The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
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The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Stephen R. Donaldson. It was followed by The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, also a trilogy, and The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, a planned quartet.
The main character is Thomas Covenant, a cynical writer afflicted with leprosy, shunned and despised by society, who is destined to become the heroic saviour of an alternate world - or, perhaps, only of his own sanity. Throughout six novels published between 1977 and 1983, Covenant struggles against the evil Lord Foul - "The Despiser" - who intends to break the physical universe to escape its bondage and wreak revenge upon his arch-enemy "The Creator". Many elements of the story correspond to those of Richard Wagner's epic "Ring Cycle", but with inverted values.
In 2004 Donaldson returned to the chronicles with a new series, intended to be the last chronicles.
Contents |
[edit] The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
- Lord Foul's Bane – (1977)
- The Illearth War – (1978)
- The Power that Preserves – (1979)
[edit] Gilden-Fire
Gilden-Fire is an episode cut from The Illearth War for reasons explained in the author's Foreword to Gilden-Fire. It describes an episode from the doomed mission to contact the Giants. Gilden-Fire is told from the point of view of Korik, the senior Bloodguard on the mission. It describes Korik's selection process of the mission's Bloodguard, and then narrates the mission's crossing of Grimmerdhore forest where they defeat an ambush of ur-viles and wolves. The narrative ends as the mission leaves the forest.
Whether Gilden-Fire can be considered series canon is open for debate, as per the author's Foreword. Gilden-Fire was originally part of a larger planned section that followed the mission to the Giants in "real time." It was cut due to space restrictions as well as point-of-view inconsistency with the rest of the Chronicles. The events during this crossing of Grimmerdhore are not mentioned in the published Illearth War narrative; indeed, one passage in Illearth War suggests the crossing was uneventful. Some information shared here on the origin and motivation of the Bloodguard does appear in other contexts in the published Chronicles. The rest of the mission after the Grimmerdhore crossing was included in the Chronicles via the narrative device of Bloodguard messengers.
[edit] Major Themes in the First Chronicles
An issue of major importance in the First Chronicles is the question of the reality of the Land. From Thomas Covenant's perspective, the Land may be only a delusion of his disturbed mind. Stephen R. Donaldson goes to great lengths to make this just as plausible as any other theory (e.g. Thomas Covenant is indeed mentally unbalanced, events in the Land seem to parallel his subconscious struggles, etc.) This raises the 'Fundamental Question of Ethics' that appears at the very start of the Chronicles, which can be rephrased as "do actions performed in dreams have any significance?" Covenant's rape of Lena can be seen as an attempt to test this theory. One interpretation of the First Chronicles sees the reality of the Land eventually 'proven' to Covenant; another interprets Covenant's eventual decision to act for the Land as understanding that, be the Land real or not, it is of significance to him.[original research?]
Another major theme, closely related to the one just mentioned, is the psychological symbolism of the Land. It very clearly parallels Covenant's own psyche: he is filled with self-hatred, manifested in the Land as the Despiser; he is ravaged by a corrupting disease that eats away at him, similarly to the Illearth Stone, and so forth. In this way the fantasy genre allows the author to explore Covenant's inner workings in a very effective way.
After his return to our world, Covenant resumes his writing, publishing seven novels in ten years. Although he will never be able to return to the life he had before contracting leprosy, he seems to have come to terms with his condition.
[edit] The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
- The Wounded Land – (1980)
- The One Tree – (1982)
- White Gold Wielder – (1983)
[edit] Major Themes in the Second Chronicles
Where the First Chronicles were involved with Covenant himself, his psychology, and his relationship with the world of the Land, the Second Chronicles add a second character, Linden Avery. The interaction of the two characters becomes a major topic, with relations warming up and cooling off at different times, but in the end settling on mutual respect and warmth.
The resolution of the crisis and the defeat of the Despiser reveal another theme. Covenant discovers despite in himself, and thus that the Despiser is part of him, in a sense (figuratively, or, perhaps, even literally). Thus he does not need to combat him directly - indeed, direct conflict failed to defeat the Despiser more than once. Hence he surrenders his ring to the Despiser, and allows him to fail in his attempt to destroy the Arch of Time.
[edit] The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
- The Runes of the Earth – (2004)
- Fatal Revenant – (Planned release date October 9, 2007 in the U.S., October 18 in the U.K. [3])
- Against All Things Ending – (expected late 2011)
- The Last Dark
[edit] People and Creatures of the Land
Cavewights are dimly intelligent subterranean creatures skilled in metal working and mining. They are weak willed, and are easily terrorized by Lord Foul into serving in his armies (though they once traded openly with the humans of the Land). They are described as having "long, scrawny limbs, hands as huge and heavy as shovels," plus "a thin, hunched torso, and a head shaped like a battering ram." Drool Rockworm is a cavewight.
The Creator is the mysterious entity who created the Land and the universe in which it exists (this universe is referred to as "the Earth" but is clearly a different reality than Covenant's world). The fundamental structure of the universe, the Arch of Time, prevents the Creator from intervening directly in events in the world of his creation. He can, however, manifest himself in the "real" world and guide those who attempt to make contact between the universes.
Demondim are an extinct race spawned by the Viles. They have a semi-corporeal nature, and can only achieve physical presence by animating dead bodies. (They are somewhat like zombies in this respect.) They were not originally wholly evil, but their inherent self-loathing was used by Lord Foul to gain their allegiance. They spawned two other races, the Waynhim and the Ur-viles.
Forestals are beings who serve the forests of the Land, the remnants of the One Forest, the great sentient wood which once covered the entire country. They are human in appearance, but according to the Elohim were created by the One Forest itself using knowledge from another Elohim imprisoned within the Colossus. The Forestals actively protected the remaining forest from destruction by encroaching mortals. They were more numerous in the distant past but few survived into the era of the New Lords. By the time of the Second Chronicles (when the last remnants of the ancient forest were long dead), the last remaining Forestal, Caer-Caveral, who was himself once a human, lived in Andelain.
Giants are a race of extremely long lived humanoids of unusual height and strength. Giants are known for their stone lore (similar to but not identical with that of the Stonedownors), their skill at seamanship, and their love of story-telling. A common Giantish interjection is, "Stone and Sea!" Giants are resistant to cold and cannot be harmed by ordinary fire (though it does pain them). In return for a favor performed for the mysterious Elohim long ago, the entire race of Giants are endowed with an innate ability to speak and understand all languages. The Giants' own language is very florid and verbose, and they find human speech to be rather curt and inexpressive. The Giants of the Land are sometimes called the Unhomed since they were separated from their homeland long ago, and although the Giants love children, they are not fertile and their numbers in the Land in the time of the Chronicles have dwindled to a very few. Kevin Landwaster entrusted them with the first of his Seven Wards before the Ritual of Desecration. They sometimes refer to humans as Rockbrothers and Rocksisters, in honor of the ancient alliance they made with High Lord Damelon Giantfriend. Saltheart Foamfollower is a Giant.
Griffins are winged lions. They are sometimes ridden by ur-Viles.
Haruchai are a hardy race of warriors living in the Westron Mountains, west of the Land. The Haruchai shun the use of weapons or magic, taking pride in their own physical prowess and the purity of their service, which is never given lightly. Outwardly stoic, even emotionless, it is revealed on several different occasions in the book series that the Haruchai are a deeply extravagant race, capable of swearing a lifetime’s worth of service if sufficiently moved. The first of these commitments came when an army of Haruchai marched into the Land, some 2000 years before Covenant’s coming to the Land. The Old Lords, led by High Lord Kevin, refused to meet the Haruchai in battle, lest the noble Haruchai be destroyed by the Lords' Earthpower. Instead, the Lords gave the Haruchai precious gifts. The wonders of the Land, and the compassion and wisdom of its Lords, moved the Haruchai to swear the Vow, an oath to protect and serve the Lords. Swearing the Vow caused the best 500 of these Haruchai to become the Bloodguard; functionally immortal, not growing old, never sleeping, and permanently cut off from their former families in the Westron Mountains. When a Bloodguard died in battle, his body was sent back into the mountains for burial, and another Haruchai came to Revelstone to swear the Vow and take his place among the Bloodguard. During the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Bloodguard disbanded in shame after three of them were corrupted by a fragment of the Illearth Stone and made to serve Lord Foul. Several thousand years later, in the time leading up to the Final Chronicles, the Haruchai claimed authority over the Land, dubbing themselves its "Masters." As such, they made it their mission to prevent any and all uses of Earthpower, which they had come to see as leading inevitably to disaster in the hands of mortals, since mortals are capable of despair and desecration. To this end, they suppressed the history of the land so that its inhabitants would forget about the Earthpower, and detained anyone they found who had learned enough to make use of it.
Lords are the leaders and stewards of the Land, also known as Earthfriends. The standards for Lordship are high, so they are generally few in number. In order to become a Lord, a person must master the martial arts and the use and application of magic. These skills are called the Sword and the Staff respectively, and together form the First Ward of Kevin's Lore, an ancient repository of knowledge. A student who masters both parts of the Lore – and does not opt to become Unfettered in order to pursue a private vision – is invited to join the Council of Lords at Revelstone, also known as Lord's Keep. The Lords carry special staffs that allow them to channel their power, and are easily identified by their sky blue robes.
Lord Foul is the name given by the Lords of Revelstone to the ancient enemy of the Land, who is also called the Despiser. He is described as "the wicked son or brother of the Creator's heart" and is the source of all evil in the Earth. He is a being of pure spirit, although capable of taking on human form, and is apparently immortal: he cannot be killed, but his power can be reduced to near-insignificance. On occasions when this has happened he has always been able to restore and re-generate his power over time.
Ramen are the tenders of the Ranyhyn (see below). The Ramen exist only to serve the Ranyhyn, whom they perceive as a superior form of life. Traditionally they do not ride or otherwise subjugate the great horses, and grow resentful of those who do. The fact that the Lords of Revelstone and the Bloodguard often ride the great horses is a major point of contention, but the Ramen tolerate this in deference to the Ranyhyn, who choose to give their service. When defending the Ranyhyn from Kresh (large wolves in service to the Despiser) or other predators, the Ramen frequently use ropes as garottes to break the attackers' necks. Ramen are organised into three "ranks": Manethralls who are the leaders, Cords who assist the manethralls, and Winhomes who perform domestic supporting duties.
Ranyhyn are the great horses of the Land. These horses live on the Plains of Ra, and are tended by a race of humans known as the Ramen. The Ranyhyn are as normal horses, but are larger, always have a star and are in some indefinable sense enhanced by the Earthpower of the Land, so that their speed and endurance, as well as intelligence, far outstrips that of normal horses. The Ranyhyn can be ridden by individuals they deem worthy, but a person who seeks such a mount must travel to the Plains of Ra and offer themself to the horses’ consideration. If a Ranyhyn accepts a rider, it is loyal to that rider to death. The Ranyhyn also have a limited ability to perceive the future; these horses can "hear" when their rider will need them, hearing their call days or even weeks before the rider even makes the call. Thus, when the rider needs the Ranyhyn, they can appear over the next hill as if by magic, which of course it is.
Ravers are bodiless evil spirits with the ability to possess and control some lesser creatures, and most humans as well. Giants and Bloodguard are typically immune to this power, and there are no known instances of a Raver possessing a Ranyhyn. There are only three Ravers, ancient brothers who each have many names but are commonly called turiya Herem, samadhi Sheol, and moksha Jehannum. Their greatest hatred is reserved for the trees of the One Forest of old, and their loathing of the Earthpower and all good things has led them to become Lord Foul's willing servants. The Despiser is somehow able to enhance their abilities when he pleases, but can prevent them from possessing individuals he deems too powerful. (They were not allowed to possess Thomas Covenant, for instance, because his ring would make them too powerful for Lord Foul to control.) They often serve as leaders in Lord Foul's armies, or as spies among his enemies.
Stonedowners are humans descended from the Land's original inhabitants. They are known for their use of stone lore and live in stone huts. A master of stone lore is called a "Gravelingas", or a Rhadhamaerl which also refers to the craft of stone lore. Stonedowners are typically dark-skinned, squat and muscular, though this isn't always the case. Trell and Triock are both unusually tall for Stonedowners.
Ur-viles are creatures of jet black color and are constructions of an extinct race named the Demondim. They are highly magical, possessing a number of supernatural abilities, including shooting acid, creating bolts of pure energy and the like. They are also blind, but have a supernatural sense of smell. One of their most distinctive features is that when assembled in a wedge formation, the leader (or loremaster) at the apex wields the combined power of the entire group, without weakening any of their kin in the rest of the wedge. The Ur-viles initially served Lord Foul, but later turned against him by creating the creature Vain (from which the new Staff of Law was created). In The Runes of the Earth, the Ur-viles have actively joined the side of "good", though their motivation remains unclear. Because they were made rather than born, the Ur-viles loathe their own bodies and often redirect this rage towards other targets. They also do not die (except when killed) or reproduce.
Viles are an extinct race who spawned the Demondim. They were non-corporeal, but nonetheless very powerful and evil. They were eventually destroyed by the Council of Lords, under High Lord Loric "Vilesilencer".
Waynhim are another race of creatures spawned by the Demondim. They closely resemble the Ur-viles (having no eyes, super-sensitive smell and hearing, and magical abilities), though they are smaller and lighter in colour. Like the Ur-viles (who are their long-standing enemies), the Waynhim were made rather than born. However, they do not share their cousins' self-hatred, and have dedicated themselves to serving the Land and the Earthpower according to their own peculiar ethical system, the Weird of the Waynhim. Like the Ur-viles, they fight in a wedge formation with a loremaster at the apex.
Woodhelvennin are humans descended from the Land's original inhabitants. They are known for their use of wood lore and living in tree-top villages. A master of wood lore is called a Hirebrand, or a lillianrill. (Lillianrill usually refers to the craft of wood lore.) They are typically fair-skinned, tall and slender.
[edit] Places and concepts
Andelain is a focal region of the Land, where the Earthpower is especially strong. It is similar in concept to Lothlórien from the Tolkien novel "The Lord of the Rings", being a place of concentrated strength and "goodness".
Languages: Human inhabitants of the Land (together with Giants, Cavewights, and the human inhabitants of other regions of the Earth) all appear to speak modern English, though their style of speech is usually rather formal and archaic. The strange commonality of language between Covenant and the Land's inhabitants is never addressed in the books (though the corresponding phenomenon in the Mordant's Need books is remarked upon). There are, however, other languages extant: during the age of the Old Lords, for example, a different language was spoken, a few words of which were preserved for ceremonial and invocational purposes. Non-humans also have their own languages, for example the barking speech of ur-viles and Waynhim, the Giants' language, and the native tongue of the Haruchai. In the Second Chronicles it is explained that the Giants received "the gift of tongues" in a bargain with the Elohim, and the Bhrathair, a people who live on the edge of the Great Desert, also speak a different language.
[edit] Terminology
In the Thomas Covenant stories, Donaldson takes several terms from Sanskrit that are significant in Hinduism and Buddhism and reassigns them meanings in the Land. For example, the term moksha, which in Sanskrit refers to liberation from the cycle of sorrow, is given as an alternative name to Fleshharrower, a fearsome creature known as a raver. Another raver, Satansfist, is called samadhi, which in Sanskrit refers to a state of mind in which one achieves oneness with the object of one's concentration. A third raver, Kinslaughterer, is called turiya, Sanskrit for a state of pure consciousness. Donaldson does this application of Sanskrit terms to seemingly unrelated aspects of the Land to other terms, including: dukkha, dharmakshetra, and yajna.
[edit] Book Covers
| The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Book Covers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Book 1 |
 Book 2 |
 Book 3 |
 Book 4 |
 Book 5 |
 Book 6 |
 Book 7 |
[edit] Footnote
- ^ [1]. The story first appeared as an independent novella but is most widely available as a part of most versions of the Donaldson short story collection, A Daughter of Regals, 1985. For Donaldson's account of how Gilden-Fire got published, see [2]
[edit] External links
- Interview (excerpts) with Donaldson in Locus magazine
- SciFan entries for:
- The Land fansite with analysis and plot summaries
- A guide to the works of Stephen R. Donaldson Manuscripts held by Kent State University Special Collections and notable published editions of each. Online listing last updated 1996.
- "Kevinswatch.com" A fansite with "official unofficial" message board for the series.
| The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever |
|---|
| Novels |
| The First Chronicles: Lord Foul's Bane | The Illearth War | The Power that Preserves |
| The Second Chronicles: The Wounded Land | The One Tree | White Gold Wielder |
| The Last Chronicles: The Runes of the Earth | Fatal Revenant | Against All Things Ending | The Last Dark |
