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Captain Lord Ivan Vorpatril, also known as "That Idiot Ivan" or "Ivan, You Idiot" (a likely reference to Ivan the Fool, common hero of Russian folk tales), is a fictional character in American writer Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga series of science fiction novels. He is Miles Vorkosigan's second cousin, foil, burden, workhorse, and - before Miles has children - his formal heir. He is everything Miles is not - tall, handsome, and athletic. He waltzed into the military academy and waltzed right back out into one plum posting after another. He inhabits any uniform - even the Dendarii's - like a second skin.
Ivan the Fool or Ivan the Ninny is a stock character of lucky fool who appears in Russian folklore, a very simple-minded, but, nevertheless, lucky young man. Ivan is described as a likeable fair-haired and blue-eyed youth.
The culture of the ethnic Russian people has a long tradition of achievement in many fields, especially when it comes to literature, folk dancing, philosophy, classical music, traditional folk music, ballet, architecture, painting, cinema, animation and politics, which all have had considerable influence on world culture. Russia also has a rich material culture and a tradition in technology.
Folklore is the expressive body of culture shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. These include oral traditions such as tales, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging from traditional building styles to handmade toys common to the group. Folklore also includes customary lore, the forms and rituals of celebrations such as Christmas and weddings, folk dances and initiation rites. Each one of these, either singly or in combination, is considered a folklore artifact. Just as essential as the form, folklore also encompasses the transmission of these artifacts from one region to another or from one generation to the next. Folklore is not something one can typically gain in a formal school curriculum or study in the fine arts. Instead, these traditions are passed along informally from one individual to another either through verbal instruction or demonstration. The academic study of folklore is called folklore studies or folkloristics, and it can be explored at undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. levels.
Prior to Captain Vorpatril's Alliance , Ivan had last been seen as a Captain in the Barrayaran military, but detached to serve as aide to his mother, Alys Vorpatril, in the planning for the upcoming Imperial wedding. Although not an heir to a Countship, Ivan is addressed as "Lord Vorpatril", rather than "Lord Ivan" or just "Vorpatril", presumably because of his descent from an Imperial daughter, though he provides much amusement for Count Falco Vorpatril, Ivan's distant uncle. Ivan tends to act simple—not dumb, but not especially bright either—but has stated that looking too smart is a bad idea if you are a potential heir to the Empire, a position whose risks and responsibilities he heartily seeks to avoid. Until Emperor Gregor had children, he was the third in line to the throne after Count Aral Vorkosigan and Miles. An imperfect character, it is established in Young Miles that he routinely attempted to sexually assault Miles's first love interest, Elena Bothari, when they were both teenagers. Her improved confidence and physical fighting skills, when she becomes a mercenary, seem to make him abruptly change his behavior towards her.
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is a science fiction novel by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold, part of the Vorkosigan Saga. The action centers on Miles Vorkosigan's cousin Ivan Vorpatril, now a captain, and a Jackson's Whole refugee called Tej. By internal chronology, the book is set a year or so after Diplomatic Immunity (2002), about four years before Cryoburn (2010).
Aral Vorkosigan is a fictional character appearing in American writer Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga series of science fiction books. Known throughout this universe as "The Butcher of Komarr", he dominates the imagination of the two main point-of-view characters in the Vorkosigan Saga, Cordelia, who becomes his wife, and their son Miles. He appears, at least briefly or as an important if absent figure, in all the novels of the series except Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos and Falling Free. He also provides the narrative framework for the presentation of three short stories in Borders of Infinity.
Ivan owes his life to his aunt, Cordelia Vorkosigan, who rescued newborn Ivan and his mother Lady Alys from assassins who killed his father, Padma Vorpatril, during Vordarian's Pretendership. As close cousins, he and Miles were brought up together, and Ivan is older by only a few months. Ivan probably understands Miles better than any other person his age, except possibly for Emperor Gregor. He provides muscle and speed that Miles lacks, and is frequently the go-between for other characters who deal with Miles. He often complains that he is Miles's "donkey", but follows where Miles leads; this is equal parts knowing that Miles is right, and acceptance of his family responsibility. In return, Miles trusts Ivan more than he trusts almost anyone else: when Ivan first called himself Miles's donkey, Miles answered "I don't know what I'll be asking you to carry, but it could be high explosives...I need a donkey I can trust."
Cordelia Naismith is the name of two fictional characters by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold. One is from the science fiction series the Vorkosigan Saga. The other is the title character of the Victorian era Sherlock Holmes short story "The Adventure of the Lady on the Embankment" included in her anthology Dreamweaver's Dilemma.
Gregor Vorbarra is the Emperor of the Barrayaran Imperium in the science fiction series Vorkosigan Saga by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold.
Ivan's association with Miles has on occasion proven hazardous to his well-being and even to his life. In the very first Miles Vorkosigan novel, The Warrior's Apprentice , he was dispatched on a mission to locate Miles, whose interstellar shenanigans were interpreted as treason on Barrayar, and bring him home to face charges. However the ship he was sent on had been sabotaged as part of a plot against Miles' father, and he only escaped death by missing its departure from Beta Colony due to his usual fascination with the local women. During the events of Brothers in Arms , he was captured and held hostage by Mark Vorkosigan and his Komarran handlers in order to draw Miles into a trap. Miles sprang the trap and saved Ivan from a grisly end, which left Ivan less than enamoured with Mark for a while afterward and with a lingering aversion to cold, dark, enclosed places.
During the events of A Civil Campaign , Ivan was drawn into the struggle occurring between Lady Donna Vorrutyer (who has had Betan sex-change surgery and become Lord Dono in order to inherit her brother's estate) and her less-than-savory cousin Richars (who would otherwise inherit). Rudely surprised by former lover Donna's transformation to Dono, Ivan is enmeshed in the plans to have Dono affirmed by the Council of Counts, ultimately ending with an attempted assault with the stated goal of crude 'field surgery' to reverse the sex-change, which Ivan assists in thwarting.
In this and other books, Ivan shows himself to be physically competent and possessed of a keen sense of judgment about people. However, despite his apparent showiness, he is perennially modest about such useful talents, which often leads people to underestimate him.
As he ages into his thirties, Ivan discovers both a sense of responsibility and a sense of loss. His mantras throughout life have been "It's not my fault" and "I want nothing to do with it." Despite the trials his cousin Miles has inflicted on him over the years, he finds himself shocked and dismayed when Miles, in trouble over his relationship with Ekaterin Vorsoisson, repeatedly refuses his help. Later Ivan's reaction to the attack on Dono is revulsion at the nature of the attack even though he was blindsided by Dono's sex change. As he says "I don't agree with what you did, but what they tried was just...wrong." Having helped abort the attack, he uses his political connections to bring Dono's cousin to justice. His reward for this is a nod and a rare smile from Emperor Gregor, and the sudden realization that, in Miles' words, the reward for a job well done is usually a harder job. This seems especially likely as Miles, for many reasons, is becoming much less available for such jobs.
Ivan also realizes that he is losing the attraction he once held for young vivacious Vorbarr Sultana debutantes. While recovering from having been strung along by one, just to get her boyfriend to pay more attention to her, he is hit hard by Lady Donna's sex change, especially since he was thinking about renewing their old relationship. Having already been turned down by two of the Koudelka girls, and facing a shortage of eligible partners due to Vor parents selecting for male children in his generation, he realizes that the life of a carefree bachelor may become that of a lonely bachelor.
This realization sets the path for the story line in Captain Vorpatril's Alliance , a book with Ivan as the lead character. Ivan's chivalrous side has him coming to the rescue of an expatriate daughter of House Cordonah, a Jackson's Whole ruling House Major. Akuti Tejaswini Jyoti ghem Estif Arqua (otherwise known as Tej) is also the granddaughter, on her mother's side, of a Cetagandan ghem general and his haut wife. Tej is trying to escape warring parties who are believed to have killed her parents and are intent on taking over House Cordonah and capturing her, but her hiding place on Komarr is discovered. Ivan, on Komarr as aide-de-camp to General Desplains, marries her in a hurried, impulsive ceremony to make her a Barrayan citizen, which puts her under the considerable protection he can call to bear. They plan to divorce as soon as she is safe. To remove her out of harm's way, he takes her and her companion, Rish, to Barrayar, where they discover that obtaining a divorce is not as easy as he originally thought. More complications ensue when the fleeing remnants of House Cordonah appear on Barrayar with a mission to recover something buried. The disastrous results of the mission, and Ivan's part in it, result in Ivan and Tej, now firmly committed to each other, being exiled for a few years to the Barrayaran consulate on the planet Ylla. There Ivan's very real bureaucratic skills quickly make him indispensable, and the couple have ample time and opportunity to enjoy each other's company.
