as told to
[Grandmother Scout, dauther of weaver Jeffrain]
Most of these are saying of The People of Farseer. Some are borrowed sayings from Domus Mode and some are remembered from people they met in their travels.
As you would treat the least of us, so in your heart would you treat all of us.
Us refers to any person of any station. The People believe that the only important stations in life are earned and that no one should consider themselves superior to any other.
The only job beneath one is the job done poorly.
Those who find themselves walking the same path [of life] should walk it together.
Refers to both friendship and love.
Those who do not take time to appreciate beauty will not know what herbs to use.
This is an old saying. We lost most of our herbal lore during the times of persecution, but the saying persists when we think someone is to involved.
Experience is the teacher, Intelligence the ability to learn its lessons, Wisdom the talent to learn the correct lessons, and Common Sense the ability to choose the right actions in the absence of the previous three.
Ignorance is the absence of opportunity. Stupidity is a choice.
The rock does not move by itself.
This has two meanings. It is said to a person when they wait for something to occur, indicating that the person should do more than just wait. It is also said about an action that is apparently accidental, indicating the opinion that some random seeming events can’t possibly be accidental. An honorable enemy is better than a dishonorable friend.
In the land of strangers, your enemy may be your friend.
This has two meanings. The most usual is that enemies may find they have more in common then they thought when surrounded by strangers. The other interpretation is more sinister.
As useful as magic.
Useless. The people who have this saying do no magic and throw off most of the effects of magic, even alchemical potions.
The world is the way it is.
A simplified form of: The world is the way it is, not the way you wish it to be, want it to be or believe it to be. The fact that one’s perception of the world is colored by one’s beliefs does not change the world to match one’s perceptions.
Knowledge is blindness.
What one believes to be true blinds one to proof that the beliefs might be wrong.
The novice sees the errors of the master.
Fresh eyes see without the blindness of prior knowledge.
The one you ignore has the answer.
Sometimes. Usually an expression of frustration when a person that is usually wrong and therefore is ignored turns out to be right.
There is no one blinder than one who knows everything.
The scout that knows the trail doesn’t see it.
One sees best when one is lost.
These three seem to relate, but in different fields. Usage is by situation.
Fear is the great corruptor. Despair is his handmaiden.
A curious thing. After talking with the speaker I found that they do not consider power a corruptor, however, they consider the fear of losing power as a very powerful corruptor.
Those who look for the best in people are sometimes disappointed. Those who look for the worst in people are never disappointed.
This sounds more cynical that it is. It means that one usually gets the response one expects from people. Sometimes one will get a different response. Those who look for the best will sometimes be disappointed. However, when those that expect the worst receive a good response, they will not see it as anything that a misunderstood bad response or a plot for gain. See the next saying, they seem to relate.
Happiness is a habit.
One remembers the exceptions.
[Love] is blind, but [true love] sees truly.
These are separate words in their language. The first might also be translated as lust or physical love. The principle seems to be that in true love one sees the faults and loves the person anyway or perhaps even because of those faults.
There is no water more [holy] than one’s life blood given willingly for another; there is no water more [un-holy] than blood taken.
Holy: good, blessed.
Un-holy: could mean evil, corrupt, twisted, or perhaps even uncultured. The speaker was rather emphatic that no good could be derived from something that [un-holy].
There is always time for courtesy.
A surprise that isn’t a surprise isn’t a surprise.
The Master sees only his mistakes.
Close enough in heart [to run the same path], separate enough in spirit [to spot the traps the other cannot see.]
Vargans use many hunting analogies. This Vargan description of an ideal friendship or relationship. The teller seems to have gotten a new insight to this in that people should be close enough to understand each other but different enough to have separate points of view so that the team is more than the parts.
Beware the Child that learns the ways of men. Look for the Child born to men.
Not a Vargan saying, but one of their new land. The Child probably refers to one of the younger races. The meaning is unclear. More of a prophecy.
The man is not his clan.
Sums up the Vargan belief that each person should be judged on his own merits and not blessed or cursed with the merits or failings of family. Consider it in context with the next:
It takes a truly brave person to [face] his clan.
Face: challenge, stand before.
It is very hard to overcome one’s upbringing to perceive the world without the bias of one’s family.
Compassion, Intelligence, and Wisdom are too rare to ignore for reasons of Race, People or Clan.
One’s friends should be those who have a similar world view and interests, not those who look the same. The Vargans have a term that means “brother/sister by choice”.
The [Ästé] require a [price]; the [Älté] a [sacrifice].
Ästé: Good spirits or gods.
Älté: Evil spirits or gods.
Both are spiritual beings of great power.
Price and Sacrifice are concepts referring to the cost to the spirit. This is an evolved saying. It is old Vargan, but contains words and concepts from Domus Mode. The saying refers how one can tell the difference between the good and the bad, whether in people or spirits. The more exacting and expensive the ritual, the more likely one is dealing with other than friendly powers.
Whose shoulder does the [Great Spirit] cry on?
Great Spirit: Vargan’s are essentially monotheistic. The Great Spirit created it all and created the lesser gods each to different domain. The Great Spirit is the ultimate creator in their belief.
This is said to remind oneself and others that every problem one leaves unsolved and every soul one leaves in pain is another problem for the “Great Spirit” to solve. Perhaps it also implies that by helping others, we provide the Great Spirit a shoulder.
Tomorrow brings only tomorrow.
Near as I can tell from the speaker, this means that expectations come from the person, not from the day.
When one can walk dry shod to Caris Drake.
Caris Drake and the rest of the mainland were separated by the ocean. It was said there was a land bridge, beyond the mists, that connects the two. When the mists retreated, it became possible. However, the phrase essentially means not in the foreseeable future or simply never.
The power to be merciful.
This is actually a cynical saying. It says that the person referred to is merciful because they have enough power that the one they are sparing, or helping, can not do anything to interfere with the their plans.
The Blessing is in the Blood.
A curious saying. It is used as a statement when one misses the obvious and also as a statement about inherited gifts. There is a story that goes with this saying:
In the Ancient Days, when the Great Enemy fought openly, a people did a service for the Powers of the Light. Many of them died in this service to the point of extinction. The Great Ones repaid this debt by giving the survivors many blessings and gifts such as long lives and the power to heal many wounds and illnesses. Each was allowed to choose the manner of receiving these gifts. Many ways were chosen, but most choose to receive them in the unique characteristic of their race as a symbol of their service. One chose to receive her gifts within her blood that they might pass to her children. In time, other races sought to take advantage of these gifts, forgetting that the Gifts of the Great Ones cannot be taken without sever penalties. Such are always looking for the secret to these powers, failing to realize that the power comes from giving and not taking.
This story suffers in translation and some parts seem to have been left out while other parts are deliberately vague.
Copyright © 2021 by Robert W. Dills