The Jargoon Pard 1

• My book was written in 1974 by Andre Norton as a Del Rae book published by Ballantine Books with ISBN: 0-345-31192-2 and Library of Congress number 83-90024.
• This is a book of the Witch World, in an area north of Estcarp and Escore, called Arvon. The protagonist, Kethan, relates his life from birth, kidnapping by Lady Haroise to have a son that inherits and replace a daughter Aylinn that can not, estranged raising in a manor where all animals fear him. He inherits as he is the son of the sister of the House Lord Erach (who is unaware of everything happening), and the Maughus, Lord Erach's son, is his enemy, and Thaney, Lord Erach's daughter, is to be his bride. A visiting trader Ibycus leaves a belt of leopard skin with a Jargoon stone buckle with Lady Edris, Lord Erach's mother, who has Thaney give it as a betrothal gift to Kethan. Later, the full moon and the belt draw him out to run free, and as he sneaks back Ursilla, the wise woman 'serving' Haroise, demands it from him. He rejects her demand, and at a later moon, when it gives him a leopard's form, she has a servant hawk rip it from him, trapping him at that form. He finds his true parents, Gillan and Herrel, and Alynn his replacement, and they overcome their suspicions about him and help him regain his form and learn his true identity as a were-animal, like his father Herrel, who is a were-snow-leopard.
• This is a familiar story, and Kethan is sympathetic in his struggles, learning patience and how to change his form by himself. The feudal system is interesting, and the shadows of older power centers are well developed.
• At one point, Andre Norton actually imparts a full bit of structure. Magic comes in nine forms, all of which may be used for the Light and for the Dark.
• Red is for health of body, physical strength, the art of war.
• Orange is self confidence and strong desire.
• Yellow is magic of the mind, needing logic and philosophy, the art of Thaumaturge.
• "Green is the hue not only of Nature's growing things and fertility, but also of beauty and the creating of beauty though man's own efforts." (p 106)
• Blue summons emotions, whatever gods men believe in, and prophecy.
• Indigo is weather, storms, and foretelling though the stars.
• Purple has seeds of hate, lust, fear, and power, and is far too easily misused.
• Violet is the pure power of spirits.
• Brown is the magic of woods and glades, and of the animal world.
• Kethan seeks Brown and Blue, and honors Green. He several times abstains from murder of enemies (purple, orange, and red), and frees himself from an entrapping pentagon of candles by changing their orange and red color to blue and green flame. He reaches to his parents, declaring his allegiance to blue and green. When Ursulla traps Kethan and Alynn with purple flames, she generates silvery moon-light to extinguish them. (Moon light plays a role here -- is it silver, a new color?)
• Mention is made of Gunnora, one who presides at birth, and this presents part of the shadowy system of gods and goddesses which Andre Norton never does present in full, but only on part. They are as much shamanic heroes as gods, and their origin is often implied to be that of adepts in power, with allegiance to yet higher beings. This is not unlike the Finnish system of powers. The magic system is a framework against which the chain of allegiance rests.