Scott asked me to post this plea for help. The publishers of the comic book series for Red Prophet have asked us for a list of the entire Miller family as well as a list of knacks that they and others have. Anybody know the Alvin series well enough to dive into this one? We'd really appreciate any help that could be given.
We've got Vigor that died, so don't know his knack, if he had one. Then there's Calm, I think, then Measure, who had a touch of the Maker knack, but I don't know what else. Then there's David and then Wastenot and Wantnot, who I think know when something bad is going to happen. The youngest boy is Calvin, obviously, who is a maker. Then there are the girls, Eleanor, Matilda, Beatrice, Elizabeth, Anne and Mary (I had to look that one up, all I could remember is Eleanor). I don't recall any of them having any knacks (which seems vaguely sexist to me, but that's beside the point [edit: and I guess I was wrong on that one (see PJ's post below) so I apologize for any vague accusations of vague sexism]).
I dunno, am I forgetting any? I'm sure I left out some of the knacks. I need to reread that series soon.
Edit: Just saw the link. Sorry. Looks like you're missing Calvin, David and Calm. And then most of the girls.
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Miller family: Parents Alvin Senior and Faith. Children Vigor (deceased), David, Calm, Measure, Eleanor, Wastenot, Wantnot, Matilda, Beatrice, Elizabeth, Anne, Mary, Alvin, Calvin.
From Seventh Son:
quote:"David's got a knack with the ladies," said Calm.
"Calm's got dancing feet at a hoedown. Ain't nobody fiddles like him, neither," said David. "It ain't on tune all the time, but he keeps that bow busy."
"Measure's a true shot," said Calm. "He's got an eye for things too far off for most folks to see."
"We got our knacks," said David. "The twins have a way of knowing when trouble's brewing, and getting there just about in time."
"And Pa, he fits things together. We have him do all the wood joints when we're building furniture."
"The womenfolk got women's knacks."
Calvin's knacks are similar to Alvin's but weaker, and seem to center on water rather than earth/iron.
Measure and Eleanor are best at learning from Alvin in Prentice Alvin. It's also said somewhere that Measure was named well, since he could accurately size up a man's character (or something to that effect). And Eleanor is nearly as good a hexmaker as Alvin.
The list of knacks for others is gonna be pretty long, but lemme see what I can remember quick.
Peggy Larner Smith is a torch. Hooch palmer is a spark. Hank Dowser is a dowser. Verily Cooper makes things fit together. John Binder makes ropes that don't fray. Taleswapper is a prophet "in his bones." Arthur Stuart is a mimic and learns from Alvin. Purity Orphan can tell when people are telling the truth. Napoleon could make people love him. Mike Fink didn't have a knack per se, but had a protective hex as a tattoo. Tenskwa-Tawa and Ta-Kumsaw (and any other reds, I guess) didn't have knacks but had abilities through their connection with the land. Vilate Franker knows where things come from and where they'll end up. Finders find. Merlin Wheeler could see what was fair and right. Albert Wimsey had a knack for fine metalwork. Jan knickerbacker had an eye to see things more clearly than most folks. Ma Bartlett could tell if someone was trustworthy. Billy Sweet was likeable. Naomi Lerner could spot ignorance a mile away. Joreboam Jemelett had a touch of fire knackery. Goody Trader could tell what folks needed. Captain Alexander could help you find your way. Alfreda Matthews can predict (or cause, possibly) rain when she's sober. Melyn can harp and sing to make you forget everything and be happy. Maggie could ride any horse no matter how wild. Dorcas Bee drew portraits showing inner and outer selves.
I'll see about more later.
--Pop
[Edit -- I suppose if I had a fully-functional brain I'd realize that they probably don't need people from future books.]
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I shouldn'ta even tried. Gettin shown up by Papa Janitor, shoulda known, grumble grumble grumble... Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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Old Pappy had a knack for cooking. This is mentioned a few times. As for the Miller kids, there were fourteen total: Vigor
David (next oldest [SS 41]) Calm Measure (talent for being keen-eyed and careful [SS 42]) Eleanor ("younger than all the boys except the twins [SS 19]) Wastenot Wantnot (both a dozen years older than Alvin [SS 7]) Matilda (ten years older than Alvin [SS 52]) Beatrice (nine years older than Alvin [SS 53]) Elizabeth (eight years older than Alvin [SS 53]) Anne (six years older than Alvin [SS 53]) Mary (four years older than Alvin [SS 53]) Alvin Calvin (three years younger than Alvin [SS 50]) used to always follow Alvin around [SS 50]
Thrower's into phrenology [SS 37] discovers Alvin's head to be perfectly normal [SS 47] Vigor Church has a lot of German and Swedish settlers [SS 44]
more to come . . .
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I remember Eleanor as being somewhat of an herbalist. In the incident where Alvin pokes his sister, didn't it imply the sister had a knack of making a kid angry without alerting the adults? Or is that just a run of the mill sister-power?
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What must it be like to (perhaps) feel like your only purpose for being born was to toss the dice for a seventh son? I suppose that's more purpose than most people have for being born.
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Eleanor was pregnant at the time of Seventh Son, and David and Calm were also married. Eleanor still used magic after she got married--Taleswapper got down on the floor to admire the hexes she made with hanging plants [SS 96]. She also performed a calming on Armor [SS 99].
Taleswapper also has a knack for sweet-talking.
And, of course, there's Ta-Kumsaw's wife Becca Weaver, the one of the loom, and her kids. She's introduced as early as Red Prophet. Also in RP, Napolean has a knack for making people love him, but La Fayette had an amulet that nullified it that he got from Robespierre. Frederic de Maurepas was charmed by Napolean, and the king of France at the time was Charles something. Hope this helps.
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Vigor seemed ok with being part of a plan for a seventh son. And all of Alvin's younger sisters tormented him on a regular basis, though it was purely out of love, as Taleswapper noticed. The older boys sometimes did refer to Eleanor as Eleanor of Aquitaine though.
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Eleanor had a knack for cooking, too. Thrower commented that the food was so good, it'd almost make him believe in knackery. She (and Armor) got miffed by that comment.
Measure, along with what has been stated, also had a knack for whistling. It's not stated that it's a knack; however, without his whistling, Alvin wouldn't have been able to (mostly) heal his own leg when it was time to do so.
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Measure also had the nack for being able to "measure" things, as I think was mentioned right before the church beam fell
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Dead Mary could see when people were sick, and how far along the sickness was. Also, if death was imminent. I don't recall her real last name, or her age. I believe she was around Arthur Stuart's age though.
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The impression I got, although it may not have been intended, was that Eleanor was almost a maker with her talents, or at least very, very talented....and even the Reds were impressed with her hexes.
Not that the hexes stopped him (the Prophet), but it almost did...I believe that he mentioned how much stronger they were because they were made of living plants, and that it was a tie to his own power, the Greensong. Hexes were a white man thing, and reflected their desire to control and shape things, where the Greensong was more about living with the land and drawing it's power without disturbing things (usually).
I may be confusing who noticed it...it could have been Taleswapper, but I thought it was the Prophet.
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And all of Alvin's younger sisters tormented him on a regular basis, though it was purely out of love, as Taleswapper noticed. The older boys sometimes did refer to Eleanor as Eleanor of Aquitaine though.
