Main characters: How old are they?

[Gennad86]

I remember that the old Pen & Paper says that Geralt and Yennefer have the same age.

Where? At least, it was never said in the books.

 

[wichat]

Geralt - around 57.
Ciri - ~20.

Geralt leflt Kaer Morhen when he was a young man, a new witchar leaves the school after decades of training (ones years for reach biological maturity, the same trial herbs slows this process. So a child 12 years after the trial take 10 years instead of 5 years in old who normal growth. Then come the long workouts to work that adult body. A reasonable estimate of the young Geralt located around 35 (older and later than Eskel and Lamber because noone of them was subjected to the Last Trial of Grass like Geralt as GEralt was) years old when he leaves Kaern Morhen.

To get his reputation was so widespread in all Kingdoms and beyond its borders, several more years had to pass, so Geralt must already exceed 55 years old when he first met Calanthe, and DUNY. No Wticher could reach such fame being in his 30'

So when games begin Geralt must be in his ending 70's or middle 80's. Player games in the series have the wrong impression that Geralt is a middle-aged NORMAL man and forgets that the average middle-age of a witcher is about 100 years.

 

[Gennad86]

must already exceed 55 years old when he first met Calanthe, and DUNY. No Wticher could reach such fame being in his 30'

He met them when he was ~40. He had been known as the Butcher of Blaviken for already ten years. So he was definitely famous.

 

[wichat]

He met them when he was ~40. He had been known as the Butcher of Blaviken for already ten years. So he was definitely famous.

I'm talking his fame as a great Professional Witcher, not his infamous. But if you want ot believe that Witcher calendar life is the same than normal human being, I won't discute your own perception. Geralt is a middle-aged mand in his 40's. All right.

 

[Gennad86]

But if you want ot believe that Witcher calendar life is the same than normal human being, I won't discute your own perception. Geralt is a middle-aged mand in his 40's. All right.

He is in his 50's, almost 60.
If you speak about his professional skills - well, by this time he had already dealt with Striga, so he is certainly famous as a professional, because even Temerian king knows him personally and is very grateful to him.
I think there is enough argumentation for his age, see the previous posts. It doesn't have anything with his appearance, it only takes info from books.

 

[vahouth]

Geralt is 97 in the books. This means he is around 103 in the game.

How's that? In this game Vesemir says that Geralt is almost a century old.
So he's not above 100 yet.

 

[Ortwyn]

Philippa Eilhart is around 300

I doubt Philippa is already 300 years old, rather 150-200, even though it could be possible

From BoE:
Apart from that, Philippa Eilhart was an important figure in the Council of Wizards, and King Vizimir’s trusted court magician. She was a very talented enchantress. Word had it that she was one of the few to have mastered the art of polymorphy. She looked thirty. In truth she was probably no less than three hundred years old.

It is worth mentioning that Marigold said this. Firstly, Marigold says probably, which means he does not know it for sure. Secondly, Marigold is known to be prone to exaggeration. So it is entirely possible that she is around 150-200 years old.

We know nothing at all about Assire.

We know something. She is only two generations older than Cahir. Therefore I suppose she is not older than Yen or Sabrina.

Spoiler

‘Yes,’ Assire confirmed. ‘Ceallach visited me, in despair, asking me for help for intercession, with his son, whom Emperor Emhyr has ordered captured, tortured and executed. To whom is a desperate father to turn to, if not a relative? Mawr, Ceallach’s wife, the mother of Cahir, is my niece, my sister’s youngest daughter.

Triss is about 35-40

According to the Roderick de Novembre's History book Kaer Morhen was attacked by fanatics in 1185-1188 years. Triss mentioned in books, that she was born after ~50 years since siege. So her age ~40.

In BoE she says she was born half century past the attack on Kaer Morhen, which took place around 1185, so she was born around 1235. It's heavily underlined that she is young, for example, Sabrina calling her The little Merigold etc.

Yes, she is young. However (ToC citation): The term ‘young’, as Geralt was aware, was used in reference to the wizards up to the age of a hundred. The Little Merigold is used in reference to dominant Yen who just 'explained' Triss that she shall not smile at Geralt. And she is young compared to Yen.

Okay, let's say that Kaer Morhen was attacked in 1185. Triss says that she does not feel guilty for something other mages did half the century before she was born. Does this mean she was born exactly 50 years before this event? What if she just rounded it up or down? People use approximations a lot, especially if it benefits them. Triss might have said half the century, because it sounds better than i.e. 30 or 40 years. The main message was clear - it was decades ago before she was born and the collective guilt sucks.

Why I think this is the case? As Kallelinski said...

I think it's safe to say that Triss is at least 40, Yennefer and her were good friends before Geralt even met Yennefer, so assuming Yennefer didn't have a 10-15yo girl as a friend, she was most likely already 20-25 at this point, probably older, then add Ciri's age to that and you get 40-45 as a minimum.
She also says that "Triss always said that if you have seen one naked man, you have seen them all", so i would assume she has already quite some experience, that wouldn't really be indicative that she was much younger than 25 at this point, unless she had already a quite passionate life

Season of Storms takes place in 1245, Geralt meets Yen one year before and Yen mentions her friend Triss who said that "if you have seen one naked man, you have seen them all". You claim that Triss was born in 1235 so she was 9 years old back then? However she has already been Yen's friend and had intimate experience?

Then she became student at Aretuza. How old are mages when they leave academy? My guess is 25 (similar to our master degree, magic is not easy field of study), then she became either an assistant professor at Aretuza or dwimveandra or assistant of an experienced sorceress (from Season of Storms).

However, in 1263 (28 years old) she was Temerian royal advisor (advisors were carefully chosen by the Conclave, weren't they?), she fought at Sodden surrounded by elite mages of all the North and has already had typical sorceress' sex experience (forbidden fruit, promiscuity, disappointment, long period of loneliness, lesbian sex and finally she only had some sexul encounters with other mages until she met Geralt).

Finally in 1267 (32 years old) she joined the most powerful sorceresses of the whole world in the Lodge.

Sorry, but I don't find this story very plausible. I would rather believe that Triss said "half the century", but it was actually only 30-35 years.

 

[Gennad86]

The Little Merigold is used in reference to dominant Yen

In Russian it says "Малышка" which means "little kid". I'm pretty sure she meant her age.

Season of Storms takes place in 1245,

No. The Last Wish takes place in 1255, Season of Storms - even later. She was 19-20 when Yennefer and Geralt first met.

However, in 1263 (28 years old) she was Temerian royal advisor (advisors were carefully chosen by the Conclave, weren't they?), she fought at Sodden surrounded by elite mages of all the North

Maybe because she was very talented?
Also, she was royal advisor in 1265 (BoE), we don't know exactly if she was before.

Sorry, but I don't find this story very plausible. I would rather believe that Triss said "half the century", but it was actually only 30-35 years.

The safest way is to consider this number as 50 years. You may interpret it as you wish, still there is a number in the books and this is what we should base our calculations on, as it doesn't contradict anything else.

 

[Gilthoniel]

No. The Last Wish takes place in 1255, Season of Storms - even later. She was 19-20 when Yennefer and Geralt first met.

Can you please tell me where did you get that information? After reading this polish forum http://sapkowski.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3507 your claiming that The Last Wish takes place in 1255 seems to be wrong.

Spoiler

1. Ziarno prawdy - odczarowanie Nivellena2. Mniejsze zło – pobyt w Blaviken
3. Kraniec świata
4. Ostatnie życzenie – pierwsze spotkanie Geralta z Yennefer,
- czerwiec 1250 – Geralt i Yennefer się rozstają.

Punktem zwrotnym było wasze rozstanie. Kiedyź to się stało? Rok temu? Ach, jakże szybko mija ten czas… (Sezon burz, s.55)

5. Sezon Burz – czerwiec-sierpień 1251

- Wiedźmin Geralt z Rivii – powtórzył mężczyzna w ciszy, jaka zapadła w izbie. – W drodze do Wyzimy, jak sądzę? Po nagrodę obiecaną przez króla Foltesta? (Sezon burz, s.380)

Geralt w rzeczywistości nie wybierał się w tamtym czasie do Wyzimy - podejrzewał go o to wiedźmin Brehen, Kot z Iello. Geralt odwiedził Wyzimę 2 lata później.

6. Kwestia ceny - jesień (październik) 1252 roku, Pavetta jest już brzemienna.
7. Wiedźmin – walka ze strzygą - rok 1253

Prawdopodobnie jednym ze wspomnianych przez Velerada wiedźminów był Brehen Kot z Illeo

- Nie wiem. A wiedźmini, grododzierżco? Próbowali?
- Było kilku, a jakże. (…)

8. Głos rozsądku – pobyt w świątyni Melitele po walce ze strzygą – rok 1253

Ha, jeśli dobrze liczę, ten dzieciak musiał urodzić się w maju, gdzieś w okolicach święta Belleteyn.

9. Granica możliwości – polowanie na smoka – Geralt spotyka Yennefer po 4 latach – rok 1254

Te cztery lata zrobiły swoje, Geralt. Przeszło mi już, tylko i wyłącznie dlatego nie naplułam ci w oczy przy dzisiejszym spotkaniu.

10. Okruch lodu
11. Wieczny ogień
12. Trochę poświęcenia
13. Miecz przeznaczenia – Geralt spotyka w Brokilonie Ciri, która wygląda na 10 letnie dziecko - wiosna/lato rok 1262

Miała jasne, mysiopopielate włosy i wielkie, jadowicie zielone oczy. Nie mogła mieć więcej niż dziesięć lat.

14. Coś więcej – rok po zakończeniu I wojny z Nilfgaardem, pora roku: wczesna jesień- rok 1264
wczesna jesień 1264 – spotkanie Geralta i Ciri przed domem kupca Yurgi

Retrospekcje Geralta w tym ostatnim opowiadaniu:
- Cintra spotkanie z Calanthe – Ciri ma 5 lat - rok 1258
- Spotkanie Geralta z Yennefer w święto Belleteyn
- Wczesna jesień, spotkanie Geralta z Jaskrem nad Jarugą – I wojna z Nilfgaardem (rok 1263), klęska pod Sodden.

15. Krew elfów
jesień 1264 – wczesna wiosna 1266 – Ciri przebywa w Kaer Morhen
wiosna 1266 - czerwiec 1267 – Ciri przebywa w Ellander w świątyni Melitele

Cytaty dowodzące, że Ciri w Kaer Morhen spędziła ponad rok czasu:

- To nie tak, jak myślisz - odchrząknął starzec. - Geralt przywiózł ją tu zeszłej jesieni. Ona nie ma nikogo, oprócz... Triss, jak tu nie wierzyć w przeznaczenie, gdy...

- Jej normalne życie spłonęło razem z Cintrą - mruknął Geralt. - Ale cóż, Triss, jak zwykle masz rację. Już pomyśleliśmy o tym. Gdy nadejdzie wiosna, zawiozę ją do szkoły świątynnej. Do Nenneke, do Ellander.

Śnieg padał i padał. Rozjaśniło się, dopiero gdy nastał Midinvaerne, Dzień Zimowego Przesilenia...

Po wyjeździe z Kaer Morhen Ciri mówi, że ma prawie 13 lat:

A ja mam prawie trzynaście lat, szybkiego kasztanka i ostry miecz na plecach.

16. Czas pogardy
1 lipca 1267 – wydarzenia na Thanedd
lipiec- 9 wrzesień 1267 – Ciri ze Szczurami

17. Chrzest ognia
9 wrzesień-23 września 1267 – Ciri z Bonhartem

Poniższy cytat wskazuje, że pomiędzy uratowaniem kupca Yurgi na moście przed potworami a wspólnym podróżowaniem Geralta z Zoltanem Chivaiem i krasnoludami minęło trzy lata:

- Nie - odezwał się nagle Wiedźmin. - Z drugiej koncepcji proponuję od razu zrezygnować. Nawet o tym nie myślmy. Na tamtym brzegu prędzej czy później wpakujemy się na któreś z Miechunowych Uroczysk. To paskudne miejsca, stanowczo radzę trzymać się od nich z daleka.
- Znasz tedy te tereny? Byłeś tu kiedyś? Wiesz, jak się stąd wydostać?
Wiedźmin milczał przez chwilę.
- Byłem tam raz - powiedział, trąc czoło. - Trzy lata temu. Ale wjechałem z przeciwnej strony, od wschodu. Zmierzałem ku Brugge i chciałem skrócić sobie drogę. A jak się wydostałem, nie pamiętam. Bo wywieziono mnie półżywego na wozie.

Dzięki powyższemu cytatowi oraz wiedzy, że Ciri spędziła w Kaer Morhen ponad rok można obliczyć jaki okres była w świątyni Melitele. Wychodzi, że musiała tam spędzić również ponad rok.

18. Wieża jaskółki
27 wrzesień-koniec października 1267- Ciri kuruje się u Vysogoty
31października/1 listopada 1267 – Ciri w Dun Dâre
około 21 listopada 1267 – Ciri wchodzi do w Wieży Jaskółki

19. Pani jeziora
marzec 1268 – Ciri pojawia się w zamku Stygga/ bitwa pod Brenną
2 kwietnia 1268 - pokój cintryjski
6/7 czerwiec 1268 - pogrom w Rivii. Ciri ma skończone 15 lat

 

[Sabrina_Glevissig]

Sabrina can help


The Voice Of Reason I-VII = autumn 1256

The Witcher = autumn 1256

A Grain of Truth = 1235

The Lesser Evil = 1240

The Edge Of The World = autumn 1253

The Last Wish = summer 1255

The Bounds of Reason = autumn 1260

A Shard of Ice = feb. 1261

Eternal Fire = spring/summer 1261

A Little Sacrifice = summer 1261

The Sword of Destiny = the end of summer 1261

Something More = autumn 1263

 

[Gilthoniel]

Sabrina can help


The Voice Of Reason I-VII = autumn 1256

The Witcher = autumn 1256

A Grain of Truth = 1235

The Lesser Evil = 1240

The Edge Of The World = autumn 1253

The Last Wish = summer 1255

The Bounds of Reason = autumn 1260

A Shard of Ice = feb. 1261

Eternal Fire = spring/summer 1261

A Little Sacrifice = summer 1261

The Sword of Destiny = the end of summer 1261

Something More = autumn 1263

Thanks Sabrina - so it seems the timeline posted on http://sapkowski.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3507 is completely wrong then...hmm

 

[Ortwyn]

No. The Last Wish takes place in 1255, Season of Storms - even later. She was 19-20 when Yennefer and Geralt first met.

The Last Wish = summer 1255

There are letters in the SoS specifying the exact dates - year 1245.

 

[Gennad86]

Thanks Sabrina - so it seems the timeline posted on http://sapkowski.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3507 is completely wrong then...hmm

Not completely, still some dates are certainly wrong. Dijkstra told Dandelion in BoE that he knew Dandelion was around 40. And Geralt says in The Swallow's Tower (~1267) that Dandelion is almost 40 and started making music when he was 19. So he was born in 1227-1229 and in The Last Wish he is already a well known poet.
http://www.sapkowski.su/modules.php?name=Articles&pa=showarticle&artid=112 provides with some really good analysis, though it is in Russian.

There are letters in the SoS specifying the exact dates - year 1245.

And this is where Sapkowski lost his timeline.

 

[Gilthoniel]

And this is where Sapkowski lost his timeline.

Yeah it is really confusing...

 

[Gennad86]

Yeah it is really confusing...

Well, he wrote SoS 15 years after LotL, he could forget the whole line he had in his heaad.

 

[Ghastly30]

In the Season of Storms, Sapkowski simply made a mistake. The action of the book takes place one year after Geralt left Yennefer in Vengerberg. So it was in 1251. If so we assume, the chronology of Polish forum is completely correct.

Sabrina can help


The Voice Of Reason I-VII = autumn 1256

The Witcher = autumn 1256

A Grain of Truth = 1235

The Lesser Evil = 1240

The Edge Of The World = autumn 1253

The Last Wish = summer 1255

The Bounds of Reason = autumn 1260

A Shard of Ice = feb. 1261

Eternal Fire = spring/summer 1261

A Little Sacrifice = summer 1261

The Sword of Destiny = the end of summer 1261

Something More = autumn 1263

I don't know where you get it, but all the dates are wrong, except perhaps those stories about which we have no idea when exactly could happen, for example. "A Grain of Truth". How do you know it was in 1235? In the books there is absolutely no information about it.

 

[Kallelinski]

Please remind me why he sucks with numbers.

And this is where Sapkowski lost his timeline.

Well, he wrote SoS 15 years after LotL, he could forget the whole line he had in his heaad.

Oh, really? Sapkowski messing up with numbers?

 

[Darkodin]

In BoE she says she was born half century past the attack on Kaer Morhen, which took place around 1185

According to the Roderick de Novembre's History book Kaer Morhen was attacked by fanatics in 1185-1188 years.

Where was this stated? I've seen it a couple of times and people keep repeating it but I couldn't find any mention of it in the books.

Sabrina can help

That is utterly and completely wrong.
The Witcher takes place the same year Ciri is born, so according to you she is 5 in The Sword of Destiny and 7 in Something More

 

[OptoNick]

The Witcher takes place the same year Ciri is born

There are no clear indications for that, though. In 'Voice of Reason 4' Geralt remembering her possible date of birth, but it could happen few years later, as well

But all of these dates are not really crucial for the story, only the chronological sequence of events In one case Sapkowski missed in SoS his own dates by ~10 years, in other case - only by ~7

 

[Darkodin]

That is a good point. But I've never seen anyone place The Last Wish later than 1250. If it's 1255 then there's not enough time for all of their breakups given that they had a 4 year break and a 3 year break.
An yes, it doesn't really matter when it happened... it just bugs me when things aren't clear.