The Riddle of the Sands · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers.
Skim names here — open a free preview to see character cards and Character Web beside the page as you read.
Arthur H. Davies
major
Also known as Davies, Herr Davies, Mr. Davies
A shy, obsessive yachtsman whose restless instinct for the Frisian shallows turns a casual cruise into a hunt for something far more dangerous than weather.
Carruthers
major
Also known as Dear Carruthers, Herr Carruthers
A bored Foreign Office man who trades his desk for a small yacht's cockpit, and finds his diplomatic instincts suddenly, urgently useful.
Dollmann
major
Also known as Herr Dollmann, Frau Dollmann, the Dollmanns
An outwardly hospitable German yacht owner whose evasions and careful courtesies hide a past he will do almost anything to keep submerged.
Fräulein Dollmann
supporting
Also known as Clara, Clara Dollmann, Miss Clara
Dollmann's watchful daughter, caught between loyalty to her father and the uneasy knowledge that strangers are beginning to see through him.
Commander von Brüning
supporting
Also known as von Brüning, Brüning, Commander
A polished German naval officer whose cordial hospitality toward two wandering English yachtsmen is a shade too attentive to be entirely friendly.
Herr Böhme
supporting
Also known as Böhme
A rasping, ghoulishly cheerful German official whose monthly visits to Memmert and easy talk about the coast make him a man worth listening to closely.
Grimm
minor
Also known as Friend Grimm, Herr Grimm
A German acquaintance of Davies who provides local knowledge.
Bartels
minor
Also known as Schiffer Bartels
A German sailor who assists the protagonists.
Karl Schicker
minor
Also known as Karl
A German pilot or guide encountered during the voyage.
Herr Schenkel
minor
A German official met briefly in the islands.
Lieutenant X⸺
minor
Also known as X⸺
A German naval lieutenant involved in the conspiracy.
Davis
minor
A minor character or alias referenced in the narrative.
Hans
minor
A German sailor or local encountered briefly.
Carter
minor
A British contact or official mentioned in correspondence.
Lady Ashleigh
minor
A social acquaintance of Carruthers mentioned in passing.
