copyright 2004 by Linda "Sweetwind" Tam
Contents:The last two issues' articles were about dreamberries, and in this issue I'll complete our discussion of the intoxicants of Abode with a parade of examples of different types of mind-altering substances to be found in the pages of Elfquest. Aside from the dreamberry, there is at least one more mind-active toxin that is unique to Abode (that is, not similar to something here on Earth): the bite of the firejaws.
The story "Thick-Coming Fancies" in Hidden Years, issue 18 (reprinted in the Reader's Collection Book 11: Legacy) features this novel hallucinogen of the World of Two Moons. Camped in a forest on the continent of Junsland, Ember's tribe is stung by insects whose bites induce visions. Some of the delusions are horrible (Dewshine relives Winnowill's assault on her soul), some wondrous (Tyleet speaks with her unborn child) and some, while seemingly benign, are dangerous; Leetah, thinking she can fly, jumps out of a tree and is only barely saved by Pike! This is the only time these troublesome insects have shown up in Elfquest. Actually, it's not clear whether the elves gave the insects a name. At one point Redlance cries, "They're like firejaws!" which seems, to me, to be a comparison of their stings to the stings of a different kind of insect, already known to the elves, called firejaws. But no other name is given -- in the rest of the story, the elves just call them "bugs." The Wolfrider's Guide to the World of Elfquest calls these insects "firejaws," so I will too.
The firejaws live in a nest similar to a termite's mound and have two sets of wings, rather like swarmer termites. They have mandibles on the front and pincers in the back. It's unclear which is used to administer the hallucinogenic bite. Firejaws attack in a swarm. The bites cause swelling to the affected area, as well as an altered mental state that lasts for several hours, followed by a headache (at least in Dewshine's case). As Pike, Ember and Skywise discovered, firejaws don't like dreamberries and won't bite anyone who has been eating dreamberries.
A second substance possibly unique to Abode is a potion known as "black snake venom." This appeared in the "Rogue's Curse" story about the Order of the Black Snake (the Second Elfquest magazine, issues 15-17, reprinted in RC Book 9: Rogue's Curse). The Lord of the Order gives a chalice of the potion to all new members, and it seems to brainwash them. They drink it regularly after that; at least, they do until Winnowill shows up and some of the Order get so frightened that they refuse to keep drinking "the elixir which renews their conviction" in her. Nothing else is known about black snake's venom and it's not mentioned anywhere else -- although there is an intriguing reference to a brainwashing "black snake smoke" in the FutureQuest installment of EQ II No. 13, a full two issues before the story about the Order of the Black Snake was published.
There's one last intoxicant unique to Abode, or at least one major form of dreamberries that I neglected to mention so far: dreamberry wine. This alcoholic brew packs an extra kick from the hallucinogenic effect of the berries from which it is fermented. Dreamberry wine seems to have originated with the trolls, and Old Maggoty is one of the most notable brewmasters. "The Dreamberry Tales" in EQ No. 7 (originally published in 1980, reprinted in RC Book 2: The Forbidden Grove) is the first time Old Maggoty's brew is shown in Elfquest. Cutter asks her "What's wine? Bearclaw never told me about it!" but this is apparently a continuity hiccup, because stories published later make it clear that the Wolfriders of Bearclaw's time (including Cutter) were familiar with dreamberry wine. For example, when Bearclaw steals some wine (of dubious quality) from humans (see "Wolfrider!" in EQ II No. 23, reprinted in RC Book 9a: Wolfrider!), Pike remarks, "Maybe it's the humans' version of dreamberry wine?!" Indeed, Bearclaw's alcohol abuse is a major theme of the "Wolfrider!" story. Much later, the dreamberry wine flows for both trolls and elves after the Rogue's Challenge. (Hidden Years No. 10, reprinted in RC Book 10: Shards), and Pike, Skot, and Krim get quite drunk. Preservers can also drink it, as illustrated in the story "Petalwing's Song" (Blood of Ten Chiefs No. 20, reprinted in RC Book 9d: Chief's Howl), in which Grutch the troll visits the Forbidden Grove and gives the Preservers sips of dreamberry wine. They all get quite merry and say "berrydream wine good!" But the next morning, when Petalwing's "head all heavy-hard," they agree: "berrydream wine bad."
Now, let's gently segue to intoxicants in Elfquest that are also available here on Earth, by discussing ordinary alcohol. One early example of elves brewing alcohol is when Zarhan Fastfire accidentally fermented grain, unaware of its effects until he ate it (in the story "Starting Over" from the Dark Hours story collection). The Gliders of Blue Mountain brewed wine -- it is served at the infamous dinner party in which Pike knocked a candle down into a pool of spilled wine, which ignited and set Cutter's shirt on fire. (Strong stuff!) The Sun Folk brewed an alcoholic cider from the fruit of the squatneedle cactus, as described in the Journey to Sorrow's End novel (Page 199). The Wolfriders don't seem to have brewed their own wine, however, relying on trade or theft to obtain it. I can't recall the Go-Backs or Wavedancers brewing alcohol either.
Humans on Abode, just like those on Earth, have long known the art of brewing. On Abode humans made wine at least since the time of chief Bearclaw (see "Wolfrider!" in EQ II No. 23, as referenced earlier). Bearclaw described it as "bile" and spit it out! Later, after the Palace disappears, metal-bearing humans have their own wine in Kahvi No. 4 (reprinted in RC Book 9c: Kahvi), which shows Tyldak stealing wine from them and getting drunk.
In Elfquest's medieval period, Grohmul Djun's guardsmen order a couple of "black bloods" at an inn in the Middle Towns in Shards No. 4 (reprinted in RC Book 12: Ascent) but it is unclear whether this is a form of wine or beer, or something stronger. On Earth, the process of distillation has been known since the time of the ancient Greeks, although they used it only for making pure water from salt water and a few other applications, not for alcohol. Distillation was first applied to alcohol much later (some sources say 800 years ago, while some place it at up to 2000 years ago) but initially, it was difficult to make distilled alchohol in quantity. This situation changed just about 400 years ago with the advent of improved technology -- better copper kettles for stills, for example -- leading to the advent of commercial distillation. Combined with the rise of overseas shipping in the age of mercantilism -- hard liquor was the perfect trade good, being compact, nonperishable and commanding a high price -- the supply of and demand for hard liquor exploded. Spirits went from a curiosity you might find high on a shelf in an apothecary's shop to a commodity sold on practically every street corner. The practice of distillation was applied to many alcoholic bases -- grain mashes like Zarhan's for Scotch and vodka, wine for brandy, molasses for rum, and so on. So if Abode's history follows Earth's, we might expect to see hard liquor becoming common around the time of the explorer Cam Triompe as Abode's own mercantilist era arose and flourished. Spirits are certainly used by the time of the future folk; for instance, by Captain Halm Junnard aboard the spacecraft Dauntless in the "FutureQuest" installment from EQ II No. 15.
Besides alcohol, there are several other intoxicants in Elfquest that can also be found here on Earth. The future folk seem to drink their jakala in the same contexts that we drink coffee, and eat shokkala in the same contexts we eat chocolate. They also partake in some other interesting substances...
In the story "A Friend in Need," from the Winds of Change story collection, Willowgreen is given some hallucinogenic mushroom to eat by the human wise-woman Shayana. As on Earth, the mushrooms are used in shamanic ritual for enlightenment and spiritual growth. Willowgreen had lost her healing magic, and during her journey with the mushroom she regained it. During her trip, Willowgreen also experienced a vision in which she seemed to see Shayana, although she was a long distance away from her friend. This long-distance viewing is often reported by mushroom users on Earth as well.
The Bone Woman gave wackroot to the Thief to make him strong and pain-tolerant (EQ No. 9, reprinted in RC Book 2: The Forbidden Grove). This reminds me very much of the effects attributed to coca leaves as chewed by South Americans. Mark Twain once described coca leaves as "so strength-giving that the native of the mountains of the Madeira region would tramp up hill and down all day on a pinch of powdered coca and require no other sustenance." No doubt some enterprising Junslander eventually refined wackroot into a contraband white powder that sold at a high profit, like the coca-derived drug cocaine on Earth. (However, when Chot refers to a "crack-brain five-finger" (in EQ II No. 21), I doubt he means what we humans call "crackheads.") Wackroot is also used medicinally in "Thick-Coming Fancies" to reduce the swelling of the firejaws' stings.
In New Blood No. 18 (reprinted in RC Book 15: Forevergreen), Dart calls Kimo a "dung-headed toad-licker." This affectionate reprimand reminds me of the Sonoran desert toad (Bufo alvarius) here on Earth, whose glands secrete powerful venom with intoxicating properties. If you call someone a "toad-licker" here on Earth, you're implying that they use this drug! It's an unfortunate phrase, actually: if you do lick the toad, you'll get very sick from toxic substances in the venom -- and the active compound, 5-MeO-DMT, is broken down by enzymes in the stomach, so you won't even get high! The best way to experience this psychedelic is to smoke something that's been saturated with the toad venom. The flame destroys the toxic components while sparing the 5-MeO-DMT. Toad venom can be "milked" without harming the toad, by the way. The main effect of this drug is to disassociate the user from reality -- it has been called a "rocket ship to the void."
Finally, let me conclude this grand tour of Abode's intoxicants with the observation that there's an omission in the World of Two Moons, as compared to Earth. I can't recall ever seeing any character smoking a tobacco analog in all of Elfquest. No pipes, cigars, cigarettes or even hookahs. (When Kahvi inhales the smoke from the burning berries in Kahvi No. 2 (reprinted in RC Book 9c: Kahvi), as mentioned in Sendings No. 18, the smoke is issuing from the Egg of Six Spheres as if from a censer.) Maybe I've missed something, or maybe the inhabitants of Abode are living in a planet-wide no-smoking zone!
© 2004
linda_tam@alumni.hmc.edu
Initially posted on December 12, 2004
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