Urgal
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- For other uses of "Urgal", see Urgal (disambiguation).
Urgals are a fictional race in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy. They serve as one of the primary antagonistic forces, and, at the time of Eragon, are allied with Galbatorix's Empire.
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[edit] Description
[edit] Appearance
Urgals resemble men with bowed legs and thick, brutish arms made for crushing. They have yellow, piggish eyes, twisted horns protruding above the ears, and greyish skin. Kull, a particularly strong race of Urgals, are easily a match for any non-magical being of Alagaësia. They stand over eight feet tall on average, and their legs are thick as saplings, making them veritable giants.
Urgals are not true monsters, although most consider them to be so, as they fight humans for food and land in order to help and protect their families.
[edit] Society and Customs
Usually, Urgals are split into small clans which fight with each other for food, land, and power; they never seem to be in large groups because of the nature of their race. An Urgal's rank in society is determined through its combat skills, regardless of whether it is male or female. Those with the most kills are the ones with greatest authority.
Male Urgals, or rams, bellow a scream when greeting a war chief. If an Urgal raises its head, it is a sign of friendship; if it lowers its horns, it is meant as a threat. Urgals will not turn on an ally if they share a common enemy. Each Urgal/Kull belongs to a clan and has different beliefs, but all serve their clan willingly.
[edit] History
Urgals are not native to the land of Alagaësia; they followed the Elves across the seas. With the Fall of the Riders, they were allowed to expand their territory, which led to overpopulation, and consequently food shortages. Having no allies, they turned to Galbatorix, the new king of Alagäesia, and made a pact: in exchange for serving Galbatorix, the Urgals would receive more food and territiory.
Following the creation of this treaty, the Urgals then began moving southwards to Ithro Zhada, marshalling their armies. Not long after, however, the different clans were linked by a Shade named Durza, and were made to fight alongside the Kull against their will. In Eragon, Durza led this Urgal army from Ithro Zhada to attack the Varden at Farthen Dûr. At first, the battle went in the Urgals' favor, but when Durza was slain by Eragon, the enslaving link was lifted, and the clans turned on each other, annihilating their own forces, and thereby giving the Varden the victory.
In Eldest, a group of Kull, angered with Galbatorix for enslaving them to Durza, joined the Varden and opposed the Empire. They acted as a bodyguard to Eragon during the Battle of the Burning Plains.
[edit] Comparisons
It must be noted that the word "Urgal" resembles J.R.R. Tolkien's "uruk", related to "orc". Also their descriptions are very similar. Both Urgals and orcs are naturally violent soldier-races, and both constitute a large part of the antagonist forces in their respective series. The Uruk-hai of The Lord of the Rings (larger and stronger than other orcs, able to run long distances at great speed) are paralleled by the Kull in Eragon.
[edit] Portrayal in film
In the film adaptation of Eragon, the urgals do not have horns, giving them an even more similar appearance to the Orcs of Tolkein.
| Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy | |
|---|---|
| Books | Eragon | Eldest | Book 3 |
| Films | Eragon |
| Main Characters | Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more... |
| Places | Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Carvahall | Dras-Leona | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Hadarac Desert | Helgrind | Surda | Teirm | Urû'baen | more... |
| Events | Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
