The wolves heading to the Beyond
The wolves of the Beyond are dire wolves who live in the area called Beyond the Beyond, or simply the Beyond. They are initially from the Distant Blue, or the Always Cold. They pride themselves in being strong, powerful wolves. To maintain their strength, they leave malcadhs, or deformed pups, to die on tummfraws, an area susceptible to natural hazards or routes that hungry animals often take. If they survive, they become gnaw wolves when they return to the pack. The wolves follow strict behavior patterns and believe in Lupus, their god, and an order of natural hierarchy called The Great Chain. The wolves organize themselves into clans, separating each clan into individual packs. The wolves of the Beyond also play a prominent role in the lives of the owls, their neighbors, by allocating special wolves to guard the Ember of Hoole.
Dire wolf[]
In real life, a dire wolf is an ancestor of the modern-day gray wolf that existed between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago, found all throughout North America and certain parts of South America, including Mexico, Venezuela, and Peru. The main difference between the dire wolf and the gray wolf was its size, lighter limbs, and giant skull.
For more reading, please refer to this website provided by the U.S. National Park Service.
History[]
Thousands of years before the present, the wolves of the Beyond lived in a land west of the Beyond called the Distant Blue. Unfortunately, a Long Cold, or an unnaturally long winter, came, and many large mammals were threatened by extinction. To avoid this fate, the wolves migrated away from their now icy homeland and sought warmer lands.
The most notable group of these nomadic wolves were the ones led by Fengo who claimed that he had followed the spirit of an owl to the land known as Beyond the Beyond. After countless moons of trekking, Fengo and the wolves reached the Beyond and made it their new, permanent home. According to Grank, a collier owl, the wolves had come to settle in the Beyond some years before he came to the Beyond to study fire.
Practices and Traditions[]
Gaddergnaws[]
Every several years, a gaddergnaw occurs. A gaddergnaw is a competition to choose the best gnaw wolf to enter the Sacred Watch. Competing gnaw wolves must carve stories and constellations on bones and compete in a byrrgis.
Language[]
Wolves of the Beyond use certain foreign words in their daily interactions. The words often originate from Irish or Scottish, with slight differences. A dictionary of the known wolf language words can be viewed here.
Malcadhs[]
An Obea carrying a malcadh to his/her tummfraw
When a wolf pup is born, an Obea comes and sees if it is deformed or not. The strict law of the wolves of the Beyond say that any wolf pup born sick or with deformities, the Obea must take it to a tummfraw, a place where it will die of starvation, hypothermia, or fall prey to owls and cougars. This is because the clans must keep the bloodlines healthy. The parents of the pup are banished for contaminating the bloodlines and must seek new, separate clans, while the remaining pups are nursed to another she-wolf. However, if the pup survives and makes it back to the clan, it becomes a gnaw wolf. Sometimes, it will win a gaddergnaw, a contest held about every 15 years or so, and be assigned to the Sacred Watch. The pup is called a malcadh, meaning "cursed" in the wolf language. Murdering a malcadh is the most grievous crime a wolf can commit.
Pack life[]
The Wolves of the Beyond segregate each wolf into a rank, with the highest position being the cheiftain and the lowest being the gnaw wolf. Other examples of ranks include skreeleens, wolves that read the stars, outflankers, a position held by she-wolves during a hunt, and Obeas. Wolves hunt in an elaborate fashion, with designated ranks and duties. They consider this kind of hunting sacred. The wolves enjoy recreational activities occasionally, such as biliboo, which may be based off the human game of chess. Some wolves live and patrol the borders to keep outclanners away.
Relationships with other species[]
Bears[]
Mostly peaceful, though they hardly ever interact with each other except for the rare collaborative hunt. The wolves thought it was freakish that Faolan was raised by a bear. Tensions can and have arisen between the two parties, which could lead to skirmishes or even wars.
Eagles[]
Prior to the earthquake, they were most unknown for snatching up malcadh pups left on their trumfraws. After, two eagles were especially important in leading the wolves to the Distant Blue and scouting.
Spiritual beliefs[]
Wolves of the Beyond believe in Lupus. They are knowledgable in the stars and name the constellations, which each have their own lore. The Cave of Souls is their version of heaven, while the alternative is the Dim World, which only appears briefly by name in Shadow Wolf.
The Great Chain[]
The ranks of everything in the wolf culture. Lupus is the first chain, followed by star wolves (spirit wolves), lightning, all the different wolf ranks, various animals, and elements such as earth, plants, and water.
The Sacred Watch[]
Fengo led the wolves to the Beyond.
The Sacred Watch is where the gnaw wolves go when they win the gaddergnaw to guard the Ember of Hoole from evil owls, graymalkins, who want to steal the ember. When the ember is retrieved by the rightful king, the wolves will become strong again and will grow out of their deformity. For example, if a wolf has a missing eye, a new eye grows in. Wolves assigned to the Watch were once only from the MacDuncan clan until Hamish made it so every clan may enter. The Fengo, who calls the Sacred Watch his home, is the highest ranking wolf in the Beyond.
Clans[]
MacDuncan Clan[]
Once called The Clan of Clans, these wolves are particularly envied for strength. The MacDuncan Clan was the first wolf clan established.
MacHeath Clan[]
The jealous, greedy, and prideful clan who are almost similar to the savage outclanner wolves. Their vilest practice is that they would purposely maim young pups in hopes that they will be accepted into the Sacred Watch. The MacHeaths are easily deceived. This clan was judged crait, or guilty, in Watch Wolf and thus, they are no longer a clan of the Beyond, but rather outclanners.
MacNamara Clan[]
The clan was founded by Namara MacNamara, formerly Hordweard of the MacHeaths and is the only clan in which the chieftain is a she-wolf.
MacDuff clan[]
Possibly the most superstitious clan.
MacAngus Clan[]
Possibly the clan devoted most to hunting, as they were often seen hunting when observed by the gnaw wolf, Faolan.
MacDonegal Clan[]
MacNab Clan[]
Not much is known about the MacNab clan. There are only two packs in the clan, and the wolves are described as handsome and beautiful.
- Drummond MacNab (chieftain)
- Amber MacNab
- The Sark of the Slough (deceased)
The Mac Duncan clan is the clan of clans.
MacDermott Clan[]
A clan briefly mentioned in Lone Wolf. It borders the MacDuncan's land[1].
Clans that only appear in the Owls of Gahoole series[]
- MacFang clan
- MacMillan clan
- MacAndrew clan