Dol Blathanna, translated from Elder Speech as the Valley of Flowers, was a kingdom and later an allod to Aedirn. It is bordered on the north by Kaedwen and the Blue Mountains to the east. It belonged to the elves for ages, until humans came and laid claim to the land about one hundred years ago, and the elves fled to the mountains.
History[]
The region, while originally held by the Aen Seidhe, later fell to humans around the 1160s and, by the summer of 1267, was ruled over by a governor from Vengerberg.[2] However, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard, looking to take out the northern mages to prevent a humiliating defeat like during the First Northern War, enlisted the help of Francesca Findabair, promising to give her Dol Blathanna and make her queen. After the Thanedd coup, while there were heavy casualties on all sides, Francesca was successful and, true to his word, the emperor made her queen, giving the elves a kingdom of their own, as he began his second full-scale invasion of the north.[3]
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'His Imperial Majesty,' said the ambassador, bowing stiffly, 'cannot interfere in the doings of Dol Blathanna, recognised by all its neighbouring powers as an independent kingdom.' 'But not by Redania. For Redania, Dol Blathanna remains part of the Kingdom of Aedirn. Although together with the elves and Kaedwen you have dismantled Aedirn - although not a stone remains of Lyria - you are striking those kingdoms too swftly from the map of the world. It's too soon, Your Excellency. However, this neither the time nor the place to discuss it. Let Francesca Findabair play at reigning for now; she'll get her comeuppance. |
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| - Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen to Sigismund Dijkstra, pg. 26 Baptism of Fire (U.K. edition) | |||
Second Northern War[]
However, this was short-lived. Following the Battle of Brenna in March of 1268, Nilfgaard once more suffered a devastating defeat and by early April, meetings were held to hash out the terms of peace. Meanwhile, Aedirn's king, Demavend III, acknowledged the new land, but as a duchy rather than a kingdom, and requested he be paid a tribute and that Dol Blathanna grant equal rights to humans and elves.[4] Francesca, having heard all this upstairs with the other Lodge of Sorceresses' members, agreed to all of Demavend's conditions except paying tribute, making Dol Blathanna a freehold and lowering her status to that of duchess.
Notable people[]
Notable locations[]
The Witcher[]
In Chapter III, Dandelion reminds Geralt about how he got his current lute, referring to the short story "The Edge of the World". In Chapter IV, Toruviel makes a similar reference. The glossary entry for elves also refers to Dol Blathanna, going as far as mentioning Dana Méadbh .
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings[]
Dol Blathanna is a mentioned location in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Iorveth claims that his people have no future there, despite being home for over 2000 elves for the last 5 years since its formation into an elven state. Only a little over a dozen elven children have been born so far in it, because most of its inhabitants are old and sterile, and Francesca Findabair is forced to abide by the Nilfgaardian emperor's rules, which ordered her to sacrifice the Scoia'tael to their execution at the hands of the other Northern monarchs. This is the main reason behind Iorveth's support for Saskia, the Virgin of Aedirn. He believes that the Pontar Valley might be the first suitable place for elves to flourish and not be persecuted.
A book available for purchase entitled The Valley of the Flowers provides this glossary entry in Geralt's journal.
Strangely enough, the game constantly refers to Dol Blathanna as an independent kingdom rather than an autonomous duchy in Aedirn.
Journal entry[]
- In the elven tongue Dol Blathanna means the Valley of the Flowers. Anyone who sees this land with their own eyes would admit to the aptness of this poetic name. Once the southeasternmost province of the Kingdom of Aedirn, it became the sole and sovereign realm of the Free Elves following the last war against Nilfgaard, when Emperor Emhyr var Emreis gave the elves these lands in return for their wartime service. Dol Blathanna is ruled by the elven sorceress Francesca Findabair, known also as Enid an Gleanna, the Daisy of the Valley. It remains a thorn in the side of neighboring realms, even though its queen has been forced to distance herself officially from the guerrilla war waged by the Scoia'tael.
Notes[]
- The short story "The Edge of the World" mostly takes place here, chronologically before the war.
- The area is incorrectly placed on the World map created by CD PROJEKT RED.
- Dol Blathanna is the setting for the seventh episode of the The Hexer, "Dolina Kwiatów".
Gallery[]
References[]
| Countries and regions in The Witcher | |
|---|---|
| Northern Kingdoms | |
| Nilfgaardian Empire | |
| Eastern Lands | |
| Far South | |
| Western Continent | |
| Former Regions | |