Haldane potential

[revanne]

What is the Haldane potential?


I can think of at least four possibilities though there may be more.



A power specially gifted to the rightful monarch as part of their divine right?  Within the Deryniverse it is possible to interpret events as having a supernatural  explanation, and certainly it is hedged round with the mystique of monarchy.


Haldanes are unacknowledged Deryni? It seems possible to live as Deryni without being aware of it and in the confusion of the early history of the Eleven Kingdoms did many Deryni simply forget their heritage?


Many humans have the potential for magic if it is triggered correctly? Humans who have close contact with Deryni seem to become somewhat attuned (or tainted from Loris' pov).

[DerynifanK]

You said four but I see three. It could be that the magical potential in the Haldanes is part of their inherited bloodline. I don't think it is strictly part of the divine right to rule since a Haldane other than the reigning king was able to acquire the magical power, ie Nigel. It may have grown stronger over the centuries but remained hidden due to the belief that only one Haldane at a time could hold the power. Probably that belief was perpetuated to avoid conflict such as that between Kelson and Connall. After all no one wanted wars among the Haldane heirs over who should wear the crown. There were enough potential usurpers from outside, ie Festals and Furstans and others. It was important to avoid internal conflict for the monarchy to survive.

[DoctorM]

The Haldane potential idea has always made me raise an eyebrow. If Deryni-ness is genetic, surely after a number of generations, the potential would've spread through much of the nobility via the way noble children were married off. And if it is genetic, the potential should be latent in a substantial number of the population even in the 800s-900s, even if its never triggered.

[Laurna]

In cannon there are three types of ways for mankind to use "Magic" in the world of the Eleven Kingdoms. We know that it is a balance of opposite energies that allows magic abilities to exists.  A large portion of this "magic" is considered of the psychic nature, with some manipulation of the elements. (There is little to no magic of a "Conjuring nature" - ie: people don't turn into animals. and they do not create things out of nothing. )

The three types are Second Sight, Deryni, and Haldane Potential. I think they all use the same natural magic force that exists on this world, but they all harness that magic in different ways and with different strengths.

I think of Second Sight as being more Elemental. A person with it can find water, they likely can sense storms coming. They could have some psychic abilities, they can feel empathy with other people: If someone is sick or if someone is dangerous. They might be able to tell if someone is not truthful.  I think this is passed down by parents to children, with some innate abilities, but also informally trained in the family unit.

Deryni powers we know best. This is the use of the nature of Magic in the physical world or the technology of magic studied like a science. This ability to use this magic is genetically passed down by at least one parent. And I do think the strength to channel :"Magic" is also a family trait, some families can use stronger magic for longer times than others, even with the same training. But the main thing about it is Training. You can Not use magic unless you Know How. It must be learned to understand how it works!

The Haldane Potential is the most powerful means of channeling magic energy. Somehow, one family excelled above all other humans to use magic. It is an innate sense of knowledge about how ALL MAGIC works in this world at the time when it is most needed. But it only becomes accessible to a member of that family after some traumatic event and/or Ritual has occurred to make it available. That is a lot of power, but it's limitations are the "Most Needed" part.  I kind of think of this as being able to suddenly open oneself to the very essence of the realm of Magic that exists in this world and be able to channel it for a precise purposes.

The earliest Haldane recorded in the Codex to have this ability(as far as my own research goes) is Augarina II Haldane Born in the year 611.  He is the son of Count Bearand II Haldane and Princess Gertrudis d'Estavaye daughter of the King of Mooryn (old Deryni family). He is victorious in many battles and becomes the first King of Gwynedd. The Codex says "His sheer presence immediately commands one's attention." "He could judge a man's character within a moment of speaking to him." (Everyone else at court) "seemed but a pale imitation or shadow of this great man." 

Now I personally believe that the Haldanes have used their part-Deryni genes for everyday uses of magic, But for the really emotional/traumatic moments, they can turn on their instant ability to channel into the real realm of Magic.   This is how they have defeated their foes for hundreds of years. and how they maintain that divine right to rule.  It is  not for me to say if this channeling of Magic is from the higher source of the divine and the heavens, but their religious beliefs certainly believed that it is. And I think keeping the knowledge of this family ability a secret and making it the ritual to kingship with all the responsibilities of ruling over a prosperous kingdom was probably the best way to keep two Haldane men from battling it out with one another.  If other Haldane descendants guessed that the ability was a possibility to achieve, there might have been some great Arcane battles in the past, And may be there were one or two, we don't really know.

And yes the Haldane genetic ability could have gone down some lesser branches of their family tree. I believe Warn De Grey is an example with his instant ability to channel Healing Magic when it is Needed Most. But he does not use magic in any other way because he is not Deryni.

In summery, Revanne, You are correct on all three listed accounts. The Haldanes have kept their secret to channel this magic force as the Mystique of the Divine right of Monarchy, to explain what they can do and to keep the family ability a secret especially from other family members. The Haldanes have added Deryni blood to their genetic family tree every few generations to use that form of magic on a daily basis. And I think many more humans than are noted have the ability of Second Site or at least the ability to use shields which becomes available to them when the Deryni around them make them aware of magic.

(Sorry for jabbering on  )

[Bynw]

What is the Haldane potential?


Many humans have the potential for magic if it is triggered correctly? Humans who have close contact with Deryni seem to become somewhat attuned (or tainted from Loris' pov).

Of the 3 not 4 examples that @revanne gave. I would go with this one. I would also so say that the Haldane's are a bit special too. Kelson's mother is not the only source of Deryni blood into the Haldane line. There have been others through out the long history of that particular family. Which may also make it easier for them to be triggered.

[DerynifanK]

Revanne, you do come up with the most fascinating questions.

[whitelaughter]

Nasty option - Haldane potential is the result of inbreeding.

The habit royal families had of intermarrying did terrible things to their descendants health, but given there is already magical DNA floating around, it could be a Haldane is someone who should be 1/64th Deryni, but gets that fraction of magical blood from the same ancestor multiple times.

[revanne]

@whitelaughter that seems to be the thought of at least some of the Camberian Council who are opposed to the marriage of the two Haldanes, Kelson and Araxie.

[Cory]

First cousins once removed is a close relationship.

I suspect the worry isn't about Kelson but about Kelson and Araxie's heirs fighting amongst themselves, much as happened before the Festillic conquest. Brothers killing each other. Fathers killing sons. Perhaps St. Bearand decided "one is enough." And perhaps that's why the power transfer only is set in final motion when the previous king dies.

Can't have the son usurping the father.

Kelson's idea is training more Deryni and making certain the training is moral so others will be able to keep any rogue Deryni in check, royal or not.

[CapnGramma]

The Haldanes aren't the only royal family to have Deryni-like powers that have to be triggered by a ritual. The Furstans also have an investment ceremony that triggers powers in their rulers.

For all we know the Orsals and many other royals may also have something similar.

I think Warrin de Grey is a decendant of Droit du Signor and/or rape by a Torenthi lord on a decendant of Rhys. For all we know, this could have happened several times in his ancestry. This gives him powers plus the ability to unlock them. Not to unlock all the powers, but Healing and Truth reading.

[Laurna]

We know that the Furstans have used the ritual to augment their powers.  and I do recall reading somewhere that the Hort of Orsal also has had his power augmented.

[ReikiDeryni]

As to the Haldane potential for magic, it was always couched in divine right. As it seems almost all of the 11 kingdoms outside a few after the Council of Ramos  and the purges that followed did.Lots of things can be lost without speaking of them or the deliberate obfuscation of info. Furthermore, ritual has always been used in the real world to augment, defend, protect and offensively augment power,even without magick involved

[tenworld]

There was a discussion once that the Haldane-like potential came on the Y chromosome while the 'normal' Deryni power was carried on X. I cant remember if this was disproven. We have not had as far as i remember a Queen who wasnt Deryni so I am not sure here.

[DesertRose]

That was from an essay published in some of the earlier editions of Deryni Checkmate (I think; it was definitely one of that trilogy), with information Katherine has since discarded.

[DoctorM]

That was from an essay published in some of the earlier editions of Deryni Checkmate (I think; it was definitely one of that trilogy), with information Katherine has since discarded.

I remember the essay-- complete with charts for how the Deryni gene was transmitted. I do recall liking the charts.