges and a fountain with stone dolphins. One staircase leads to the temple from where there is a view of the city, its gleaming towers, headlands and the sea. The King meets with all nine Queens in the temple.

Having established the atmosphere and physical description of the Gardens early in Volume I, the Andersons are able to refer to it as to other parts of the city periodically throughout Volumes II and III of the tetralogy. Unfortunately, the city is destroyed at the end of Volume III.

Spying

Who was the first spy, secret agent or intelligence officer? Moses sent Caleb and others to check the lie of the Promised Land. Odysseus, disguised, entered the besieged Troy where he saw the casus belli, Helen. Thus, our oldest Mosaic and Homeric traditions describe spying expeditions.

Military intelligence gathering was a feature of the ancient world. In Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson, the Irish King Niall sends "'...a trusty man...on many a mission...' - '...to wander as a harmless pedlar, watching, listening, sometimes getting a soul drunk or furious till his tongue ran free.' " (p. 189) Later, Niall's adversary, the King of Ys, has a handfast man, a reformed brigand, who performs the same service for him.

Intelligence is gathered by witchcraft. Forsquilis of the Nine goes as an owl and sees a man, " '...him that I espied...it is he!' " (p. 91) Later, Gratillonius remembers seeing an owl. Later again, Forsquilis asks him if he remembers seeing an owl. She shows him her equipment - a chamber lit only by a lamp in a cat's skull, scrolls, codices, a Tyrean figurine, inscribed bones, dried herbs, old flints - and he asks her to spy on events elsewhere in the Roman Empire.

Anderson fans know that Dominic Flandry is an Intelligence Officer of the Terran Empire but intelligence gathering continues in a later series. In Volume IV of the Harvest Of Stars tetralogy, Solar artificial intelligence sends robot probes to spy on the extrasolar colonies. A download of the leading character Anson Guthrie responds by flying to the Solar System to gather intelligence there. Guthrie is a remote successor of Odysseus in more ways than one.

Ysan History

The fifth century BC Carthaginian explorer Himilco was the first sailor from the Mediterranean to reach North Western Europe. Because he sailed up the Atlantic coast of France, the Andersons, in Roma Mater (London, 1989), make him the founder of the Armorican coastal city, Ys, which the Carthaginians needed to be a self-sufficient trading post and naval base. Immigrants to the newly founded colony included Babylonians and Egyptians escaping from Persian rule.

Since Himilco's exploratory voyages were eight and a half centuries before the time of the last King of Ys, Gratillonius, the latter hears only of a "legend" that Himilco slew a monster and that local ghosts prophesied inundation for the city if its inhabitants did not remain at peace with the Gods. Consequently, the city was dedicated to Ishtar, the Star of the Sea. Colonists identified Ishtar with Isis and the name, "Beth-Isis," House of Isis, was shortened to Ys.

Rome destroyed Carthage. Julius Caesar made Ys a foederate of Rome. Augustus Caesar sent engineers to construct the Ysan sea defences. The Ysan priestess Brennilis foresaw that the city would be veiled from history as its Gods kept it apart from the "...new God who was to come...," the God born in the reign of Augustus. (p. 215)

Thus, the Andersons construct for Ys an elaborate origin story referring explicitly to Himilco, Julius and Augustus and indirectly to Cyrus of Persia who conquered Babylon and to Scipio Africanus who defeated Hannibal of Carthage.

Important Ysans

The King.
The prefect. (A post vacant for two hundred years, then held by the man who also became King.)
The Nine Witch-Queens.
The vestals, any of whom might become a Queen.
Adruval Tyri, Sea Lord, ex officio Council member.
Bomatin Kusuri, sea captain, Marine delegate to the Council.
Cothortin Rosmertai, Lord of Works, ex officio Council member.
Esmunin Sironai, chief astrologer.
Eucherius, Christian minister.
Hannon Baltisi, Lir Captain.
Iram Eluini, Lord of Gold, ex officio Council member.
Maeloch, fisher captain, Ferrier of the Dead.
Soren Cartagi, Speaker for Taranis, Timbermen delegate to the Council.
Taenus Himilco, a landholder.
Zeugit, landlord of the Green Whale.

Ysan names are distinctive. Ys was a Carthaginian colony and "Himilco" is a Carthaginian name.

In An Ysan Inn

I commented earlier on convivial drinking places in Poul Anderson's fiction, most notably the Old Phoenix. There is a perfect example in Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson.

Located in the Fish Tail - the small slum in the city of Ys - the inn occupies a former home, centuries old. Everything is faded. There are fragments of sculptures and mosaics. A stain half way up the walls was caused by sea damage before the rampart was built - an appropriate drinking place for sailors and fishermen, perhaps as near as they can come to Aegir's Hall or Davy Jones' Locker.

The inn sells mead and wine. Its interior is candle-lit and smoky, with kitchen odors. There are three resident prostitutes. Four fishermen sit at one end of a long table, an Ysan naval man and his companions, two Roman legionaries, at the other. After a near fight over a prostitute, Ysans and Romans fraternize, drink together and swap songs. This occasion, described in section 3 of Chapter IX (pp. 176-185), sets the scene for later social gatherings.

En route to the inn, the Ysan seaman genuflects before the Shrine of Melqart (the city founders' original name for Taranis), mentions a similar Shrine of Ishtar (Belisama) and shows his companions a pillar that was raised to an unknown God before the city was built. The Pagan legionary thinks that his Christian comrade will not understand this honour to the Gods. The Christian replies that he " 'ain't that good a Christian...' " and also that the place " '...is 'aunted...' " (p. 180).

Thus, the authors continue to present the uncanniness of Ys as well as its hospitality and fellowship.

Kings Of Ys

Kings known by Quinipilis (names of Gratillonius' first nine Queens in bold):

Redorix. This landholder, widowed and ruined by a barbarian raid, successfully challenged the reigning King of Ys. He reigned nine years, was the father of Gladwy, who became Quinipilis in the reign of Wulfgar, and died fighting Saxon rovers.

Calloch. An Ysan delegation bought this gladiator to replace Redorix as King. He reigned six years and was the father of the high priestesses Fennalis and Morvanalis.

Wulfgar. This Saxon outlaw reigned nineteen years, enlarged the Navy and was the father of Karilis, Quistilis, Lanarvilis, Tambilis and Bodilis. Because Tambilis became a Queen and the mother of Bodilis, Wulfgar lost the will to live and easily fell to Gaetulius.

Gaetuilius. This Army deserter reigned eleven years and was the father of Maldunilis, Innilis and Vindilis.

Lugaid. This Scotian reigned four years and was the father of Forsquilis.

Hoel. An escaped slave, a good King and the father of Dahilis.

Colconor. A rapist and brigand, cursed by the Nine and killed by Gratillonius.

Gratillonius.

Gratillonius' Responsibilities

In Roma Mater (London, 1989) by Poul and Karen Anderson, Gaius Valerius Gratillonius is:

an initiate in the Mystery of Mithras;
a Roman Centurion;
the Prefect of Rome in the city of Ys;
the King of Ys;
the Incarnation of the Ysan God, Taranis.

Thus, Gratillonius incarnates Taranis but worships Mithras and represents a state that recognizes Christ. As Prefect, he must consult Bishops and appoint a Christian minister to Ys.

If history had gone differently, then the theologizing mind could have systematized Gratillonius' three deities as a natural and supernatural trinity:

Taranis, sky father;
Mithras, whose ancient sacrifice of the primordial Bull fructified nature;
Christ, whose recent sacrifice of himself sanctifies souls.

That did not happen but there were ancient attempted syntheses. Marcion formulated "Gospel and Apostle," i.e., Luke and Paul, regarding it as antithetical to "Law and Prophets," whereas the Christian Bible incorporates Old and New Testaments with the latter seen as fulfilling the former. Later, Mani claimed to synthesize the teachings of Zoroaster, the Buddha and Jesus.

Gratillonius' complicated military, political and religious responsibilities must be fulfilled in a world that differs from ours to the extent that divine intervention is not only believed but also seen to occur. By the power of Belisama, the King's virility never fails with any of the Nine but always fails with any other woman. The Nine bear only girls who become vestals. When any of the Nine dies, a red crescent appears on one of the vestals. She is the next Queen. No law prevents a daughter of the current King from being marked but incest is as unacceptable to a Mithraist as to a Christian.

Thus, when the Three intend to end their Pact with the city, they make this impossible demand and Gratillonius' daughter, Dahut, alienated by what she sees as his rejection of her, becomes the agent of the city's destruction. But, before that, we read three long volumes set in Ys of the colored towers, Lir and Taranis Ways, Goose Fair and Elven Gardens.

The Approach To Ys

In Roma Mater, (London, 1989) Poul and Karen Anderson carefully over several chapters establish the uncanniness of Ys. A nearby military commander agrees that it is odd that curiosity has never made him visit the city. But then he mentions damnable strangeness, grisliness, witch-queens and black magic and concludes, " '...I don't want to talk about it.' " (p. 86)

By contrast, Gratillonius is drawn towards the city without knowing quite what its "...marvels..." are. (pp. 82-83) It gives him an "...eerie thrill..." when, traveling through Gallia, he realizes that some unfamiliar local words must be Ysan in origin:

"They resembled none he had heard before, but stirred vague memories in him of names he had met when studying the history of the Punic Wars." (p. 97)

The Punic Wars are relevant because he has been told that the city was a Carthaginian colony. Before this, and shortly after Gratillonius has been told that Ys has "...nine witch-queens...," we read the short Chapter V in which the Nine are active on their "...desert island..." and we learn their names - Forsquilis, Vindilis, Bodilis, Quinipilis, Fennalis, Lanarvilis, Innilis, Maldunilis and Dahilis. (pp. 86, 89)

The Ysan boundary is marked by two ten foot granite pillars, the southern column inscribed in the Ysan alphabet, which Gratillonius cannot read, the northern in Latin, which he can. The latter invokes Venus, Jupiter and Neptunus. One of Gratillonius' men asks whether those old Roman gods still have power in this place but the Centurion explains that the Latin names are merely the nearest Roman equivalents to the Three of Ys, whose real names we read in Chapter V: Belisama (see image); Taranis; Lir.

Belisama is equated to Ishtar, Isis, Ashtoreth, Aphrodite, Venus and Nerthus and called "the Star of the Sea." This title, like the name "Nerthus" and the references to the Punic Wars, resonate for readers of Anderson's Time Patrol Series.

Chapter II, set in Hivernia, mentions the Irish sea god Manandan and the Notes give his full name, Manandan maqq Leri, later Manannan mac Lir. Under the latter name, this god is a character in Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword. "Mac Lir" means "son of the sea." The Ysan sea god is simply "Lir" - father of Manandan? Unlike Manandan, Lir is "...never given human shape..." and the description of "...three legs and a single eye, in the middle of His head...was only a way of bespeaking something strange and terrible." (p. 122)

Here we see at least two stages of religious development:

first, the worship of terrifying, uncontrollable natural forces (in the Bible, the sea represents pre-cosmic chaos, controllable only by divine power);

secondly, the deification of female and male humanity.

The stages are shown in the relative ages of the divine images. Belisama and Taranis are Roman-commissioned Greek sculptures whereas:

"The emblem of Lir was immensely older, a rough granite slab engraved with Celtic spirals." (ibid.)

When Gratillonius first sees Ys, he reflects that it is strange that he and his father had traded so close yet he had never glimpsed the city till now. These continual references to people not visiting Ys when they could have done turn out to be significant because the city is supernaturally "Veiled."

When he first sees the high, narrow, brightly mosaiced towers shining in gold, glass and copper, made dream-like by an oceanic haze:

"He could scarcely believe that human beings dwelt yonder, not elves or Gods." (p. 104)

- a fitting culmination to all the mysterious hints in previous chapters.

In Ys, Gratillonius, a Mithraist, can do what a Christian could not, marry nine women simultaneously and become the Incarnation of Taranis. However, there are tensions between Mithras and the Three and eventually an irreconcilable conflict.

Where do the Three, or other pantheons, go when they have withdrawn? Alan Moore gives us a joke realm, the Bide A Wee Dimension for Retired Deities, but Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series presents a more serious answer, involving the realms of Dream and Death. See here.