Ammet, a straw image thrown into the sea every year at the Sea Festival in Holand in South Dalemark, which was said to bring luck to the city. Small images were also made and sold for luck. Even greater luck was supposed to come to any boat that found Ammet floating beyond the harbor and brought him aboard. The name is a corruption of Alhammitt, one of the names of the Earth Shaker. See also Poor Old Ammet.
Andmark, the earldom in the center of South Dalemark which was probably the wealthiest in Dalemark. Henda was Earl of Andmark until he was killed in the Great Uprising.
Anoreth of the Undying became the wife of Closti the Clam. The name means “unbound.”
Ansdale, a remote valley east of Gardale. The birthplace of Biffa, whose family kept the mill there.
Arin, a senior lord of the (Heathen) invaders from Haligland and chief warrior-minister of Kars Adon.
Armor was markedly different in the two halves of Dalemark.
Southern soldiers wore helmets and breastplates with exaggerated curves designed to deflect bullets, over tough leather, with knee-length boots and big gauntlets. Many carried guns as well as swords, and foot soldiers carried pikes.
Northern soldiers still used chain mail under sleeved jerkins of leather or tough cloth. The mail was long enough to protect the wearer to the wrists and knees, and the helmets were round, coming low enough in the back to protect the neck. Gloves were leather with mail or studs on the backs. Weapons were usually crossbows, swords, and daggers. Guns were few and could only be spared for picked hearthmen.
Arms inspectors were employed by all the earls of South Dalemark to keep strict watch on gunsmiths, armorers, and weapons makers, who were not allowed to work without the inspectors’ seal on all their equipment. The earls rightly feared that the craftsmen might otherwise sell weapons to the common people or make weapons for the earls that were deliberately flawed. Despite the inspectors, many armorers seem to have done both these things.
Arris, a rough spirituous liquor brewed throughout South Dalemark from discarded grapes and sprouting corn. All that can be said in its favor is that it was much cheaper than wine.
Ath, the river that runs north into the sea at Aberath. It is thought to be one of the remnants of the great River of prehistory.
Autumn Festival, the usual name in the South of Dalemark for Harvest, the feast that celebrated the gathering of crops.
Autumn floods in the prehistoric Riverlands were as regular as spring floods but never so large. They were due to the rains that fell in the autumn storms.
Autumn storms were a regular feature in Dalemark. In historic times they reached as far north as Gardale and could be very severe. The worst lasted for days, with the gale swinging from northwest to southwest. With a shorter storm the winds tended to gust even stronger but not veer so much. If the gale was southerly, the storms came repeatedly for several days.
Bad luck gave rise to many superstitions all over Dalemark. Those which require explanation are:
1. Giving. It was considered disastrously unlucky to give, or promise to give, something and then not give it. This is why Ganner was forced to give Lenina to Clennen and also why he seems to have been certain she would one day come back; he had not incurred bad luck by refusing to give her away.
2. Festivals, feasts, and ceremonies. Enormous bad luck was incurred if anything happened to interrupt these. Note that the Heathens interrupted the One’s fire ceremony; that both Mitt and Al interrupted the Sea Festival; and that Fenna interrupted the Midsummer Feast by fainting.
3. A death brought great bad luck and could only be countered by a marriage on the same day. Lenina and Ganner take advantage of this belief.
4. Speaking a falsehood to the Undying brings more bad luck than any of the foregoing.
5. An unlucky person can bring bad luck to others. Gull was considered to be doing this, and Kialan believed he was such a person.
6. A person or group can carry their own cloud of bad luck around with them and nothing will go right for them until the cloud passes away.
Barangarolob, the full name of the horse that pulled Clennen the Singer’s cart. Clennen, who loved long names, named him after the Adon’s horse Barangalob, with the inserted superlative particle ro meaning “youngest” or “much younger.”
Barlay, Lawschool slang. “No barlay” means “no quarter given.”
Beat the water, as part of the Holand Sea Festival in South Dalemark. People pretended to beat the sea with garlands of fruit and flowers. The ancient aim seems to have been to subdue the sea for the following year.
Beer was drunk throughout the North of Dalemark instead of water, wine, or coffee until near the end of Amil the Great’s reign. One of Navis Haddsson’s many profitable enterprises was to set up a large brewery in the Shield of Oreth, but the best beer came from Hannart and still does. The lager brewed in Kinghaven is to be avoided at all costs.
Bence, captain in chief of the fleet of the Holy Islands and commander of the Wheatsheaf. Bence was not a Holy Islander. He was born in Wayness in the earldom of Waywold.
Besting, Lawschool slang for best friend.
Biffa, pupil at the Gardale Lawschool, a native of Ansdale and best friend of Hildrida Navissdaughter. The name is a shortened pet-name form of Enblith.
Big Shool, one of the larger of the Holy Islands.
Black Mountains, the highest range of mountains in prehistoric Dalemark. It is possible, though not certain, that they were thrown higher in the mountain-folding at the start of the reign of King Hern, to become the Black Mountains of historic Dalemark, in which case the name may refer to the large deposits of coal to be found there.