“Bottled Appetites” | Around The Table: The Lore, Culture, and History Behind The Witcher
The world of Andrzej Sapkowski and Netflix’s The Witcher draws inspiration from real life history, folklore, and culture.
Join Alyssa from GoodMorhen, the host and producer of Breakfast in Beauclair, and Witcher content creators Anita and Karolina of Witcher Kitchen, Brett from Whispers of Oxenfurt, Charlotte from Vengerberg Glamarye, Cyprian from Berlin, and Lars from Witcherflix in this episode as they share facts and tidbits about the origin of djinns, worldbuilding through casting decisions, Medieval Dancing Mania, Yennefer’s signature lilac and gooseberry scent, and the simple origins behind the name ‘Ciri’.
Transcript
ALYSSA: What surprising item at a Swiss business named author Andrzej Sapkowski’s Princess of Cintra? Where can you purchase a lore-accurate edition of Yennefer’s famous lilac and gooseberry perfume?
Welcome to Breakfast in Beauclair’s “Around The Table,” a segment where we go around the Beauclair breakfast table with other Witcher content creators sharing facts and tidbits about the production and real life history, folklore, and culture behind an episode of Netflix’s The Witcher. This week we’re diving into Episode 105, “Bottled Appetites”.
BRETT: Hey, this is Brett from Whispers of Oxenfurt. Jinns or djinns or genies come from Arabian and Islamic folklore, most popularly known due to the hit Shaquille O'Neal joint, Kazaam! Oh, wh–what’s that? Nobody remembers that mid-90’s bomb but me? Then probably the Disney movie Aladdin. Not the live action one. Djinns are supernatural creatures that are neither good or evil, much like humans. While they existed before Islam, they are mentioned dozens of times in the Quran. While not inherently evil, those that act that way are known as ifrits, which make an appearance in “The Fisherman and the Jinn” from Sheherazade’s “A Thousand and One Nights”.
LARS: Hey, it’s Lars from Witcherflix. Did you notice that almost every actor or actress with a speaking role living in Rinde, where Yennefer is staying, is a German native speaker? Lucas Englander, who plays the elf, Chireadan, is from Austria. Joachim Paul Assböck, who plays the man asking Yennefer to help him with his sex problems is German, just like his character’s wife, who is played by Anita Olatunji. And last but not least, there’s Richard van Weyden, who plays the bald guard whose head explodes. You guessed it—he’s also German. But what does it mean for the show lore? Is the local dialect in the city of Rinde in Redania German-sounding? Well, the word ‘rinde’ is German and means ‘bark’, as in ‘tree bark’. Or is even the whole dialect of Redania like this? Well, I hope we will see in Season 2.
CYPRIAN: Hey! This is Cyprian from Berlin. Yennefer and her ever-so-convincing charm. I’m, of course, talking about the scene in Episode 5 where we see Yen and Geralt meeting for the first time in a room full of half-naked people dancing trance-like, seemingly victims of a curse or spell. You know what this reminds me of? Medieval dancing mania. Yeah, that really happened. Across Europe and across many centuries, we have accounts of people, and I quote, “dancing madly all day and all night until they collapse in ecstasy.” Groups of participants could range from just one to a dozen, up to tens of thousands at a time. The cause is, to this day, unknown. But at the time, witchcraft was, of course, considered a possibility.
CHARLOTTE: Hey, this is Charlotte from Vengerberg Glamarye. This is the grand moment in the series where Geralt meets Yennefer for the first time. This is also the moment in the show when Yennefer’s famous lilac and gooseberry perfume is mentioned. As you probably know, I’m really into perfume. The appeal of perfume is that it is at one ephemeral and empowering. It creates a shimmering, invisible armor that lingers in a room long after its wearer has gone. And it infuses our imagination with a subtle power, hinting at a hidden identity. Magic and perfume almost always walk hand-in-hand. Lilacs have a lore all their own: according to Greek mythology, it begins with a beautiful nymph named Syringa. Captivated by her beauty, Pan, the god of the forest, chases her through the woods. And, frightened by him, she turns herself into an aromatic bush: the flower we now refer to as lilac. In the language of flowers, purple lilacs symbolize the first emotions of love. Gooseberries also have tales of their own. In England, it’s said that babies are found under gooseberry bushes. To dream of the berries is a sign you will bear many children. And gooseberries generally served as a symbol of anticipation. Even Yennefer’s nickname, Yen, has a hidden meaning. The word ‘yen’ means ‘craving’ or ‘longing’. If you want to experience Yennefer’s famous perfume yourself, check out my website at glamarye.com.
KAROLINA: Hey, here is Karolina from Witcher Kitchen. Ciri, in the series, after escaping from the besieged Cintra, had to hide her identity. That’s why she introduced herself with the false name of Fiona. But have you ever wondered what are the origins and what’s the story behind her original name? Sapkowski explains it in the Historia i Fantastyka publication. He revealed that the name ‘Ciri’ was based on the name of a jacket! Quoting the author, "While at some business in Switzerland, I was browsing my client's pricing list with kids’ jackets, which names were based on female ones. So, there were Isabelle, Susanne, Elise, Mabel. There was also Ciri. ‘Good one,’ I thought. And I put it in my notes.” End of quote. Yep, so Ciri’s basically the name based on a jacket. Simple as that!
ALYSSA: Thanks for sharing breakfast with us in this installment of “Around The Table.” The Witcher Universe has so much to uncover! Let us know in the comments below what you found interesting from today’s segment and if you have something new to share with our hanza about this episode. We’ll see you after the next episode of Breakfast in Beauclair.