7. Hastings. I've got a ton of theories about what went down during Hastings/the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norman Invasion, and the Outer Gates. I think I'm probably going to be wrong about a big chunk of them, but they've brought up Hastings too often for it to never be revealed.
8. Some thought that Marcone would bear Amoracchius during the BAT. I think that's out of the cards after BG. Who, then, will carry the Sword of Love? Will that be Thomas's triumphant return? Murphy's? ...Maggie's?
We get references to Norman Invasion left and right. There's the Hastings reference, the rode with the Conqueror one, and Jim's reference to Celtic mythology around 1066 about Mother Winter's walking stick.
To me it feels too obvious, but not explicit enough. Like Jim is tricking us. Then again, the Mac is an angel references were everywhere and kind of obvious too. If I had to bet money, I would put it on the Norman Invasion. But I'm not going to be shocked if it was all a misdirect.
I don't think Marcone is out. There's always a chance at redemption. That's the point of the Knights. I'd rather Harry has to fight him, though.
Maybe Harry will be the one to take up Amoracchius? The whole series is about him struggling against temptation and his inner darkness. It's all about his redemption.
I think it's highly likely that there are a few sucker punches around Odin. He isn't the "good guy" he appears to be. His hatred of the Forest People hints at that as well. And the whole theory about him setting up Harry as a weapon against the Red Court sticks in the mind. Not sure I am sold on the Gatekeeper thing though, but I will add it in. It's an interesting enough idea that he has been involved the whole time. Maybe even more so if you consider he and those like him (Drakul comes to mind actually, but also Erlking, Nicodemus and maybe even Kemmler) have held multiple identities over the centuries. It's even a bit Warhammer or Amber, both of which Jim is a fan of.
I missed
his hatred of the Forest People. I do recall the Beowulf part, but I thought that was just about Blood on His Soul's people (the Genoskwa or warpath).
Basically that whole conversation:
“Einherjaren here, too. That’s always trouble.”
“How come?” I asked.
He scrunched up his nose, enormous brows beetling. “My people follow three paths,” he said. He gestured at himself. “Sky path, like me. We learn. We remember. Watch the stars. Read. Talk to you people, mostly on the rez. Think about things.” He sighed. “There’s not too many of us.”
I frowned and said, “You’re like wizards are to humans.”
He shrugged. “Not entirely the wrong way to see it. Why you and me get on pretty good, probably.”
“I’ll buy that. Okay.”
“Second path is the forest path. That’s most of us, maybe nine in ten. Forest path thinks that humans are good example of what not to do. That we should stay close to nature. Avoid contact. Fire. Tools. All that. Stay quiet and unseen mostly and live in harmony with the natural world.”
“And humans see them once in a while,” I said.
River nodded. “Though me and the guys on the rez watch those shows about you looking for them. Pretty darned funny. Little bit sad.”
I tilted my head and made a guess. “The Genoskwa. He’s on the third path.”
“War path,” River agreed. “He thinks our people are the first people. Thinks we should kill most of you. Make the rest into cattle and slaves.” He mused for a moment. “They’re assholes,” he said frankly. “Kind of stupid. But there’s not too many of them, either, so they can’t get what they want. Settle for hanging around national parks, making people disappear once in a while, when the sky path don’t stop them.”
“And the first Grendel was on the war path?”
River nodded. “Taught his tribe. They had numbers enough to make a go of it, back then. The other paths left them to their madness, walked over the ice, joined our people here. Grendel’s people drove the humans from some places. Humans were tied to their lands, their crops. Not much they could do about it.”
“What happened?”
“They picked a fight with the wrong humans,” River Shoulders said. “Vikings. Vikings had a champion. A teacher.”
“Beowulf?” I asked.
“Beowulf. Vadderung. He got a lot of names and faces.” River Shoulders nodded. “Lived and fought like a mortal. Showed them how to have courage. Helped build a warrior culture. Fight the giants. Some of his people even came across the sea, found us, and didn’t waste any time on talk. But there were too many of us here, and they left.”
“So what was with confronting that guy before he brought us up here?”
River Shoulders shook his head. “Lot of the Einherjaren got to Valhalla fighting my people on the war path. They remember.”
“So, the Genoskwa . . .”
“Our word for the war path,”
I don't really buy the Gatekeeper thing either. Just thought it amusing and ridiculous, but still entirely possible.
I figure the owed favor is a debt and the creditor can pass ownership by sale, trade or bequest.
That is how debts to faerie queens works.
