Graal
one of the blind
Hirka
the tailless girl
Isac
a blood slave
Jay
Hirka’s friend
Naiell
one of the blind
Nils
an associate of Stefan’s
Silvio Sanuto
Allegra’s ailing husband
Stefan Barone
a hunter
CHARACTERS IN YM
Damayanti
a dancer
Eirik Viljarsón
chieftain of Ravnhov
Hlosnian
a stone carver and stone whisperer
Ilume An-Elderin
Rime’s grandmother; a deceased councillor
Kuro
a raven
Lindri
a teahouse owner
Northree
a shepherd in the library
Svarteld
master of Kolkagga
Sylja Glimmeråsen
the wealthiest girl in Elveroa
Tein
son of Eirik of Ravnhov
Urd Vanfarinn
a former councillor
Vetle
a simple boy; Ramoja’s son
COUNCILLORS
Rime An-Elderin
Sigra Kleiv
Jarladin An-Sarin
Leivlugn Taid
Miane Fell
Noldhe Saurpassarid
Freid Vangard
Eir Kobb
Garm Darkdaggar
Saulhe Jakinnin
Tyrme Jekense
PLACES IN YM
the Alldjup
a gorge with the River Stryfe running through it
Blindból
a forbidden mountain range
Bromfjell
a mountain near Ravnhov, home to the stone circle where Urd opened the gateway for the blind
Eisvaldr
a walled city within Mannfalla; the home of the Council
Elveroa
a small village where Hirka and Rime spent some of their childhoods
Mannfalla
the biggest city in Ym
the Ora
a river running through Mannfalla
Ravnhov
an independent settlement in the region of Foggard
the Rite Hall
a large ceremonial hall built around an old stone circle where the Rite occurred each year
CONCEPTS
binding
the act of using or drawing upon the Might
blindcraft
the feared and forbidden way in which the blind use the Might
the Book of the Seer
the official history of Ym
the blind
an ancient people feared throughout Ym. Synonymous with deadborn, nábyrn, and Umpiri
child of Odin
someone from a world beyond Ym, born without a tail, who cannot bind the Might. Synonymous with embling and menskr
the Council
the twelve individuals who interpret the word of the Seer and govern all of Ym
Dreyri
high-born Umpiri
the forgotten
blood slaves abandoned by their master
Kolkagga
the Council’s assassins
the Might
a powerful current of energy that can be drawn upon for strength
the Rite
a coming-of-age ceremony during which young people were given the Seer’s blessing and protection
the rot
a disease believed by ymlings to be carried by children of Odin. Also a derogatory term used to refer to them
Slokna
where the dead go to rest
the Seer’s tree
a tree of glass and stone where the Seer was believed to live, destroyed by Rime
twalif
a low-ranking military commander
the Twelve
the warriors who—with the help of the Seer—once defended Ym against the blind
Vardar
blood slaves still in their master’s favor
ymlings
people from the land of Ym; those born with tails and the ability to bind the Might
THE LANGUAGE OF THE BLIND
Headwords unless otherwise noted are:
For nouns nom. sing., for verbs present infinitive (see Abbreviations below glossary). Nouns are listed with grammatical gender after the headword (m., f., or n.). Verbs are listed with inflectional class (v1, v2, or v3).
Entry
Explanation
dósem v3
to be, copular verb; to exist
esse acc. sing.
you (implying that the object is of lower social status): acc. sing. of iss
koy interj. indec.
see! (corresponds to Latin ecce!, English lo!)
koyem v1
to sense, to perceive with the senses
kroyo loc. sing.
where (referring to place): locative singular of krai
kwainsair n.
cruel imprisonment; prison cell, prison
óz
I
ozá
I (implying that the speaker is of higher social status)
sulni m.
mayfly, small harmless insect
umkhadari m.
brother (formal)
umǫni m.
the Language, the Tongue (mostly when referring to the language of the First; other languages are called umþéles); i.e. “something closely related to the tongue”
waiad n.
my, n. sing. of wai my, m. sing.
Abbreviations
acc.
accusative
f.
feminine
ind.
indeclinable
interj.
interjection
loc.
locative
m.
masculine
n.
neuter
nom.
nominative
pl.
plural
sing.
singular
v1–v3
verb, inflectional class 1–3
The list is just a taste of the language of the blind, which was developed in collaboration with linguist Alexander K. Lykke.
Siri Pettersen made her sensational debut in 2013 with the Norwegian publication of Odin’s Child, the first book in The Raven Rings trilogy, which has earned numerous awards and nominations at home and abroad. Siri has a background as a designer and comics creator. Her roots are in Finnsnes and Trondheim, but she now lives in Oslo, where you’re likely to find her in a coffee shop. According to fellow writers, her superpower is “mega motivation”—the ability to inspire other creative souls. Visit her at SiriPettersen.com, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram @SiriPettersen.
Siân Mackie is a translator of Scandinavian literature into English. They were born in Scotland and have an MA in Scandinavian Studies and an MSc in Literary Translation as a Creative Practice from the University of Edinburgh. They have translated a wide range of works, from young adult and children’s literature—including Ingunn Thon’s A Postcard for Ollis, which was nominated for the 2021 Carnegie Medal—to thrillers and nonfiction. They live in Southampton on the south coast of England.
Paul Russell Garrett translates from Norwegian and Danish, with drama holding a particular interest for him. He has translated a dozen plays and has a further ten published translations to his name, including Lars Mytting’s The Sixteen Trees of the Somme, long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award, and a pair of novels by Christina Hesselholdt, Companions and Vivian. Originally from Vancouver, Paul is based in east London.
Siân and Paul have previously collaborated on a translation of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, which was commissioned by Foreign Affairs theater company and performed in 2015 in east London. They hope their shared passion for bringi
ng Norwegian literature to English-speaking audiences will continue in future collaborations, and they are currently translating the next book in the Raven Rings series.
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