Andre Norton's Witch World

Year Names of the Witch World

NOTE!!!!

A few years ago Maciej Zaleski pointed out some discrepancies for me but I no longer have his notes. I hope to find time some day to update this work.

Specific Years in Witch World History

I don't know if each year is supposed to be uniquely named, or if there is a cycle, like the Chinese calendar. Ms. Norton is familiar with Chinese history and culture and could have been influenced by that. These year names and spacing indicate something much more complex than the Chinese system.

Blue-horned Ram.
Reference: The Magestone
Mereth's birth-year, nearly 70 years prior to the year of the Horned Hunter.

Spitting Toad
Reference: The Crystal Gryphon Kerovan and Joisan are axe-wedded in this year. gillan may have been born in this year.

Salamander
Reference: Spell of the Witch World
Truan and Almondia arrive in Wark (High Halleck) after fleeing from Estcarp in a Sulcar ship. This occurs about three years after the Year of the Spitting Toad.

Sea Serpent
Reference: Spell of the Witch World
Birth of the twin children of Truan and Almondia, Elyn and Elys. This year follows the Year of the Salamander.

Crowned Swan
Reference: The Crytsal Gryphon
This year occurs about 3 years after the Year of the Sea Serpent, and it marks the 14th year of Joisan's life. The half-brother of Pagar of Geen (now Duke of Karsten) revolts.

Moss Wife
This year follows the Year of the Crowned Swan.

Fire Troll
Reference: The Crystal Gryphon
This year follows the year of the Moss Wife. Alizon attacks High Halleck in this year.

Leopard
Reference: Year of the Unicorn
Freeza and Gillan reach Abbey Norstead. This year occurs about three years after the Year of the Fire Troll.

Gryphon
Reference: The Crystal Gryphon
The battle of the Ford of Ingra in High Halleck, in which the Dalesmen are defeated by Alizon. Ithdale and Ulmsdale are taken. This year occurs about two years after the Year of the Leopard.

Fire Drake
Reference: Three Against The Witch World
Pagar subdues Karsten. Battle of Ruther's Pass in High Halleck, in which the House of Nordendale perishes. Alizon stops resupplying its forces in High Halleck. This year occurs two or three years after the Year of the Gryphon.

Hornet
Reference: The Year of the Unicorn
The war ends in High Halleck. This year occurs about two years after the Year of the Fire Drake.

Unicorn
Reference: Year of the Unicorn
Gillan and 12 other Daleswomen become brides of the Were-riders and go with them to Arvon. Herrel takes gillan. Kaththea is taken by the Witches of Estcarp. This year follows the Year of the Hornet.

Red Boar
Reference: The Jargoon Pard
This year occurs two or more years after the Year of the Unicorn. Kethan and Aylinn were born in this year and switched by Ursilla at the Fane of Neave.

Lamia
Reference: The Jargoon Pard

Chimera
Reference: The Jargoon Pard

Harpy
Reference: The Jargoon Pard

Orc
Reference: The Jargoon Pard

Werewolf
Reference: The Jargoon Pard
Kethan says. "I had passed from boyhood into the time of young manhood...Yet that was also the Year of the Werewolf..."

It seems he would be about twelve to sixteen, then.

Horned Cat
Reference:The Jargoon Pard
This was the year immediately following the Year of the Werewolf.

Kobold
According to Mereth's journal in The Magestone, this was the year of the Turning. It precedes the year of the Horned Hunter by 2 years.

Horned Hunter
The Magestone opens in this year. I haven't tried to reconcile the dating of this book (or other later books) with the older chronology I compiled in the 1980s.

Lamia
Follows on the Horned Hunter.

Indagare compiled a large list of year-names at SF-Fandom.

• Years of the Witch World
• Events of the Witch World
• Year Names of the Witch World