ch003: Vardlokkur's name

Vardlokkur has not always been called by this name, he went by as Uki Grzeszkov among his own people.

His father's family name was called the warlocks (oath-beakers), or Grzeshkov(1) in the mountain dialect. Vardlokkur did not know the reason for such a bad name, it had been the dark mystery lost in the northern roots of his father's family. His father moved south to live with the mountain people, but his steel-gray eyes betrayed his northern origins. His strong body, and high-strung demeanor demanded respect. Nobody ever asked any questions.

His mother's ancestors has been known for hundreds of years simply as archers, or Ukasik(2) since the bows were called "uki" in the mountain dialect. They were indeed the archers, flintnappers, fletchers and the bowyers as far as the memory goes, their memories went far. His people had a habit of memorizing the ancestry history and details about them far into the ancient times, but that is another story.

Vardlokkur got his nickname when he once stayed with the people of the north who lived where the great glacier sheets run into the great lakes. These people were warriors and highly valued Vardlokkur's bowyer skills. His name came for the translation of word warlock, which was closely related to their own language varð-lokkur. It was also because Vardlokkur's knowledge of medicinal plants, deep understanding of animals and human habits and the various poisons he could make for his arrow tips. In the eyes of the norther warriors Vardlokkur was a hunter-shaman, the spirit caller.

Once, while with the Northern warriors, Vardlokkur took part in one of the conflicts against the neighboring tribe. His powerful bow shaped like a snake and covered with the rattler's skin combined with his ability to shoot poisoned and accurate arrows every fifth count assured that he called many spirits that day, but again that is a story for another time.


Authors footer notes:
1) The root of name grzeszkov (pronounced gsheshkov):
"grzesz" - means to sin
"kov" - short for "covent", and ancient word convent, the gathering, the agreement, the oath among a group of people
The reason for the name was forgotten, but suggest that one of the ancestors broke the rules and was expelled from the community.

2) The root of name Ukasik (originally written Łukasik, pronounced wookasik) was from the word łuk, or bow, plural łuki (pronounced wooki)