Acheleous Mythical river – oldest mother of the waters – invoked by the Cumean Sibyl to end her oracles. First appears in CH V.
Airyfairy A sylph. Hopelessly in love with the seraph Methratton (see). First appears in CH VIII
Attila Scourge of God – King of the Huns – archetypal exterminator. First appears in CH VII.
Avernus Lake, on the other side of the Cumean Sibyl’s cave. Believed to be the entrance to the Hades—the Underworld—owing to its eeriness. First appears in CH V.
Bargniff A Green Man/Yeti type. Speechless, but with much “internalized speech”. Guinea-pig of the Stone(d) Age as well as of the magus. First appears in CH IV.
Bleda Attila’s brother, slain by him. First appears in CH VII.
Bodincus Earliest known name assigned by humans to the river. First appears in CH V.
Brutus, Sr. & Jr. Two thick-headed archaics. Overtaken by the cleverness of a nameless woman, the first shamaness in a long series. First appear in CH III.
Buzzard See Twinkling. Rises to individual relevance when he becomes the shuttle between the River and Lake Avernus, and the relater of the goings-on there. First appears in CH IV.
Charlemagne Founder and first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire – accomplished exterminator. First appears in CH IX.
Clymene Nymph, mother of Phaethon. First appears in CH III.
Cybele Pre-Greek Goddess of Nature – imported from Asia Minor by the Romans. First appears in CH V.
Danubius Latin for Danube – Attila’s ancestral land. First appears in CH VII.
Eel Metamorphosing, perplexing animal supplied with uncanny knowledge – as testified by its two 3,000 miles migrations. First appears in CH V.
Eridanus Other name given to the River, this time by the Romans. First appears in CH VI.
Euterpe The muse of music, becomes the drummer in Methratton’s band of “soul music”. First appears in CH VIII.
Gabriel Some say an archangel, others an angel… Low-ranking angel too fond of talk and fanciful fabrications. First appears in CH VIII.
Geometricus Celebrated Roman civil engineer, an emblem of linear, rational thinking. First appears in CH VI.
Giant Dwarfs Special guardians to the gnomes’ precious stones and noble metals. First appear in CH II.
Godhead First explicitly mentioned as a alleged attendant at Methratton’s concerts. As for its definition, feel free to pen in your own… First appears in CH VIII.
Higher Mountains The Alps. First appear in CH I.
Hitler Founder of Nazi Party – absolute dictator – champion exterminator. First appears in CH XII.
Hour of Spring Herald the arrival of Spring, and inspires (…) to paint the most radiant painting in the history of European Art. First appears in CH IX.
Ildico Attila’s last wife. First appears in CH VII.
Kingfisher Brilliantly colored bird, worshipped by marshland dwellers as Bird Goddess. First appears in CH V.
Kurgan Leader of the “newcomers” – warrior and horseman, a symbol of male brutality. Puts an end to indigenous matriarchal society – everything male-centered thenceforth. First appears in CH V.
Leo I Pope Leo the First, the Great. Later, Saint Leo. First appears in CH VII.
Leonardo The polymath or, according to a differing view, the empirical jack-of-all-trades. First appears in CH X.
Lesser Mountains The Apennines. First appear in CH I.
Limnaee A nymph – “nobler” according to the River – a repository of Esotericism. CH V.
Lockshy Founder of an illustrious dynasty of… degenerate gnomes. First appears in CH X.
Luminary Highly regarded scientist-gnomess, there to complete the Little People’s mysterious “work”. A Sophia in disguise, not entirely immune to the River’s (clumsy) charms, but very focused on the work to carry out in the “secret caves”. First appears in CH VI.
Magical Child The miraculous child, symbol of promise – daughter of… First appears in CH XII.
Magus An Alchemist in search of the quintessence, which he will find with the help of… First appears in CH XI.
Mercury Messenger of the Gods, son of the Ruler of all Gods. Yielding to the wishes of the latter, he impregnates… First appears in CH VIII.
Methratton Seraph, equally dispensing love and sublime music form his trumpet. First appears in CH VIII.
Mincius A tributary. Along its banks the site of encounter between Attila and Leo. First appears in CH VII.
Mussolini Fascist dictator, self-appointed prime minister. First appears in CH XII.
Napoleon Champion warmonger, invader and looter. First appears in CH XII.
Old Gnome Plausibly, leader of the Little People, miner and keeper of many secrets, until the arrival of Luminary… First appears in CH II.
Pan Half goat, half man womanizing deity. A rival suitor of the nymphs, muted by… First appears in CH II.
Phaethon Son of Sun God and the nymph Clymene. Nurtures doubts about his origins – drives the Sun’s chariot, and precipitates into the River. First appears in CH III.
Philomena Raped and mutilated virgin, sister of Procne. She appears in the EPILOGUE.
Philosophers’ Stone Consolidation of a process of individuation, alchemical or otherwise. Widely misinterpreted throughout history. First appears in CH XII.
Pigeoness Carrier-she-pigeon. She carries Salmacis’ missives From Rome. First appears in CH VI.
Pink Mountain Ambassadorial representative of the Higher Mountains. First appears in CH I.
Polyhymnia The muse of sacred song. Becomes lyricist and then lover of Methratton, much to Airyfairy’s dismay. First appears in CH VIII.
Poplars Phaethon’s sisters, turned into riverside poplars, his brides. First appears in CH III.
Procne Tereus’ wife. Appears in the EPILOGUE.
Rain-drop Earliest name of the river, main character and narrator. First appears in CH I.
Raphael First angel seen by the River. First appears in CH VIII.
Remodel Champion metal worker, Kurgan’s right arm. More cunning than his leader, engineers harvest-time massacre. First appears in CH V.
Salmacis Most flirtatious, and indulgently… lecherous, among water-nymphs. A constant source of pleasure and distraction for the River. Until… A leading, multiple archetype in the narrative, she undergoes a veritable reversal of standpoint, and ultimately: Does she steal the show? First appears in CH II.
Sandro (Botticelli) The visionary Renaissance painter and re-interpreter of Pagan myths. First appears in CH X.
Scintillation & Effulgence The learned gnomesses – rather stuck-up. First appear in CH IV.
Shamaness Medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world – and officiating woman in the cult of the Goddess. First appears in CH IV.
Sibyl The Cumean Sibyl, priestess of the Goddess Cybele. First appears in CH V.
Singing Girl Assistant to the shamaness who substitutes hunting with scavenging for carcasses. First appears in CH IV.
Sturgy A she-sturgeon. Contemplative by nature, she speaks in bubbles and relates much Attila lore to the River. First appears in CH VII.
Sun God (Helios) Crimson King, father of Phaethon. Most libidinous of gods, always after nymphs. First appears in CH III.
Syrinx Water-nymph the Po transforms, at her behest, into reeds, in turn changed into… First appears in CH II.
Tench Placid fish. First appears in CH IV.
Tereus Mythical rapist and sadist. Appears in the EPILOGUE.
Terpsichore The muse of choral song and dance. First appears in CH VIIII.
The Three Graces Join Methratton’s band as back-up singers and wild dancers. First appear in CH VIII.
Ticinus Blue River – River’s tributary. First appears in CH VII.
Trickster-woman A gypsy ante litteram. Pan’s occasional, turbulent lover. She steals the fire, poisons Attila, and helps Limnaee distract the River. First appears in CH II.
Twinkle Old Gnome’s wife – a gnomess. First appears in CH IV.
Twinkling Twinkle’s twin sister – most loquacious, but extremely charming gnomess. First appears in CH IV.
Undine Female water sprite. Replacements for nymphs when they go to the Sibyl – know no past, no future, only present. Starting from Chapter Six, butterflies fly out of their mouths with every word they say.. Such butterflies are… First appears in CH V.
Venus Goddess of love and beauty. First appears in CH X.
White Steed Attila’s runaway horse. First appears in CH VII.
