James Winterwood

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James Winterwood is a fictional English traveller, adventurer and writer of second half of the XIX century and a recurring character of the Brazilian writer Rita Maria Felix da Silva. He was introduced in the short story San Juan Romero. James travelled around the world collecting "curious facts" to use in his books. More frequently than he would like, this facts were supernatural.

Among his adventures during his travels he found the dark secret about a Mexican village, was involved in the strange contend between Lord Douglas Whitehill and the bizarre Skykeeper and, by dreams, travelled to Earth's past and knew Mareish-Loh (the Spirit of Winter). At other moment, he had a dangerous meeting with the Egyptian mythological monster called "the Ammut". He was in Brazil (where found about the refuge of monsters and other supernatural beings called "Arena") and in Portugal, when he was, involuntarily, attracted to participate in Jose Fagundo de Solemar's plans, a sorcerer of Coimbra.

Four important features define James Winterwood:

1. A melancholy temperament (a result of James´tentative to "understand" the reality, more specifically "evil in the world and in the human heart").

2. An extraordinary memory. Since he accumulatted a plenty of painful remembrances during his life, James practiced memory-blockage, using a technique he learned from an African shaman.

3. A heart probably sapient that works as his conscience, "talking" to him and advicing him. In Century XXI, Sam Winterwood, of who James was ancestor, had a heart like him.

4. His desire his books can become his name immortal.

[edit] Other Winterwoods

Later other short stories written by Rita Maria Felix da Silva have shown James Winterwood as probable ancestor of the following characters:

1. Nora Winterwood (the fictional deceased writer, author of the book "Eight Minutes Under Water" in "O Tempo Apos"/Time After). Nora was Neil's niece and Jacob's cousin. She is cited by Jacob in the epilogue of "Khen-Zur".

2. Sam Winterwood (a depressive suicide who finds himself immortal, in "Meu Segredo"/My Secret)

3. Neil Winterwood (the fictional author of "A Little Dictionary of the Hidden Things", a book about occultism, and "Quintessence", in which he ponders about the "universe's secret"), who is cited in "O Segredo de Chica"/Chica's Secret. A quote from Neil Winterwood is in "Comentário Sangüíneo" (Bloody Commentary). In this quote, Neil defines the term "bela arte noturna" (beautiful nocturne art) a reference to vampirical condition/practices in opposition to human condition.

4. Jacob Winterwood (an English archeologist who worked for the speculator/supposed mystical objects collector/British gangster Lucius Whitehill. He is featured in "Khen-Zur" and was dead by Morgan H. Pierce, a Lucius's henchman). Jacob was Neil's nephew and Nora's cousin.