The Witchers’ Different Necklaces Explained (What They Really Mean)
The Witcher series on Netflix covers a vast fantasy world full of monsters and hunters, and great care was taken in ensuring small details, like the medallions worn by some of the cast have deeper meanings. The Witcher, a highly successful Netflix series, is primarily based on a book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, but it also draws, in part, from a videogame series by CD Projekt Red, which has, in turn, spawned a comic book series by Dark Horse Comics. With plenty of material to work with, it’s no surprise that the Netflix version was rich in lore. One notable feature in all four The Witcher incarnations is the medallions certain characters carry or wear as a necklace.
As a monster hunter in The Witcher television series, Geralt’s destiny becomes entangled with a sorceress and a princess, and together they try to change the fate of an already endangered world. Through the first two seasons of The Witcher, only three medallions have been shown, and at this point, they are merely representative of specific characters rather than having a power or significance of their own, though this is certainly something Netflix could explore in season three. Witcher, Yennefer, and Ciri each have medallions associated with them.
Witcher’s Gwynbleidd
Gwynbleidd in Elder Speech means The White Wolf, which is also a name many call Geralt. His medallion signifies that he belongs to the School of the Wolf which trains at Kaer Morhen, a stronghold long thought to be impenetrable. Worn as a necklace, the medallion didn’t appear to have any special powers in Netflix’s The Witcher, but in the videogames, books, and comics, the medallion could detect monsters or magic and vibrate when a monster was nearby or when close to a Place of Power.
The significance of Geralt’s medallion came from how he received it. In The Witcher, trainees must survive The Trial of the Grasses, an obscenely painful, and often deadly, ordeal involving ingesting powerful chemicals to strengthen apprentices. At the end of seven days, if they survived, they had mutations that gave them heightened senses, fast healing, and resistance to pain, poison, and disease. They also then receive their Witcher medallions.
Yennefer’s Obsidian Star
Yennefer in The Witcher is a powerful mage who is capable of enchanting mortals, making portals, and redirecting fire magic. There are two medallions, Obsidian Stars, associated with her, though only one is shown as a necklace, the five-pointed star that she wears affixed to a velvet ribbon around her throat. This medallion is also seen in the videogames. The other medallion is similar to Geralt’s wolf in design but shows the star on the lower half. She wears her five-pointed star medallion at all times, suggesting it’s very important to her and possibly contains or enhances her magic.
Ciri’s Zireael
In The Witcher Netflix series, it’s not known where Ciri gets her Zireael, or Sparrow, medallion, nor is she seen wearing it. Ciri inherited her powers from her mother and is able to control time and space. The exact relationship between Ciri and the Zireael isn’t clear by the end of season two, but it could become part of the story going into season 3.
The Witcher is a television series with deep backstories. Three of the main characters have specific medallions associated with them. In the books, videogames, and comics these medallions play a more central role than they do in the television series. With more seasons on the horizon, this could be explored further, and they might accentuate the powers of those who wear them.
