Cowl's Identity [FPOTM2 11.2016]

[Quantus]

Not being contentious... just curious.

The "Merlin lives backwards" thing, as far as I remember, was the product/invention of T.H. White's Once and Future King and was later coopted by the Disney Corp. when they turned it into an animated film.Wikipedia -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_in_the_Stone_(film)

I don't recall the "backwards" part actually being in the Disney film, nor do I recall the concept being embraced by Mary Stewart in her series which started with The Cristal Cave.  The Arthurian legend has been a particular interest of mine for some time and I've read lots of stories (seen a lot of movies, too) of various levels of fact and fiction related to it but don't recall anything but White's story where Merlin is living in reverse time. 

Do you have any references I can look at?  I'd love to see what they have to say.  tyvm

I once read a contemporary Arthurian series by an author named AA Antonasio told primarily from Merlin's POV, wherein Merlin was a demon/Fallen Angel that had been tricked into raping a woman and trapped in a human form which aged backward.  Thereafter he forswore his sinful ways and started working toward redemption and attempting to earn his childhood and eventual (re)Birth.  He was just aging backward though, not actually experiencing time backward or gaining knowledge of the future or anything.  Was an interesting take on the whole mythology as it tried to set up a magical world that still mostly embraced the laws of physics.  The Aesir, for example, were beings made of electromagnetic energy that inhabited the earth's magnetic field (which they perceived as The World Tree).

fwiw, according to tvtropes Gerald Morris' Arthurian novel The Squire's Tale uses this Merlin Sickness not for Merlin but for the hermit Trevisant. He ages normally but remembers less of the past and more of the future as time goes by,

[Lawgiver]

I once read a contemporary Arthurian series by an author named AA Antonasio told primarily from Merlin's POV, wherein Merlin was a demon/Fallen Angel that had been tricked into raping a woman and trapped in a human form which aged backward.  Thereafter he forswore his sinful ways and started working toward redemption and attempting to earn his childhood and eventual (re)Birth.  He was just aging backward though, not actually experiencing time backward or gaining knowledge of the future or anything.  Was an interesting take on the whole mythology as it tried to set up a magical world that still mostly embraced the laws of physics.  The Aesir, for example, were beings made of electromagnetic energy that inhabited the earth's magnetic field (which they perceived as The World Tree).

fwiw, according to tvtropes Gerald Morris' Arthurian novel The Squire's Tale uses this Merlin Sickness not for Merlin but for the hermit Trevisant. He ages normally but remembers less of the past and more of the future as time goes by,

Interesting.  I've never been a fan of Antonasio... something about his writing style just rubs be the wrong way, so it's no surprise I missed that one.  I'll probably have to look up Morris' stuff, though.

Thanks for the references. 

[Quantus]

Interesting.  I've never been a fan of Antonasio... something about his writing style just rubs be the wrong way, so it's no surprise I missed that one.  I'll probably have to look up Morris' stuff, though.

Thanks for the references.

Ill admit that it was the only series of his that I read, and it's been years since I touched them.  The world was really interesting and well-done, and it started with Uther and built from there, which was nice.  But as you say his style was weird and got more and more fringe as the the series went on.  By the end it was written in the most chapters Ive ever seen, often only 1/2 a page long.

[Wizardofnelson]

Not being contentious... just curious.

The "Merlin lives backwards" thing, as far as I remember, was the product/invention of T.H. White's Once and Future King and was later coopted by the Disney Corp. when they turned it into an animated film.Wikipedia -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_in_the_Stone_(film)

I don't recall the "backwards" part actually being in the Disney film, nor do I recall the concept being embraced by Mary Stewart in her series which started with The Cristal Cave.  The Arthurian legend has been a particular interest of mine for some time and I've read lots of stories (seen a lot of movies, too) of various levels of fact and fiction related to it but don't recall anything but White's story where Merlin is living in reverse time. 

Do you have any references I can look at?  I'd love to see what they have to say.  tyvm

    you actually asked me this last time I posted something on this, in days long past when I was simply wizard Nelson... T.A. Barron is specifically the Merlin story I remember, his older self tells his younger self in the 4th book of the young Merlin stories, the mirror of Merlin "Things will get more interesting when you learn to live backwards through time as well." Or something to that effect. It's also part of Maerlyn's story in the dark tower, Stephen King. That work up has a few thread that can be pulled at related to the DF, nexus points in time, the main guy drawing three 'people' from beyond his current reality(reminds me of Harry and the three walkers coming in for him), his connection to death, but not for himself. Other things I'll hold to the chest.... It's one of the stories I wonder at Jim making only coincidental connections to actually, not Intentional ones but by leu of expounding a book of similar metaphysical qualities. Like mortal combat, one guy uses ice, the other fire, two sides of a war between realities, ect. Intentional? Or just another piece of the all inclusive mythos scheme?
*i went lookingfor the source, to satisfy mine own curiosity. A question asked about T.H White's Merlin, How does Merlin experience time/where sourced from?

This view of Merlin is canonical with the original written translation of the Arthurian cycle, "Le Morte d'Arthur" In it, Merlin is said to "remember what is in our future", and to "have no knowledge of what is in our past". He physically does not age, and this is never explained, only mentioned. There is never any reference to his perception of speech and motion being backwards as well. All in all, there is no reason to think that T. H. White’s Merlyn is any different from canonical Arthurian myth. Merlin living backwards is mentioned in "Excalibur", "Camelot", and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and a number of other stories.

[TheJackel]

I think Cowl=DuMorne=Kemmler.  I think Kemmler body snatched DuMorne to escape the wardens then brought himself back when Harry merc'd him and is now parading around as Cowl.

[Wizardofnelson]

I think Cowl=DuMorne=Kemmler.  I think Kemmler body snatched DuMorne to escape the wardens then brought himself back when Harry merc'd him and is now parading around as Cowl.

(click to show/hide)

in Simons body me thinkith!

personally, I'm also thinking at that point in time kemmler bit off more than he could chew faking his own death like MM Harry, assuming he learned the trick from Kemmlers evil bob. So 'kemmler' could also be alternate reality kemmler stuck here.... Is it kemmler? It looks spelled wrong but idk off top of my head...

[Anubissama]

I went with Simon, just one moment I'll copy over my reasoning from my FAQ word file... there we go:

Cowl is Simon Pietrovich.

He is a character introduce in a "by the way" style, the same as another traitor of the Council, Peabody.

Cowl uses pseudo-Slavic for his spells ("dorosh" is a Russian surname but no actual word in Russian, similar like Dresden pseudo-Latin) which suggest that he is from somewhere with Slavic ethnicity, like Russia, where Archangel, Simons stronghold is.

Both Cowl and Dresden use hands crossed at there wrists as defense position against magical attack. Which is not a common or standard position since for example Peabody uses the "Doctor Strange" hand position to deflect attacks. If Cowl where Simon (who taught DuMorne) it would explain why he and Dresden ended up with the same magical gestures. From one master to the next student.

Cowl hands are covered in scars, probably battle scars, since Wardens and the Archangel Brute Squad where the only groups of Wizard to regularly see combat before the War, this suggest that Cowl belonged to one of those groups.

As Senior Council responsible for the "Brute Squad" he would obviously be consulted by the Wardens, and maybe be there go to guy on the Senior Council which would be a handy way to learn about Dresden and be interested "what makes the Warden so nervous about you [Dresden]".

Pietrovich was supposed to be the Council's expert on vampires, and every time we've seen Cowl he's associating with vampires (Dead Beat the deal with the Red Court to destroy Edinburgh defenses, White Night the putsch in the White Court).

[Griffyn612]

Cowl uses pseudo-Slavic for his spells ("dorosh" is a Russian surname but no actual word in Russian, similar like Dresden pseudo-Latin) which suggest that he is from somewhere with Slavic ethnicity, like Russia, where Archangel, Simons stronghold is.

It's been said that you shouldn't use your native language, or presumably anything too similar, to cast your spells, as you need a linguistic buffer to avoid casting during regular speech, or weakening the word association.

Simon using Slavic world be potentially dangerous.

Both Cowl and Dresden use hands crossed at there

wrists as defense position against magical attack. Which is not a common or standard position since for example Peabody uses the "Doctor Strange" hand position to deflect attacks. If Cowl where Simon (who taught DuMorne) it would explain why he and Dresden ended up with the same magical gestures. From one master to the next student.

I think JB or Harry said it was a pretty standard defensive gesture.  Either way, and Vitto uses it, which is attributable to Cowl, and Before uses it, which makes sense if you buy into the Vitto/Before SWNoJ (Sure Why Not of Jim). 

[Quantus]

It's been said that you shouldn't use your native language, or presumably anything too similar, to cast your spells, as you need a linguistic buffer to avoid casting during regular speech, or weakening the word association.

Simon using Slavic world be potentially dangerous.

No different than Harry using Latin, or rather bastardized pseudo-latin.  Harry is actually worse in that regard, as he was actively trying to learn to speak Latin

[Griffyn612]

No different than Harry using Latin, or rather bastardized pseudo-latin.  Harry is actually worse in that regard, as he was actively trying to learn to speak Latin

Knowing the language of the spells doesn't seem to be bad.  It being your native language is.

Harry's not liable to use Latin in regular conversation.  Yes, there may be roots that he runs into, but him accidently casting an ice spell while shopping for a fridge seems unlikely.

In comparison, a Slavic Russian using Slavic Russian words would be risking.

[Quantus]

Knowing the language of the spells doesn't seem to be bad.  It being your native language is.

Harry's not liable to use Latin in regular conversation.  Yes, there may be roots that he runs into, but him accidently casting an ice spell while shopping for a fridge seems unlikely.

In comparison, a Slavic Russian using Slavic Russian words would be risking.

It not an actual word, though. It's a common surname from that part of the world, but has no actual meaning in any active language, so no energy mishap danger. 

[Griffyn612]

It not an actual word, though. It's a common surname from that part of the world, but has no actual meaning in any active language, so no energy mishap danger.

So, no more dangerous than having a spell named "Smith" and being located in a country where there are plenty of Smiths. 

[Wizardofnelson]

So, no more dangerous than having a spell named "Smith" and being located in a country where there are plenty of Smiths.

idk, I'd argue it's the actual thought form connected to the language. Wizardry grows in the mind similarly to actual language, where in eventual it stops becoming a conscious effort to understand the word or apply your own thought form. Instead your mind reproduces the idea in a chunk of memory with the associated effects with it. (It happens as wizards get better at their own spells too) Perhaps a 'smith' spell would get confabulated with a metalworking smith or a smith most well known them.

[Quantus]

So, no more dangerous than having a spell named "Smith" and being located in a country where there are plenty of Smiths.

Probably, ya.  Though I suppose "Smith" can technically be a verb, maybe more like "Henderson" or "Beck" (Im just looking around the office)

[Phariah]

i went w/ other. i believe Cowl is.......... Cowl.