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The oldest Von Trapp child is 16, the youngest seems to be about 5. So the late Mrs. Von Trapp had 7 children in 11 years. No wonder she's the late Mrs. Poor Maria, soon she'll be producing her own choir!
Coincidentally, I've been re-reading Jo Walton's first books, The King's Peace and such, Arthuriana in an alternate universe with different names and more ubiquitious gods and magic. That unmarried women almost never have children, and do so only if the gods have Plans, was beaten into obviousness in a couple of books. That even married women rarely have more than four children was a detail I'd missed on previous readings. But someone -- Masarn? -- says he'd like to have a fifth child, "if it were possible", and is reminded of a Vincan Quintus, who was a fifth child. And later someone with three children then has twins, "a miracle".
Also of note was a goddess predicting that Morwen's great-grandson, who I'm sure didn't exist yet (I'm not sure Morwen even had grandchildren yet, though Angas might have produced some), would inherit Urdo's throne. That's some impressive farseeing for a world where human oracles can only see the futures of alternate worlds, and where a witch wants to kill off a random factor for unpredictability, while by my reading the Odin equivalent wants to preserve the same factor for the same reasons.
"Hmm, in every other world I get my theological butt kicked by Christianity. Wait, a significant unique random factor. Dedicated to me! MINE MINE MINE GO AWAY YOU CAN'T TOUCH HER I don't know what she'll do but she can't make things worse."
Followed later by a raven-borne "YES! SCOOORE!" when said random factor makes a key change to the Arthurian plotline.
Though, come to think of it, a promise this god made someone would seem to indicate more prescience than I assume here.
Coincidentally, I've been re-reading Jo Walton's first books, The King's Peace and such, Arthuriana in an alternate universe with different names and more ubiquitious gods and magic. That unmarried women almost never have children, and do so only if the gods have Plans, was beaten into obviousness in a couple of books. That even married women rarely have more than four children was a detail I'd missed on previous readings. But someone -- Masarn? -- says he'd like to have a fifth child, "if it were possible", and is reminded of a Vincan Quintus, who was a fifth child. And later someone with three children then has twins, "a miracle".
Also of note was a goddess predicting that Morwen's great-grandson, who I'm sure didn't exist yet (I'm not sure Morwen even had grandchildren yet, though Angas might have produced some), would inherit Urdo's throne. That's some impressive farseeing for a world where human oracles can only see the futures of alternate worlds, and where a witch wants to kill off a random factor for unpredictability, while by my reading the Odin equivalent wants to preserve the same factor for the same reasons.
"Hmm, in every other world I get my theological butt kicked by Christianity. Wait, a significant unique random factor. Dedicated to me! MINE MINE MINE GO AWAY YOU CAN'T TOUCH HER I don't know what she'll do but she can't make things worse."
Followed later by a raven-borne "YES! SCOOORE!" when said random factor makes a key change to the Arthurian plotline.
Though, come to think of it, a promise this god made someone would seem to indicate more prescience than I assume here.
