Glossary

 

Mythological Creatures

 

Baba Yaga (Russian Mythology)—a witch that reoccurring appears in several Russian folk legends. She lives in a bird-legged house in the forest, and typically plays a villainous role, although sometimes she provides help if given the right incentive.

Elli (Norse mythology)—the female personification of Old Age. In the Norse myths, Loki tricked the god Thor into wrestling Elli, as the thunder god believe Elli was a frail old woman. Elli beat Thor in the wrestling match, since no one can overcome Old Age.

Fenrir (Norse Mythology)—a giant wolf, one of the sons of the trickster god Loki. It is said that during Ragnarok (the final battle of the gods), Fenrir will devour the gods and the world. He had two sons, Skroll and Hait, who would eat the sun and the moon.

Geras (Greek mythology)—the personification of Old Age. One of the goddess Nyx’s sons. The Greeks revered and feared Geras, as many do with growing old.

Hymir (Norse Mythology)—a giant, father of the god Tyr. He had a boat he would take on the Elivigar Sea to fish, until Thor had him take him out to sea to catch the

Midgard Serpent. Hymir grew so frightened of the serpent that he cut the fishing line as Thor was reeling it in. Hymir owned a mile-deep cauldron for brewing ale, which his son

Tyr won from him in a contest.

Hypnos (Greek mythology)—the god (personification) of Sleep, one of Nyx’s sons.

Described as a male with wings above his ears.

Ilomba (African Mythology)—In Zambia, it is a destructive snake usually created by a witch doctor. It is said to take the face of the one who created it, and can grow two heads. If the Ilomba is wounded, the creator feels the pain as well.

Jormungandr (Norse mythology)—Also known as the Midgard Serpent, and was a son of Loki. Jormungandr was a sea serpent who was long enough to wrap its body around the entire world. He was also the arch-enemy of the thunder god Thor.

Nyx (Greek mythology)—a primordial Night goddess, daughter of Chaos and mother to Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Geras (Old Age), the Fates, Strife, Blame, Woe, and Deceipt, as well as others. She was also said to have an incarnation, which was male.

Odin (Norse mythology)—The Allfather of the Gods, and ruler of Asgard, the home of the gods (who were also called the Aesir).

Slepnir (Norse Mythology)—The god Odin’s steed, which has eight legs. Because of

its speed, it helped Odin immensely in battle.

Sphinx (Greek mythology)—One of the original monsters of Greece, with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a woman. The Sphinx stood at the gate of Thebes, challenging anyone who wished to enter with a riddle; if the visitor could not solve the riddle, the sphinx killed them. King Oedipus solved the sphinx’s riddle, and

according to legend, the sphinx threw itself off a cliff (or so everyone was led to believe).

The Sudice (Russian) / the Moirai (Greek)—Many cultures had their own versions of the Fates, normally symbolized as three people (commonly women) who had weaving abilities, and thus “wove” peoples’ fates.

Tanuki (Japanese mythology)—Tanuki are real animals in Japan; they are a subspecies of raccoon dog. However, in folklore, they are said to have shape-shifting powers and are mischievous and generally good-natured. In English translations, they have often been misinterpreted as badgers, although they are an entirely different species. Tanuki in this book, who is in fact a badger, is a Tanuki in clan name only, although he is related to the Lightning God Raiju, who has a connection to badgers.

Teumessian Fox (Greek mythology)—a monster that terrorized ancient Greece, it was an enormous fox whose fate dictated that it could not be caught. However, the dog Laelaps was sent after it, as its fate was that it would catch anything it hunted. Because of this paradox, Zeus, King of the Gods, turned the fox and the dog into stone. Nico is a descendant of the original Teumessian fox.

Thor and Sif (Norse mythology)—Thor is the God of Thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjölnir, and he was married to Sif, the corn goddess.

Tokoloshe (African Mythology)—In Zulu folklore, an undead dwarf, or a dog-faced worm, but it can take on other forms as well. They are called on by malevolent people to cause trouble for others.

Tyr (Norse mythology)—the Lawgiver of Asgard. Normally associated as being one of Odin’s sons, some versions of the myth say he is son of the giant Hymir. He is the god who convinced Fenrir to allow a ribbon to be placed around his neck, since Fenrir was certain no chain could bind him. But the ribbon was enchanted and unbreakable, so Fenrir could not break free. In the process, Fenrir bit off Tyr’s hand.