| Britomar |
|
| Gwenaella | |
| Lady Elisabeth (Élise) du Chauvigny | |
| Lady Adelie du Chauvigny | |
| Sir Wigandus of Thurungia | |
| David ben Yusef | |
| Galiana | |
| al-Rashid | |
| Kavundi | |
| The Minor Characters |
Motive:
at first love of brother, then desire to do this unprecedented work
of charity
I am Gwenaella, a fisherman's daughter. I never stopped thinking of my father as a fisherman, even though he has not needed to catch fish for a living for many years. When I was still a girl, he came upon a fortune. This allowed him to move us to the village of Redon and set himself up as a merchant. While I missed the salt air, I enjoyed running under the eaves of Brocéliande.
My younger brother, Sam, was my charge more often than not. He and I would go in the boat, him sitting in the prow like I had done when I had gone with my Da. While I could not give Sam the salt air I missed, I would not have him ignorant of how to handle a boat. He was a good boy, and rarely gave me trouble. I loved him no less than my Ma.
When I achieved my tenth year, I was sent to the convent in Vannes. I was to be educated so that I might be married to a merchant. While I enjoyed learning to read, the convent was like a prison to me. What made the prison unbearable was that it was there that I learned that a man and a woman should love each other. Until then, it was easy to obey my father, one husband was bound to be as good as another and at least a merchant's children would never want. I could never again be content in a marriage without love. I would not disobey my father.
Motive: to prove to her lover's father her chasity, then desire to do this
unprecedented work of charity.
I am the youngest daughter of Baron du Chauvigny. As he had many sons and daughters, I was mostly left to look after myself once I had outgrown my nurse. I would go to the cathedral, but not to pray. There I would hear the most heavenly music. My father consented to let me attend the school at the Cathedral in Poitiers where I became adept at harp, lute, and many other instruments of music.
Master Raolett was a good teacher, and made certain that I have tutors for other subjects as well. How I loved to read the romances! I used to lay myself down in my bed and dream of living like Enide, enduring pain and hardship to prove my true love for my knight. To have some one who loved me! That would be worth any suffering.
My sisters have made certain that I know all about love and the affairs of the heart. I can only hope that one day I shall have my favor carried by a knight's strong arm in tourney.
Motive: at first honoring her mother's wishes, then desire to do this unprecedented work of charity
I am the bastard daughter of the Baron du Chauvigny. My mother is a whore who the priests took in to make certain of my birth. Much thanks to them for that. She whores when she can, but when she's too beaten to attract any man not drunk, she cleans chamber pots at any inn that will have her. One of her lovers had taught her to read, claiming that she would need this skill when he married her. She believed the lying bastard as much as she believes in wine she'll find peace. Still, she learnt me that skill, and I'm rightfully grateful, I am.
I used to daydream that my Da would come to us, take us to the Château and make me his beloved daughter. I'd be made to marry a prince and wear fine clothes. Many other gutter rats used to pick on me for these dreams until the realized that I could whip them in a fight.
When I was 10, some guards found my Ma, who heard them coming and hid me. I watched from inside the cupboard as they beat her demanding to know where I was hid. After they be gone, my Ma told me to flee for my life. I've lived in the alleys and back ways of Chauvigny ever since. I'd work an inn when I could, but I was not going to fall into the same traps as my Ma. I never touched wine, and when I could see my breasts forming, I made certain that I was too covered in dung to be interesting.
Motive: first knightly
love for Gwen, then true love for Gwen
I
am knight of the court of Heinrich Raspe,
Landgrave of Thuringia. My closest
friend was the son of Wolfram, the beloved poet, and we used to play at
being
knights of the court of Arthur or of Charles the Great.
He was stricken with the pox as a young
man. I came to his death bed.
He told me that my visit banished all his
pain, but I could see how he fought it.
His dying wish was that I seek out the greatest adventure a
knight could
find. After his burial, I took up my
sword and decided to first seek the court of Louis of France, who was
calling a
crusade. What adventure could be greater
than freeing His Holy city from the infidel?
Motive: love of Adelie
I am the son of a cantor. While I’ve always delighted in singing His songs to His people, I would listen longingly to the tales told to us by my uncle Nahmias. He was a spice merchant, who traded wool from the north countries for spices from the Mohamedians. As I gained my manhood, I begged my father to be sent with my uncle, but he would not have it.
Things were hard for my father. He agreed with Maimonides on the nature of G_d, but many prominent men of the village would have Maimonides’ works burned and his followers stoned. They had even gone to the Nazarenes to ask that they forbid the publication of Maimonides’ books. The Rabbi would not take sides, , and that hurt my father’s standing in the community. I think that is why he kept me by his side, to protect my mother and sisters.
Motive: service to her King
Motive:
She alone follows Britomar so as to be near
something pure
I grew up the daughter of a whore. She had been a captive in one of the wars against the Greeks, and was lucky enough to gain her freedom. She taught me as a child how to please a man, showing me the bruises she suffered from them when they were angered. The merchants are kind enough, when they’re not drunk, so I try not to work too near the taverns. This has made me poor, but I’m beaten less than others. If there is a god, I’m just grateful to him that I’ve never conceived. Why would I want to bring a new life into this world, to be beaten, taken, and sold? Each time I walk the banks of the Danube, I think about those cool waters and think how peaceful it would be to sink into them.
Motive: knightly love for Galiana
I was the slave of a sorcerer before I became a knight in service to the Caliph. He treated me well, as I protected him from harm while he meditated or called upon the cruelest of demons to do his work. He gifted me my freedom when I nearly died protecting his lover. I went to the Caliph and offered him my sword before I knew him to be a corruption. I long for an opportunity to serve Allah properly, but this humble one must be content with protecting the Caliph from honest men.
Motive:
Asked by Laksmidevi to help the one horned mare
One day, Acharya Madhwa came through my village on his way north. When he saw me at my mother’s side, he called to her, “Mother, your child will serve Lakshmi. She must come with me.” My mother saw at once that he was an avatar of Vaayu, but feared for me. “Lord,” she said, “Can a woman serve as Sannyasi in this age of the world?”
“Peace woman, the path one must follow in life has more to do with one’s nature, than with one’s body. That is the nature of Karma. Your daughter will do great things for Lakshmi.”
I have since renounced all worldly things and followed Acharya.
Garcenda (passes as apprentice to Bard Guion briefly)
Boduuan (Gwen's cousin)
Nimuë (Merlin's Lover)
The hermit of Brocéliande
Raolett (director of music at the Cathedral in Potiers and Élise's music teacher)
Queen Blanche of Castile (France), soldier and troubadour
Queen Marguerite de Provence (France)
Albertus Magnus (Professor at University of Paris, Christian Saint)
Thomas Acquinas (Student of Albertus Magnus at University of Paris, Christian Saint)
Brother Bonaventure(Student of Albertus Magnus at University of Paris, Christian Saint)
Al-Musta’sim, caliph of Baghdad
Sir Bryon (Templar)
Sir Gefroy (Templar)
Ruth(David's mother)
Rabbi Efraim
Ester(David's aunt and a surgeon)
Yosi (David's father)
Master Nechemiah (slave dealer)
Deborah (David's sister)
Father Heinrick
Father Gottfried
Bela Arpáds, King of Hungary
Queen Mary Lascaris (daughter of the late Emperor of the Roman Empire, now Queen of Hungary)
Margaret (later St. Margaret of Hungary)
Don Antonio (Merchant on the Danube, and pirate)
Captain Jacques (of the guard in Antioch)
Prince Bohemond of Antioch
Aaron ben Jeremiah
Nasir al-Dawla of Baghdad
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (revered sufi saint)
Shams (Mevlana Celaleddin's 'mentor')