The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
CD Spoilers: The Case of the Stolen Walking Stick
Bakoro:
Ehem.
From my 100% trustworthy and accurate internet research, I have found, I believe, who the staff belonged to.
The Dagda, an ancient Celtic deity also referred to as "The All-Father", had a magical staff, or club, that had the ability to kill with one side, and raise the dead with the other. Supposedly his staff could kill 9 at one. He also had a Cauldron that could make infinite food, which was the original "Holy Grail" that King Arthur was after, before the story got changed. Also he had 2 magic pigs or something.
Oh yeah, the Dagda is also the warrior god that defeated the Fomorians and kicked them out of Ireland.
So there you have it, that's a bit of the Real Life lore and it seems to mesh up with several parts of the Dresdenverse.
The question then becomes, if the Dagda (who is too close to Odin to not be Odin) was the owner of the Blackstaff for a time, was he the one that the White Council stole it from, or had it changed owners by then?
Also some other avenues open up here. Arthur, Knight of the Cross, went on a quest to get a magic item that belonged to the Dagda, and it so happens that Arthur's Wizard buddy starts up the White Council who just so happen to have the Dagda's magic kill stick?
No coincidence.
I know it would seem odd that Odin would be chummy with the current Blackstaff Eb, but we know that he plays the long game and doesn't seem particularly petty, so maybe he and Eb have an understanding, or kinship. Maybe a lot of things.
It still could be that Mother Winter was the original owner, but there is an Odin/Merlin angle here for sure.
Serack:
--- Quote from: Bakoro on November 30, 2012, 01:37:07 PM ---Ehem.
From my 100% trustworthy and accurate internet research, I have found, I believe, who the staff belonged to.
The Dagda, an ancient Celtic deity also referred to as "The All-Father", had a magical staff, or club, that had the ability to kill with one side, and raise the dead with the other. Supposedly his staff could kill 9 at one. He also had a Cauldron that could make infinite food, which was the original "Holy Grail" that King Arthur was after, before the story got changed. Also he had 2 magic pigs or something.
Oh yeah, the Dagda is also the warrior god that defeated the Fomorians and kicked them out of Ireland.
So there you have it, that's a bit of the Real Life lore and it seems to mesh up with several parts of the Dresdenverse.
The question then becomes, if the Dagda (who is too close to Odin to not be Odin) was the owner of the Blackstaff for a time, was he the one that the White Council stole it from, or had it changed owners by then?
Also some other avenues open up here. Arthur, Knight of the Cross, went on a quest to get a magic item that belonged to the Dagda, and it so happens that Arthur's Wizard buddy starts up the White Council who just so happen to have the Dagda's magic kill stick?
No coincidence.
I know it would seem odd that Odin would be chummy with the current Blackstaff Eb, but we know that he plays the long game and doesn't seem particularly petty, so maybe he and Eb have an understanding, or kinship. Maybe a lot of things.
It still could be that Mother Winter was the original owner, but there is an Odin/Merlin angle here for sure.
--- End quote ---
I've seen similar theories before, and I think they are possible, but they aren't tied to the 1065 AD timeframe very well. I think they are the best tiein we have thus far but these WoJ's about the blackstaff make me think they are going in the wrong direction:
--- Quote from: WoJ ---When Eb does his "Laying of the Cattle move" at the major battle near the end of Changes, is that a power of the blackstaff?
The Blackstaff is what keeps that kind of thing from driving him insane and turning him into a giggling villain. Yah you don't go messing with black magic in the Dresden Files, it's very very bad for you. At the same time, Magic is something that happens because you truly believe that when you set out to do it that you should be able to do that sort of thing. That says a few things about Eb that really Harry hasn't run into in any other forum other than right there. Yah Poor guy, He's got a tough job.
@4:30
Does the blackstaff have any powers that relate to the dead?
Other than making people dead? Really, that's kind of the point [Crowd Laughs] Really but the staff itself what it really does is it keeps Eb sane while he's doing insane things. Lucky him, he gets to deal with a hideously guilty conscious and nightmares later, but that's better than later being like *Muahahahahahahahaha* Which is sort of the other option if your going to go around using magic like that.
--- End quote ---
Some might read this differently, but I read this as saying the staff isn't doing the killing, Eb is, and the staff is just helping him keep sane and uncorrputed by the darkness of the magic. Which doesn't quite fit with the legends of Dagda's club (which is what I think the askers here were tiptoeing around asking about to avoid an "I'm not gonna tell you" sing song)
Haru:
--- Quote from: Bakoro on November 30, 2012, 01:37:07 PM ---It still could be that Mother Winter was the original owner, but there is an Odin/Merlin angle here for sure.
--- End quote ---
I kind of think that Merlin is just one of the many mantles that Odin has been wearing over time.
On that note, wasn't there a story somewhere, where Odin disguised himself as an old woman for some reason? Maybe he was the former Mother Summer, and when he changed, he put down that mantle for someone else to pick up.
Maybe Odin is... everyone!!! :P
AcornArmy:
--- Quote from: Haru on November 30, 2012, 03:47:38 PM ---Maybe Odin is... everyone!!! :P
--- End quote ---
Or maybe Odin was just the guy who stole the stick. It could as easily have been him as Merlin, surely.
THE_ANGRY_GAMER:
Hmm. It's possible Odin could have done it - he seems crafty enough, but if he's also Kringle, then couldn't he just, y'know, ask?
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