Wizard Questions

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

That's my take. "Orm" is certainly "Worm" which is "Dragon."

Sounds like a kind of inversion of the Tarnhelm.

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

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

"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

Not if you are reading the books while you are fishing.