The Witcher has grown from a Polish-language fantasy saga to a series of blockbuster video games to one of Netflix’s flagship streaming shows. Although Netflix’s The Witcher has its share of problems, it’s absolutely helped make the overall series a global phenomenon. Geralt of Rivia, the titular witcher, and protagonist throughout, is a beloved character for his stoicism, subtle sense of humor, and general air of mystery.
Yet the fan-favorite monster hunter’s name is actually a misnomer — he isn’t from Rivia and doesn’t spend any time there in the books. His other epithets, like the White Wolf or the Butcher of Blaviken, more logically describe him and his deeds. However, to understand why the white-haired sellsword claims to be from somewhere he isn’t, you have to understand what a young trainee has to go through before they get their iconic witcher’s swords in this setting.
Where Geralt Is Actually From
Geralt was born in the year 1211 according to the novels (and 1160 according to the Netflix show’s canon). His father was the warrior Korin and his mother the sorceress Visenna. While the specific place of Geralt’s birth is never specified, it’s known that his mother left him in the care of the witchers of the School of the Wolf at Kaer Morhen, which is in the far northeast of the Continent, at the edge of the country of Kaedwen.
Geralt would live at Kaer Morhen for the rest of his adolescence, where he endured the grueling training necessary to become a witcher. This included the Trial of the Grasses, which involved his ingesting numerous alchemical concoctions that resulted in his enhanced speed and stamina. This process also turned his hair completely white, which later led to his moniker of the White Wolf.
Geralt Gives Himself The “Of Rivia” Name
Vesemir, the eldest and strongest of the witchers at Kaer Morhen, understood all too well the precarious place witchers had in the society of the Continent. Most common folk saw them as a barely tolerable necessity, monsters made to hunt monsters, and shunned witchers except when absolutely necessary. Therefore, Vesemir encouraged his trainees to select surnames that would help them seem more trustworthy to potential clients.
Geralt’s original choice for his new name was Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde, which Vesemir immediately (and correctly) rejected for being far too pretentious. “Of Rivia” was chosen instead, which was significantly less conspicuous; Rivia is a small kingdom a ways south of Kaedwen, but not so far away as to be completely unknown. Young Geralt even began affecting a Rivian accent in order to sell the lie, and soon no one questioned the White Wolf’s origins.
How The Witcher Officially Becomes Geralt Of Rivia
In the year 1267, during the Second Northern War that saw Nilfgaard and the allied kingdoms of the North once again try to exterminate each other, Geralt was in the midst of trying to find his daughter Ciri, who had vanished. Geralt, along with his companions Jaskier, Regis, Cahir, and Milva, had been on their way south and were preparing to cross the Yaruga River at night when they came under fire from archers ahead of them. Jaskier identified them as Lyrians, who clearly thought the small group were Nilfgaardian scouts.
Retreating across the river, the companions came under fire from a Nilfgaardian force on the north bank. They attempted to use a ferry to flee downriver, but both armies pursued until they all came together to clash at a bridge near Red Port. Geralt and company landed the ferry on the bridge, in the thick of the fighting. Geralt and Cahir rallied the Lyrians and led them in a counterattack against the Nilfgaardian flank, demoralizing them long enough for the rest of the Lyrians to reorganize. With the full Lyrian host now descending on them, the Nilfgaardians fled.
As a reward for his service, Meve knighted Geralt in front of the assembled army.
To Geralt’s surprise, the Lyrian forces he had rescued were led by their Queen Meve, who had been at the front of the fight against Nilfgaard for some time. As Queen of Lyria, Meve was also the ruler of Rivia, as her former husband had been king of that nation. As a reward for his service, Meve knighted Geralt in front of the assembled army, thus making what had been an impulsive, childish decision official.
The Battle for the Bridge on the Yaruga is one of the pivotal events in the third Witcher novel, Baptism of Fire. It’s also likely that these events will be adapted in the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s The Witcher, meaning Geralt’s accidental heroism will soon be on display for all to see.
