Prophecy (Sword of Truth)

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This article is about prophecy in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

1 Description
2 Types of Prophecies
- 2.1 Forked Prophecy
3 Known Prophecies
4 People Known To Give Prophecy

[edit] Description

Prophecy in the Sword of Truth series can come from many sources, including ancient books, wizards with the gift of prophecy known as prophets, some sorceresses as well as Shota the Witch Woman. Prophecies are dangerous things to take seriously. They do not always come true in the way a person thinks they will. Sometimes, prophecies are self-fulfilling, while others must be helped to completion by those aware of the prophecy. Prophecies are to be taken seriously only by those who understand such things.

The wizards guard books of prophecies, although modern wizards don't understand most of them. These books of prohpecy are scattered throughout the world. Some places/people known to have these books include the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril, the Palace of the Prophets in Tanimura, the Jocopo Treasure located near the home of the Mud People, and some also belong to Emperor Jagang. There used to be wizards who did nothing else but study books of prophecies. There are prophecies in these books that would scare most blind and make you wake at night in a sweat. Since there's no way to know what the prophecies mean, they must be kept secret. Some of them could and have caused great trouble if people hear them.

While the prophecies generally found in these books is the main version, Althea, a sorceress from D'Hara, was able to give prophecy using a Grace and seven small stones. She would throw the stones on the Grace, and the final resting positions of the stones could be read.

The true nature of prophecy, the ones given by prophets, is not restricted to the words written in the books of prophecy. It is revealed that a true prophecy includes visions, meant to aid the understanding of the prophecy, and that just reading the words was not enough. When a prophet reads a prophecy of another, they should be able to see the visions that come with the words, and hence see the prophecy as was meant.

[edit] Types of Prophecies

[edit] Forked Prophecy

A forked prophecy is a prophecy that could go multiple different ways. The prophecy allows for different paths to be taken, depending on the events which occur as stated in the prophecy. These conditions allow some room for free will, however once invoked, must be completed.

[edit] Known Prophecies

Kahlan Amnell is mentioned many times in the old books of prophecy as "The last Mother Confessor".
Richard Rahl is mentioned many times in the old books of prophecy as well, in some places as "the Seeker who commands the wind against the heir to D'Hara" (Darken Rahl).
Richard is mentioned in prophecy as Fuer Grissa Ost Drauka, meaning "the bringer of death" in High D'Haran (the near dead language of D'Hara).