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This is one those interesting depictions of dragons in which they are more beast than anything. Ged's conversation with the Elder explained the dragon's decline due to their loss of language and the ability to speak. It is sad to see how instinctual the dragons have become because of this. I think an important detail in explaining why the dragons have seemingly gone crazy is perhaps a need to express themselves. As Ged notes about dragons, "They do not have plain minds. And even when one of them would speak the truth to a man, which is seldom, he does not know how truth looks to a man" (Le Guin, p.196). The way he talks about them suggests that plain does not necessarily mean idle or lacking in intelligence. More so that their ways of thinking and understanding the world are more unorthodox, as to be expected by such beings who, can fly for one thing. Something crucial about their way of life has been taken away, and as a result have lost their connection to each other and their culture.

The chapter of Lorbanery is a very interesting island that represents a very stark decay of society. Once a busy, beautiful town famous for it's rare and fine silks, the town and it's inhabitants now lay still and decrepit (Le Guin, The Farthest Shore, 1972). Sparrowhawk is met with hostility by most of the townfolk, and his assistant Arren often makes note of the state of the town. The island itself however is described as a lush green paradise. The island seems to be cursed, as the death of the Orcharder occurred on Fallowes Eve.

They note the decline of their silk industry, "Something had gone out of them. The unseasonable rains were at fault, or the dye-earths, or the refiner. 'Or the eyes,' said the skinny man, 'of men who couldn't tell the true azure from blue mud,' and he glared at the mayor" (Le Guin, 1972, p. 101). The people also seem to be afflicted with memory loss and cannot remember the connections they had or colors. Since the death of this one figure, they have fallen idle, and lost their trade.

P.S.

Among the somber tone surrounding the decline of this once beautiful island community, I feel this chapter has given us a great gift, whether intentionally or not. That is, proof that Karens can and do exist everywhere, including Earthsea: Akaren (p. 108-109).

Power held on to throughout generations seems to begin to rely on one major thing the longer this time goes on. That it: ambiguity. For a dynasty to hold onto its power, their legacy is continued through ritual and remembrance. In the case of the Tombs of Atuan and the priestesses, they are bound by rigid traditions and rituals as is their duty. The hidden powers, and visible ones, keep the people dedicated to these rituals, and fearful of the old powers. By keeping the public simply in possession of the notion of holiness or divinity, they continue these rituals and perpetuate the old god's power.

It is interesting then that a tomb is transformed from a resting place, to a stage where power is restored and displayed. With the continuation of worship through traditions, the spirits of the passed hold on to a presence in the world.

Ged's physical reunion/encounter with his shadow towards the end of Book 1 leaves many avenues for interpretation. However, one in particular from earlier this week sticks in my mind. That is, the purpose of Ged's life, or the meaning of his journey. Le Guin's highlights an excerpt from the Tao Te Ching,

"To follow the Way, is to not need fulfillment. Unfulfilled, one may live on, needing no renewal."

I think this excerpt as it relates to Ged's life, helps to explain the meaning of his own hero's journey. Ged spends a great part of his life literally chasing his own shadow, however upon realizing that he must face it instead of run from it, he accepts his course. To not need fulfillment, to live unfulfilled, may mean simply to live with acceptance and presence.

Our introduction to the Kargish Raiders leaves me with a mental image of vikings through and through. From what I picture their cultural practices back home to be, to their literal appearances described by Le Guin. From reading Raffield's piece on Viking Slave trade, I am surprised to learn that slaves were a part of Viking existence. Somehow I have always thought they were the take-no-prisoner types. However the integration of slaves along with raiding culture opens a lot of interesting suggestions for why and how slaves were taken.

As mentioned in the reading, while becoming a slave often meant the complete forfeiture of a social identity, some were actually taken and integrated into the society, sometimes with a craft (Raffield, 2019). With this in mind, perhaps the Kargish raid in order to boost their own ranks. Specifically in the case of Gont, where it is only known for occasionally producing a wizard, they were hoping to add a young wizard to their own ranks.

#everyonewhentheyseetheKargs

Ged's home of Ten Alders village is quiet mountain town where the village folk there lead simple, quiet lives. Farming and herding, along with professions like smithing and tailoring place this village during a much simpler time. I noticed the keen resemblance the Kargs have to Vikings, both in appearance and reputation. What is interesting to me is that after learning about feasting traditions and the using of names versus giving a speech, there seems to be large importance associated with names in Earthsea as well.

When Ged's aunt is teaching him some early uses of magic, she is teaching him to use the true names of the things he wishes to engage with. In this case, saying the name somehow connects him and gives him control. I believe this is what she means when she tells him, "We must keep the secrets of our craft" (4). Knowing these names gives power, and we see a similar cultural practice in Ten Alders with becoming a man. Before Ged is named Ged, he is Duny. With this name, he is still a child, and the mage's insistence on his being named before departure suggests to me that he also does not have power. Perhaps not yet over himself, as he is not yet a man.

In one of the readings, the article talked about the history and significance of drinking, toasts, and funeral events. Through Scandinavian history and accounts, we see a pattern of tradition surrounding the death of a king and the subsequent inheritance. The article explains that three things consistently happen according to tradition. “funerary feasts were required in order for an heir to come into his or her full and legitimate inheritance; the heir was not allowed to sit in the ruling seat until the bragafull had been drunk and a vow had been made, and that the custom was very old (Riseley, 2014).”

We see a similar pattern take place at the funeral of Theoden. After he was laid to rest, a process which revealed an interesting look at the burial practices of the Mark, they all gathered in the Great Golden Hall to feast, toast, and carry on with the tradition of succession. It seems they share the practices of the heir taking a drink which signifies his kingly inheritance, as well as this process being very old, as we are told there exists now “eight mounds on the east-side of the Barrowfield.”

The Golden Hall as a site for events in this story represents a very interesting fixture in Middle Earth. Having a long and storied history, the halls of Rohan are regarded as being impressive and imposing. What is interesting to me is how the site manages to contrast with the mood and events taking place.

At one point in the story, Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, and Aragorn arrive to face Theoden, but arrive with much trepidation and very much on guard. Reluctant to give up their weapons, the great Golden Hall is heavy with nerves and distrust. It is clear that this is not a great time for Rohan.

Then, later on, a funeral is held in the Golden Hall, with an atmosphere very different from those previously experienced here. “The Golden Hall was arrayed with fair hangings and it was filled with light, and there was held the highest feast that it had known since the days of its building.” A funeral was to be the event that brought the hall back to life.

The remains found in the Circum-Alpine region dating back to the Late Bronze Age, suggest some sort of intent or pragmatism associated with the burial and handling of said remains (Menotti, 2014). While it is impossible to know the true intent or nature behind these actions based on current evidence, we see many cases of interesting burial practices across the world. Ranging from advanced methods of preservation, to ritualistic fatalities.

Tolkien often seems to include a brief history of the place as the journey leads from one unique, magnificent location to the next. He writes about what the lake and surrounding swamps used to be like, back a long time ago. Here is being painted an image of what was, separate of what is happening right now, and by doing so we are able to witness change through this space. It is only natural that they should pass through a landscape that is often changing and dynamic. Rivers, lakes, rain; water is source of change and motion in a landscape.

When thinking about what it is like to live in the bitter cold winters of northern Finland, water can also bring a daunting stillness and uniformity. Layers and layers of paper white snow blanket the earth, flowers to be greeted no more until the spring. Leaves fall off trees, whose now cold branches crack and claw in the grey air. Save for the pine trees, whose needles bristle green year-round. The thousands of frozen lakes that now lie still, frozen in place and buried under a beautiful duvet of the softest making. However, at night when the light turns to dark, chatter also silences. The polish white snow that once blanketed, now muffles. Tracks are visible now, but motionless.

"The roof was probably made of turfs, laid carefully over the framework of supports. It certainly wasn't of stone, since if it had been the excavators of Skara Brae would have found mate-rial from the collapsed roof piled up on the house floors" (Scarre, 1998, p. 103) The architecture of these houses, the land laid over supports, has the potential for large, cozy houses that do a good job of concealing what is inside. The Hobbits of Hobbiton share a culture of privacy and propriety. While this ancient civilization may not have shared this culture, their architecture resembles that of the small homes found in the Shire.