Those familiar with Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher novels, know that the Kingdom of Cintra is vital to the overall story arc. Basically, in a book series full of varying degrees of evils, with monsters and men sharing the common trait of barbarism in their blood, Cintra would be considered the closest thing to the good guys.
Though unlike many other similar stories, Cintra is not without its faults, and most of this is detailed in the books. However The Witcher TV series on Netflix barely scratches the surface of any of the kingdoms in The Witcher world. So, for those wanting to familiarize themselves in Witcher lore, here are a few important and hidden facts about Cintra.
Cintra Once Had Four Vassal States
In the world of The Witcher, the kingdom of Cintra is vital to the overreaching story that spans a continent. At the start of the first book in the series, Cintra was one of the most powerful of the Northern kingdoms.
However, like many real-world kingdoms of the past, it is held together on shaky . Once Queen Calanthe drew her last breath, the vassal state of Brugge was brought under the protection of Temeria, and Upper Sodden was reunited with its lower counterpart under Temeria. While Verden was taken over by the Nilfgaardian Empire, leaving only Attre.
Cintra Doesn't Differentiate Between The Genders
When it comes to growing up in the Kingdom of Cintra it doesn't matter if someone is a boy or a girl, the same is expected of them. Both genders are taught the basics of strategy and tactics along with holding a sword from the moment they can walk. They ride horses and are all prepared to go to war if need be.
Everybody is necessary for the protection of Cintra, especially with Nilfgaard's open aggression against the region. Though, none of this should be surprising since Cintra's Queen Calanthe is known as a warrior queen.
Females Can Rule, But Only When Not Married
Many kingdoms, whether real-world or in the world of The Witcher, have been and/or are currently dominated with male leaders. Granted, there have been some notable queens of the past, but mostly women's time in power has come more in the modern day.
As far as the Kingdom of Cintra goes, females are allowed to be the head of state if, and only if, they are not married. This becomes a point of emphasis in the book series as well as the Netflix live-action series, with Queen Calanthe hesitant to marry because it would mean sharing her power.
Line Of Succession Can Be A Bit Tricky
In most instances, there is a king and queen. When the king dies, his queen possibly has a right to the throne. Of course, this isn't always the case, since sometimes when a king dies it goes straight to his heir, which is usually a son or grandson.
As for the line of succession in Cintra, if the queen is without a husband and her daughter marries a man, then by law he becomes the figurehead of the country, not the queen, even though he would not hold the title of king.
House Of Raven
Like many of the Northern kingdoms, Cintra has a long and distinguished history. However, unlike many of their neighbors, Cintra has had a clear line of succession. The House of Raven has ruled with a steady hand for many generations.
Building the nation to its highest peak under Queen Calanthe, though it soon fell to ruin after the Nilfgaardian Empire conquered the city and killed its king and queen. The House of Raven extends back to the first king of Cintra, King Cerbin, who began the dynasty, ing down his title to his son Correl.
The Name Cerbin Means Raven
Before the kingdoms of man began to sprout up across the continent, elves were the dominant species on earth. They were the first to use magic and to create mighty empires that extended in all directions. However, as men's power grew, so did their lust for conquest. They soon overran the elves, taking with them most of the elven lands and wealth.
By the time of the birth of the Kingdom of Cintra, the Elven tongue was still spoken and known. The name Cerbin is Elder Speech, which is the language of the Aen Seidhe elves, and it means raven.
There Are Two Branches Of The Cintran Royal Family
Kings and queens have children who marry other royal bloodlines, until eventually anyone with a crown on their head is kin to all his neighbors. This isn't much different than how it is in Cintra, with the children of Cintra's royal family producing offspring that have titles in foreign lands.
The Two famous branches of the Cintran royal bloodline started when King Koram's sons each married King Egon of Lyria's twin daughters. The oldest son brought his wife back to Cintra and the other remained in Lyria. Thus, creating the Cintran and Lyrian branches.
Slaughter Of Cintra Killed All But One Cintran Royal Family Member
War in ancient times was harsh and, in most cases, inevitable. It is just what happens when multiple factions are fighting over the same resources in a region. It wasn't shocking for ancient lines of royals to be wiped out in a night, along with their countries.
In the case of Cintra, the once-powerful Northern nation soon found its allies drowned in the sea and the Nilfgaardian army at their doorstep. After the death of King Tuirseach, the Cintran army was routed. All the Cintran royal family either were slaughtered or committed suicide, leaving only Ciri alive.
Cintra Was Originally An Elven Settlement
Elves originally arrived on the continent two thousand years before humans, making them one of the oldest civilizations in the land. Because they do not produce at the same rate as humans, they were eventually overrun and forced into tiny covens around the continent.
Many great human cities were built on Elven ruins. Cities such as Vizima and Oxenfurt. Even Cintra was originally once a settlement for the elves, before being taken over by humans. Many of the names in the land still hold the same Elven names as they did thousands of years ago.
Cintra's Coat Of Arms Is Older Than The Kingdom
When the Nordlings came during the Landing, they were few in numbers and posed no threat to any of the Elder Races. However, within a few centuries because of their fertility, they were able to dominate the region, ing all the way to the Yaruga River.
These Nordlings carried a banner with golden lions in front of a blue background. When King Cerbin founded the Kingdom of Cintra, he claimed this coat of arms as his own. Even though the actual coat of arms dates back more than four hundred years before the kingdom's founding.