The Sorcerer's Conspectus:
A comprehensive view of Andre Norton's Witch World
by Lotsawatts
Races of Witch World ~ Sulcar
The Sulcar are a seafaring race that first entered the Witch World somewhere in the north centuries ago. In The Warding of Witch World they find their original Gate and seal it.
Appearance: The Sulcar have blond or reddish blond (tawny) colored hair and green, blue-green, blue or sea-colored eyes. They are much taller and more robust than most other Witch World Races. Their skin is light but tans easily.
Living Area(s): Sulcar families live on their ships, except for extremely dangerous missions. They once had a base at Sulcarkeep before the Kolder invasion, located at the tip of a peninsula in the south-western corner of Estcarp. In Dream Pirates' Jewel a settlement called 'Osberic' is created somewhere to the south of the Dales. In The Warding of Witch World 'Korinth', north of Alizon is mentioned as a recent base, as is 'End of the World', which is north of Arvon. They may have other bases as well.
Life Span: The lifespan of the Sulcar is not mentioned, but they likely have the life span of an average Earth human.
Power: Sulcar do not seem to have the Power per se, but 'wave readers' are mentioned in The Warding of Witch World who have the ability to find safe routes. They seem unable to directly control wind or wave and may navigate the same way the Polynesians made their way across the Pacific Ocean.
Other: Sulcars are traders and fighters of some skill. They live with their families on their ships, which have dragon-like prows. They were chased from their home world by an invading alien force. Their Gate was far to the north of the world and has been sealed. Some seem to have gotten lost or took a different route and ended up near Escore. These sea raiders seem to be more barbaric in nature.
Sorcerer's Notes:
It could be possible that the Sulcar did not originally serve the Light. This is supported by the fact that the 'guardians' of legend found in Port of Dead Ships seem to be of a darksome nature. When they confront one of their ancient, alien pursuers in the north she seems genuinely surprised that the Sulcar 'speak the truth as they know it'. Finally, the behavior of the sea raiders near Escore is one more similar to that of the Vikings of Earth (looting, plundering, enslaving) than the relatively more peaceful behavior of the Sulcar traders. Why this is the case may never be known.
The short story S'Olcarios's Sons implies that in the distant past the Sulcar may have descended from the Krogan. This legendary story is an oral tradition passed down by Sulcar elders to their families to give comfort when the elder reaches an age where they feel the draw of the final gate. Its possible that S'Olcarias and Anatella's sons married Sulcar women sometime shortly after the Sulcar arrived on the Witch World and their bloodline and story was passed down through the generations.1
Footnotes:
1. Given that even in the first book it is established that the Sulcar come from the north, S'Olcarios's Sons seems apocryphal at best. The name S'Olcaris is an obvious play on 'Sulcar' and the story implies that S'Olcaris and Anatella are the 'Adam and Eve' of the whole race. Beyond this story it's not even clearly established that the Krogan can successfully interbreed with any other race.
Formatted and Edited by Jay Watts ~ May, 2022
Copyright ~ Andre-Norton.com
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