Characters

In a myth of the magnitude of The Summer Boy it seems imperative to become acquainted with the characters; their identity may become significant and vital for a full understanding of the myth.
Here are some of the important characters:

The summer boy was named 'Boy' by his father and a number of other things by other characters.  His given name was Ben, but that name plays a very small part in the narrative. He was named successively Little Bear, Bard, Drum and a few other things in the course of the story.
Ben's father was Harry, who sounds like a drill sergeant to an unhappy son.

Ben's Aunt Mary was as permissive to Ben as Harry, her brother was demanding. Mary named Ben "Little Bear" and encouraged him to explore, but perhaps she didn't realize what kind of exploration Little Bear would make. Mary also had a staff that Bard made us of in his wanderings.

Way up the mountain an old man lived, named Ethan Owl; Ben got acquainted with him, but didn't immediately understand Owl's mythopoeic significance.   He's the first of the many characters who seemed to exist materially and also in a spirit world.  Owl became Ben's mentor.

In his wanderings Ben came upon a road; he followed it and encountered an old truck and at a substantial river.  The man in the truck, named Roberlee took up with Ben and named him Bard..  They were both waiting for a ferry, operated by Charley Charon.  The Charons had operated the ferry for several generations, and Charlie married Calley, one of the most important figures in the myth, and very much of a 'spirit' person.

The Charons were dark skins, but they had adopted a light skinned girl named Elizabeth who led the music of the afternoon.  That evening she brought towell and soap and gave the first of a statement that became famous, "Mama said you would be needing these" and another equally poignant statement, "We're all dead, don't you know, we're only real when we're in the music.

An import
ant character is the 'three headed dog', non-material but very significant .

At the ferry, coming across the river was a family of four gray people; gray is an appelation
for people (shadow-folk) outside the bounds of what might be called 'good people' who live in 'the Laurel'.

At the circle Bart encountered the Raven,. The Raven spoke to Bart (in a sort of extra-sensory perception) to say  there would be a Council. Several of the characters take part, but on pp 84-6
they offfer Bart a picture of Creation.

Lizbet (and family) are the gray people; she rocks Bart and virtually knocks him out. Lizbets'
father was named Jude.

Mad Davey introduced another pleasant and healing chapter for Bard, the pilgrim.\

In a change of scene Rider is introduced. (There are many Riders, generally speaking law
inforcers. Millicent is Riders horse virtually a 'spirit person'.

In his travels Bard meetings an old itinerant trader named Aengus with his mule, Molly Dear.

Lizzie, the herb woman, took Bard in and taught him a number of things including shepherding sheep.

Mathilda was another of the 'spirit people'

Wandalena

Thomasene had been a Sister in the Abbey, but left to become a hermit in the highest peak.

To learn all of these characters is a good first step to understanding The Summer Boy






Wandalena (220)