The Gryphon and the Spider: Witch World Timeline, Part Two

 While my quest to get (or at least read) the original Gregg Press edition of "Witch World" has failed up to this point, I did manage to locate a copy of the timeline from the introduction - and at this point, it is becoming clear that this was not an 'official' timeline essay, but rather an early fan who did an examination of the books up through 1977.  I'd still like to see it, but it is less pressing to do so now, especially since I disagree with some of the conclusions in the timeline.

There are, actually, two sources for a timeline - the RPG system GURPS did put out a Witch World sourcebook years ago. 

However, the timeline is demonstratably wrong in a number of places - it sets the end of the second book years after the third book begins!  But it appears that it was based upon another source... that of Andre Norton, herself.  She apparently kept a list of the years, conveniently starting with the year that Kerovan, the hero of The Crystal Gryphon was born, and well into the future.  However, it only covers the High Hallack stories, with one exception (which we'll get to), and it's... wrong.  Specifically, it lists a "Year of the Kobold" before the invasion of High Hallack, when the short story "Spider Silk" sets it as the year of the Turning!  Clearly, this is completely off.

... or is it?  Again, her notes attached stories to specific years - that "Spider Silk" is the only one set in the eastern continent is interesting.  The story itself seems a bit out of place geographically - it is set in the fishing village of Rannock, which lies on the northern coast of Estcarp.  It has a Wise Woman, which seems odd considering that Estcarp's government consists of females with the Power that recruits any woman who displays it.  There is a place of the Old Ones a bit inland, which is not really something that shows up in Estcarp, but does a great deal in High Hallack.  My conclusion, then, is that "Spider Silk" was originally being written as a story set in High Hallack, prior to the Invaders War, which would explain the inclusion in her list of years and why they don't match.  What this means, ultimately, is that I'll have to figure out the timeline material on my own.

I'm currently on book thirteen, Gryphon in Glory, which presents its own timeline issues.  While supposedly set 'months' after The Crystal Gryphon, the end of that book is clearly at the second year of the war... and yet the sequel is the story of how the Were Riders are recruited, which was already set in the Year of the Gryphon, which is three years after!  More egregious, however, is that Joisan meets Elys and Jervon in this book... but the story they were introduced in, "Dragonscale Silver", has Elys meet Jervon for the first time after the Were Riders are recruited - he is the one who tells Elys about it!  So, this will require some additional thought.

But I do have good news - I am fairly certain at this point that I have locked down how to synchronize the two timelines, east and west.  Both the essay in the Gregg Press edition and the GURPS sourcebook agree that "Witch World" is set 4 years prior to the Invaders War, as The Crystal Gryphon emphasizes that the Sulcar suffered some terrible defeat at the time, which is very likely the destruction of Sulcarkeep - but Web of the Witch World is clearly set the following year from Witch World, meaning that the defeat of the Kolder is the year after Sulcarkeep's destruction.   Yet Alizon is invading with their weapons three years later, and worse The Crystal Gryphon mentions that a captured Alizon soldier talks about the Kolder actively fighting in a war in the east!  Something has to give, here.  So my new proposed start: Witch World is set in the Year of the Mosswife, the year before the invasion of High Hallack.  The destruction of Sulcarkeep paves the way for the invasion fleets the following year, and the forces of Alizon would be still allied with the Kolder when they invade - this is the only year that works, really, without a great deal of retconning.

So what, then, is the 'blow against the Sulcar' 4 years prior to the war's beginning?  Simple - it's the fall of Gorm.  The port of Sippar was apparently a major port of call for the Sulcar, and sat across the bay from the keep.  

This also works with the premise of the opening of Witch World - when Simon saves Jaelithe from the forces of Alizon, she is said to be coming back from a spy mission there.  What was she spying on?  The build-up of forces by them.  This is also why in Web of the Witch World that Estcarp feels comfortable with invading Karsten; and when Alizon does, in fact, attack they are handily defeated and Alizon briefly occupied!  This, in turn, would allow the Dalesmen some breathing room in the early war.

I am soon running out of what I consider the 'classic era' Witch World novels - after Gryphon in Glory, only Horn Crown and 'Ware Hawk is left.  After that is where Andre Norton opened up her world with collaborators and short story collections featuring other authors, leading to the final novels in 2005.  So, onward!