# Wizard Questions *The Urth list — 9 messages, 8 voices, 07 Apr 2007* > Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright > in each message remains with the person who wrote it. > Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original > archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than > retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact. --- ### Batrinque at aol.com *07 Apr 2007, 23:49* Having just finished reading "The Wizard", a myriad of questions present themselves. A couple are: Is "Ormsby" an alternative form of "Pendragon"? In the book, towards the end Sir Able acquires a helm that evidently gives the wearer the power to see things as they really are, shorn of any cloak of magic or enchantment. Is this helm derivative of something particular in Norse/Teutonic mythology or Arthurian legend? Bruce Trinque Amston, CT --- ### Dan'l Danehy-Oakes *07 Apr 2007, 23:59 · in reply to Batrinque at aol.com* > On 4/7/07, Batrinque at aol.com wrote: > Is "Ormsby" an alternative form of "Pendragon"? That's my take. "Orm" is certainly "Worm" which is "Dragon." > In the book, towards the end Sir Able acquires a helm that evidently gives > the wearer the power to see things as they really are, shorn of any cloak of > magic or enchantment. Is this helm derivative of something particular in > Norse/Teutonic mythology or Arthurian legend? Sounds like a kind of inversion of the Tarnhelm. ``` Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant ----- http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer http://www.danehyoakes.com Soon, where Toon Town once stood will be a string of gas stations, inexpensive motels, restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food. Tire salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards reaching as far as the eye can see. My God, it'll be beautiful. ``` --- ### Batrinque at aol.com *08 Apr 2007, 00:07 · follows Dan'l Danehy-Oakes* In a message dated 4/7/2007 7:59:55 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, danldo at gmail.com writes: Sounds like a kind of inversion of the Tarnhelm. Hmm, I hadn't considered it might be a reversal of some mythological element, but that's an interesting thought, especially considering that the tarnhelm allowed the wearer to become a dragon ... Bruce Trinque Amston, CT --- ### Jeff Wilson *08 Apr 2007, 07:53 · in reply to Batrinque at aol.com* > Batrinque at aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 4/7/2007 7:59:55 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > danldo at gmail.com writes: > > Sounds like a kind of inversion of the Tarnhelm. > > Hmm, I hadn't considered it might be a reversal of some mythological > element, but that's an interesting thought, especially considering that > the tarnhelm allowed the wearer to become a dragon ... That may be a Wagnerism rather than authentic Teutonic myth; some have it that the tarnhelm confers invisibility while the Rheingold transforms the outer form to match the inner nature. ``` Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com < http://www.io.com/~jwilson > ``` --- ### thalassocrat at nym.hush.com *08 Apr 2007, 11:10 · follows Jeff Wilson* > On Sun, 08 Apr 2007 09:49:43 +1000 Batrinque at aol.com wrote: > Having just finished reading "The Wizard", a myriad of questions > present > themselves. A couple are: > > Is "Ormsby" an alternative form of "Pendragon"? I'm in a minority, I think, in believing it isn't. The -by suffix usually means something like "village" or "town", and I take the name to mean "from the village of the dragon". But what *that* means, in story terms, I'm still trying to work out ... --- ### Bob Miller *09 Apr 2007, 11:08 · in reply to Batrinque at aol.com* Is "Ormsby" an alternative form of "Pendragon"? In the book, towards the end Sir Able acquires a helm that evidently gives the wearer the power to see things as they really are, shorn of any cloak of magic or enchantment. Is this helm derivative of something particular in Norse/Teutonic mythology or Arthurian legend? Bruce Trinque Amston, CT I took it as thehelm of true sight straight from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I think that easy answer may have caused me to quit thinking about it a spot early now. --- ### Martinus Scriblerus *09 Apr 2007, 17:41 · in reply to thalassocrat at nym.hush.com* > On 4/8/07, thalassocrat at nym.hush.com wrote: > > > On Sun, 08 Apr 2007 09:49:43 +1000 Batrinque at aol.com wrote: >> Having just finished reading "The Wizard", a myriad of questions >> present >> themselves. A couple are: >> >> Is "Ormsby" an alternative form of "Pendragon"? > I'm in a minority, I think, in believing it isn't. The -by suffix > usually means something like "village" or "town", and I take the > name to mean "from the village of the dragon". But what *that* > means, in story terms, I'm still trying to work out ... While visiting a 2nd hand book shop & cafe in St Ives today I bought a copy of the Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names. According to this Ormesby or Ormsby are considered to be a combination of the Old Scandinavian personal names 'Ormr' or 'Ormarr' and 'by' meaning farm of village. Of course the personal name probably derives from 'snake' or 'dragon'. I make the distinction because the Great Ormes Head in Conwy and Great & Little Ormside in Cumbria are linked directly to Old Scandinavian 'Ormr' meaning 'snake'. Fascinating book - I could browse it for hours. While I was there I also picked up a copy of "Endangered Species". A good day out. ``` Martinus Scriblerus scripsit ex 50? 21' N, 4?41' W ``` --- ### Recursive Loop *10 Apr 2007, 16:52 · in reply to Martinus Scriblerus* "While I was there I also picked up a copy of "Endangered Species". A good day out." Any day buying books is better than a day spent fishing. FPK3 --- ### Cliff Judge *10 Apr 2007, 19:14 · in reply to Recursive Loop* Not if you are reading the books while you are fishing. > On 4/10/07, Recursive Loop wrote: > > "While I was there I also picked up a copy of "Endangered Species". A > good day out." > > Any day buying books is better than a day spent fishing. > > FPK3 > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. > Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. > http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html > _______________________________________________ ---