Witch World
Encyclopedia
The Witch World by Andre Norton
is a long series of fantasy novels set in a parallel universe
where magic
works and, at the beginning of the series, is exclusively performed by women. The series combines many traits of high fantasy
and sword and sorcery
. It begins with what is now called the Estcarp cycle. These describes the adventures of Simon Tregarth from Earth, his witch wife Jaelithe, and their three children Kyllan, Kemoc and Kaththea.
The series was expanded greatly with the High Hallack cycle, starting with Year of the Unicorn in 1965 and its sequels Jargoon Pard and Gryphon in Glory. The Dale
s of High Hallack are on a different continent from Estcarp and its neighboring lands.
Mostly these cycles are organized by continent, Estcarp and its neighboring countries being situated on an eastern continent and High Hallack on a western one, with a wide sea between.
The Turning sequence is about events which convinced conservative witches that men could handle magic responsibly. The Secrets of the Witch World trilogy brings many of these story lines to a climax. Both deal with worldwide events. Except for the last of the Secrets of the Witch World books most of these were written in collaboration with Miss Norton's fans. The Witch World series can be considered the first romantic fantasy
series, both because of the content and because these books were a primary inspiration to later romantic fantasy authors like Mercedes Lackey
.
On the Witch World, magical ability is considered to be exclusively female and exercised only by virgins, with the sexual act depriving a witch of her power. Estcarp's male-dominated enemies consider rape as a convenient way of neutralising captive witches. The advent of Simon Tregarth, a man who turns out to possess some magical power and who forms a magical link with the witch Jaelithe after she becomes his wife, poses an uncomfortable challenge to the conservative witch hierarchy, which is by slow degrees forced to accept that males - and females who have relationships with them - can and do possess magic power.
Here is a list of Witch World stories:
Andre Norton
Andre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
is a long series of fantasy novels set in a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
where magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
works and, at the beginning of the series, is exclusively performed by women. The series combines many traits of high fantasy
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
and sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
. It begins with what is now called the Estcarp cycle. These describes the adventures of Simon Tregarth from Earth, his witch wife Jaelithe, and their three children Kyllan, Kemoc and Kaththea.
The series was expanded greatly with the High Hallack cycle, starting with Year of the Unicorn in 1965 and its sequels Jargoon Pard and Gryphon in Glory. The Dale
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s of High Hallack are on a different continent from Estcarp and its neighboring lands.
Mostly these cycles are organized by continent, Estcarp and its neighboring countries being situated on an eastern continent and High Hallack on a western one, with a wide sea between.
The Turning sequence is about events which convinced conservative witches that men could handle magic responsibly. The Secrets of the Witch World trilogy brings many of these story lines to a climax. Both deal with worldwide events. Except for the last of the Secrets of the Witch World books most of these were written in collaboration with Miss Norton's fans. The Witch World series can be considered the first romantic fantasy
Romantic fantasy
Romantic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the romance genre.One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, political, and romantic...
series, both because of the content and because these books were a primary inspiration to later romantic fantasy authors like Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
.
On the Witch World, magical ability is considered to be exclusively female and exercised only by virgins, with the sexual act depriving a witch of her power. Estcarp's male-dominated enemies consider rape as a convenient way of neutralising captive witches. The advent of Simon Tregarth, a man who turns out to possess some magical power and who forms a magical link with the witch Jaelithe after she becomes his wife, poses an uncomfortable challenge to the conservative witch hierarchy, which is by slow degrees forced to accept that males - and females who have relationships with them - can and do possess magic power.
Here is a list of Witch World stories:
Simon Tregarth
- Annals of the Witch World (omnibus) (SFBC, 1994), AKA The Gates to Witch World (TOR, 2001), contains Witch World, Web of Witch World and Year of the Unicorn)
- Witch WorldWitch World (novel)Witch World is a 1963 fantasy novel written by Andre Norton. It is the first book in the Witch World series.-Plot summary:During World War II, Simon Tregarth had risen from a common soldier to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In post-war Europe, he had become involved, almost accidentally, in the...
(1963) - Web of the Witch World (1964)
The Tregarth Children
- Chronicles of the Witch World (omnibus) (SFBC, 1998, AKA Lost Lands of Witch World (TOR, 2004); contains Three Against the Witch World, Warlock of the Witch World and Sorceress of the Witch World)
- Three Against the Witch World (1965)
- Warlock of the Witch World (1967)
- Sorceress of the Witch World (1968)
Others
- Witch World: Swords and Spells (omnibus) (SFBC, 1987, contains Trey of Swords, Ware Hawk and The Gate of the Cat)
- Trey of Swords (1977)
- Ware Hawk (1983)
- The Gate of the Cat (1987)
- Ciara's Song (1998) with Lyn McConchieLyn McConchieLyn McConchie is a New Zealand writer of science fiction/fantasy, picture books for children, a non-fiction humour series, a number of stand alone books and many short stories, articles, poetry and opinion pieces and reviews. She lives in a small village in Southern Hawke's Bay...
- The Duke's Ballad (2005) with Lyn McConchieLyn McConchieLyn McConchie is a New Zealand writer of science fiction/fantasy, picture books for children, a non-fiction humour series, a number of stand alone books and many short stories, articles, poetry and opinion pieces and reviews. She lives in a small village in Southern Hawke's Bay...
High Hallack Cycle
- Year of the Unicorn (1965)
- The Jargoon Pard (1974; sequel to Year of the Unicorn)
- Spell of the Witch World (1972) collection of stories
- Gryphon Trilogy
- The Crystal Gryphon (1972)
- Gryphon in Glory (1981)
- Gryphon's Eyrie (1984) with A. C. Crispin
- Zarsthor's Bane (1978)
- Horn Crown (1981)
- Were-Wrath (1984) Very Rare - Only 177 Copies Printed (Reprinted in Wizards' Worlds, 1988)
- Songsmith (1992) with A. C. Crispin
- Silver May Tarnish (2005) with Lyn McConchieLyn McConchieLyn McConchie is a New Zealand writer of science fiction/fantasy, picture books for children, a non-fiction humour series, a number of stand alone books and many short stories, articles, poetry and opinion pieces and reviews. She lives in a small village in Southern Hawke's Bay...
The Turning
- Storms of Victory (omnibus) (1991, contains Port of Dead Ships by Andre Norton and Seakeep by P. M. Griffin)
- Flight of Vengeance (omnibus) (1992, contains Exile by Mary H. Schaub and Falcon Hope by P. M. Griffin)
- On Wings of Magic (omnibus) (1994, contains We the Women by Patricia Mathews and Falcon Magic by Sasha MillerSasha MillerSasha Miller is the pseudonym of American fantasy writer Georgia Myrle Miller . She has also written under the names Georgia Sallaska, Myrle Benedict, and G. S...
) - Secrets of the Witch World (omnibus) (2001, contains Key of the Keplain, The Magestone and The Warding of Witch World) - released as Digital Media Only
- The Key of the Keplian (1995) with Lyn McConchieLyn McConchieLyn McConchie is a New Zealand writer of science fiction/fantasy, picture books for children, a non-fiction humour series, a number of stand alone books and many short stories, articles, poetry and opinion pieces and reviews. She lives in a small village in Southern Hawke's Bay...
- The Magestone (1996) with Mary H. Schaub
- The Warding of Witch World (1996)
Short stories
(most are set in High Hallack)- "Ully the Piper" (1970)
- "Amber out of Quayth" (1972)
- "Dragon Scale Silver" (1972)
- "Dream Smith" (1972)
- "Legacy from Sorn Fen" (1972)
- "The Toads of Grimmerdale" (1973)
- "Spider SilkSpider silkSpider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring...
" (1976) - "Sword of Unbelief" (1977)
- "Falcon Blood" (1979)
- "Sand Sister" (1979)
- "Changeling" (1980)
- "Of the Shaping of Ulm's Heir" (1987)
- "The Way Wind" (1995)
Witch World Short Story Collections and Anthologies
- High Sorcery (1970) Collection of Stories (includes "Ully the Piper")
- Spell of the Witch WorldSpell of the Witch WorldSpell of the Witch World is a collection of short fiction by science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton, forming part of her Witch World series. It was first published in paperback by DAW Books in April 1972, and has been reprinted numerous times since. It has the distinction of being the...
(1972) Collection of Stories (includes "Dragon Scale Silver", "Dream Smith", & "Amber out of Quayth") - Lore of the Witch WorldLore of the Witch WorldLore of the Witch World is a collection of short stories by science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton, forming part of her Witch World series. It was first published in paperback by DAW Books in September 1980, and has been reprinted numerous times since...
(1980) Collection of Stories (includes "Spider Silk," "Sand Sister" [sic], "Falcon Blood," "Legacy from Sorn Fen," "Sword of Unbelief," "The Toads of Grimmerdale," & "Changeling") - Tales of the Witch World 1 (1987) Collection of Stories edited - Andre Norton wrote Introduction & "Of the Shaping of Ulm's Heir"
- Tales of the Witch World 2 (1988) Collection of Stories edited - Andre Norton wrote Introduction
- Wizards' Worlds (1988) Collection of Stories (includes Novella "Were-Wrath" + "Falcon Blood", "The Toads of Grimmerdale", "Changeling", "Spider Silk", "Sword of Unbelief" & "Sand Sister")
- Four from the Witch World (1989) Collection of Stories edited - Andre Norton wrote Introduction
- Tales of the Witch World 3 (1990) Collection of Stories edited - Andre Norton wrote Introduction
- Sisters in Fantasy (1995) Collection of Stories (includes "The Way Wind")