Sheelba of the Eyeless Face
Encyclopedia
Sheelba of the Eyeless Face is one of two wizards in Fritz Leiber
's Lankhmar
tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
. The patron warlock of the Gray Mouser, Sheelba is so named due to his perfectly dark hooded face. Along with Fafhrd's patron warlock, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
, Sheelba often sends his hapless minion on ludicrous missions such as to recover the mask of Death himself. In contrast to Ninguable's love of often pointless storytelling, Sheelba is taciturn, choosing his words as if they were valuables to be disbursed parsimoniously. That the stoic Fafhrd is paired with the voluble Ningauble, while the story-loving Mouser with the laconic Sheelba is doubly ironic. Sheelba's sigil
is an empty oval (presumably signifying an empty hooded face).
Sheelba's house is a small hut which strides about the swamps not far from Lankhmar on five posts which bend and scuttle not unlike the legs of a great crab or spider. Sheelba's hut is similar in description to the Russian legend of the witch Baba Yaga
, which is referenced in other Leiber works such as The Wanderer
, where Baba Yaga is the name of a lunar lander.
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
's Lankhmar
Lankhmar
Lankhmar is a fictional city in the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber. It is situated on the world of Nehwon, just west of the Great Salt Marsh and east of the River Hlal, and serves as the home of Leiber's two anti-heroes....
tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two seminal sword-and-sorcery heroes appearing in stories written by Fritz Leiber . They are the protagonists of what are probably Leiber's best-known stories....
. The patron warlock of the Gray Mouser, Sheelba is so named due to his perfectly dark hooded face. Along with Fafhrd's patron warlock, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
Ningauble of the Seven Eyes is one of two wizards in Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The patron warlock of Fafhrd the northerner, Ningauble is so named due to his roving seven glowing eyes...
, Sheelba often sends his hapless minion on ludicrous missions such as to recover the mask of Death himself. In contrast to Ninguable's love of often pointless storytelling, Sheelba is taciturn, choosing his words as if they were valuables to be disbursed parsimoniously. That the stoic Fafhrd is paired with the voluble Ningauble, while the story-loving Mouser with the laconic Sheelba is doubly ironic. Sheelba's sigil
Sigil
Sigil may refer to:*Sigil , a type of symbol used in magic*Sigil , a symbol that must be attached to a variable name in some programming languages*A seal...
is an empty oval (presumably signifying an empty hooded face).
Sheelba's house is a small hut which strides about the swamps not far from Lankhmar on five posts which bend and scuttle not unlike the legs of a great crab or spider. Sheelba's hut is similar in description to the Russian legend of the witch Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga or Baba Roga is a haggish or witchlike character in Slavic folklore. She flies around on a giant pestle, kidnaps small children, and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs...
, which is referenced in other Leiber works such as The Wanderer
The Wanderer (Fritz Leiber novel)
The Wanderer is the title of a science fiction novel by Fritz Leiber about a wandering planet that enters the solar system...
, where Baba Yaga is the name of a lunar lander.