For the Giants

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 9:42 am

Thanks for saving me the trouble, Furls.

That is one of SRD's best, imo. Some of the Land's poetry/songs don't sound as substantial to me when I say them out loud. But this one is powerful!

Post by **Furls Fire** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 1:49 pm

When I first read these...many moons ago...I had a hard time with the songs/poems too. Just coming off of LOTR, where everything was so lyrical, it was hard to find the "rhythm" in the Chronicles poetry. But now, if you don't expect it to rhyme it is actually very musical. It's more cadance then lyric. I think back to the old narrative poems I read for english class. Most of those were just stories written in poetry lines. "The Legend of Berek Halfhand" and "Lord Kevin's Lament" remind me alot of those "narrative poems".

Post by **amanibhavam** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 7:58 pm

Yes, SRD is obviously not a poet, and does not pretend to be one - a good point to him. He always marks the poems in TCTC as "plainsong" or something similar. Some say Tolkien was not a really good poet, either. I cannot judge that, really, me being not native English, but I know that he had a profound knowledge in Old English poetry and a good feel for rhythm.

Post by **Furls Fire** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 5:40 am

I can actually hear the music of this one tho:

The Song of the Unhomed:

We are the Unhomed--
lost voyagers of the world.
In the land beyond the Sunbirth Sea
we lived and had our homes and grew--
and set our sails to the wind,
unheeding of the peril of the lost.

We are the Unhomed.
From home and hearth,
stone sacred dwellings crafted by our reverent
hands,
we set our sails to the wind of stars,
and carried life to lands across the earth,
careless of the peril of our loss.

We are the Unhomed--
lost voyagers of the world.
From desert shore to high cliff crag,
home of men and sylvan sea-edge faery
lands--
from dream to dream we set our sails
and smiled at the rainbow of our loss.

Now we are Unhomed,
bereft of root and kith and kin.
From other mysteries of delight,
we set our sails to resail our track;
but the winds of life blew not the way we chose,
and the land beyond the see was lost.

And I hear it in this one too:

Giant-troth Revelstone, ancient ward--
Heart and door of Earthfriend's main:
Perserve the true with Power's sword,
Thou ages-Keeper, mountain reign!

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 4:28 pm

bumpity-bump for vs

Post by **Durris** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:44 pm

Furls Fire quoted SRD:

At that, the First turned toward him; and for an instant her face was concentrated with weeping as if he had touched her deep Giantish love of stone. Almost immediately she recovered her sterness--but not before he had seen how absolutely she was ready now to serve him.

Just like a Haruchai. If the Giants hadn't existed, the Haruchai would have had to invent them so that somebody could understand their extravagance.

And both Revelstone (inevitably) and Covenant (inexplicably) have a way of making all manner of sentients ache to serve them.

Post by **variol son** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:12 pm

They are the Giants. What else needs said. Always there at the end, when TC needs someone to laugh or Linden needs someone to snap her out of it.

Furls Fire stole my favourite First Chronicle's Giant quote right back near the beginning of the thread.

'Do not fear for me,' Foamfollower replied. He sounded strangely proud, as if Covenant had honoured him in some rare way. 'Thomas Covenant, ur-Lord and Unbeliever, brave white gold wielder - I desire no other end. Do what you must, my friend. I am at Peace. I have beheld a marvellous story.'

The love of The First of the Search and Pitchwife for each other is a treasure.

Gossamer Glowlimn, I love you.

'You are Gossamer Glowlimn, the spouse of my heart.' His mouth was bloody: but his eyes gleamed. 'I am proud of you beyond all endurance. Demean not your high courage with foolishness. Neither Earthfriend nor Chosen has any need of my accompaniment. They are who they are - and will not fail. I am sworn to you in love and fealty, and I will remain.'

She glared at him as though she were in danger of weeping openly. 'You will die. I have borne all else until my heart breaks. Must I bear that also?'

And who better to witness the healing of the Land than they.

Pitchwife laughed and cried and kissed her. Then he bent, lifted Covenant into his arms. His back was strong and straight. Together, he and the First left Kiril Threndor. She strode like a Swordmain, ready for the world. But he moved at her side with a gay hop and caper, as if he were dancing.

Sum sui generis
Vs

Post by **Durris** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 11:18 pm

Variol-son wrote:

And who better to witness the healing of the Land than they.

Pitchwife laughed and cried and kissed her. Then he bent, lifted Covenant into his arms. His back was strong and straight. Together, he and the First left Kiril Threndor. She strode like a Swordmain, ready for the world. But he moved at her side with a gay hop and caper, as if he were dancing.

Oh, dear God...

I'd entirely forgotten that Pitchwife's disability is among the myriad things Linden heals.

This is a glimpse of the Eighth Day of Creation.

Can somebody make us a "eucatastrophic" emoticon? It looks like I'm going to need it a lot around here.

Post by **Furls Fire** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:34 am

ahhh, Giants

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 3:03 am

Durris wrote:I'd entirely forgotten that Pitchwife's disability is among the myriad things Linden heals.

*gasp*

Durris wrote:This is a glimpse of the Eighth Day of Creation.

Indeed!

Durris wrote:Can somebody make us a "eucatastrophic" emoticon? It looks like I'm going to need it a lot around here.

Well, while we're discussing the end of WGW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE

Pitchwife threw back his head to crow like a clean dawn, "Linden Avery! Have I not said that you are well Chosen?"

His faith has been rewarded, his joy is unbridled!

Post by **variol son** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 4:22 am

We are Giants
Born to sail
And bold to go wherever dreaming goes.

Sum sui generis
Vs

Post by **amanibhavam** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:21 am

"They are the Giants. Are they not equal to any peril?"

Post by **Baradakas** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:35 am

I love the Giants!

-GD

Post by **kaseryn** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 3:54 pm

Rediscovering Giants in the Land, in the Sarangrave. The poignancy of that reunion breaks my heart every time. The relief, grief and love for the Giants that come flooding back is beyond words. With Covenant, you suddenly realise just how hurt you'd been in their passing.. and of course.. only he knows!! Only he remembers them.. argh too much for words.. but just damned beautiful that part.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 4:33 pm

kaseryn, I love that part SOOOO much!! I Dissected that chapter a few weeks back. A labor of love, to be sure!!

Post by **kaseryn** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 7:15 pm

I'll have to check that out then. Didn't realise the dissecting thing was still active.. but anywhere in the books.. that bit probably gets me the most. You just follow him along in a kind of mute grief after that for a bit. And the reaction of the Haruchai is just special

Post by **kaseryn** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 9:20 pm

Awesome.. just read that, and you've said it all .. perfect .. love the Haruchai translation lol And as you say.. its the passage of time that makes it all an even more staggering scene..

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:54 am

Thanks

Post by **Furls Fire** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 7:19 pm

The death of Cable Seadreamer at the base of the One Tree...

A swath of the heavens had been superimposed on the cavern and the One Tree. Behind the sunlight, stars flamed with a cold fury. The spaces between them were as black as the fathomless depths of the sky. They were no larger than Linden's hand, no brighter than motes of dizziness. Yet each was as mighty as a sun. Together they transcended every power which life and Time could contain. They swirled like a galaxy in ferment, stirring the air into a brew of utter destruction.

A score of them swept toward Seadreamer. They seemed to strike and explode without impact; but their force lit a conflagration of agony in his flesh. A scream ripped the throat which had released no word since the birth of his Earth-Sight.

And wild magic appeared as if it had been rent free of all restraint by Seadreamer's cry. Covenant stood with his arms spread like a crucifixion, spewing argent fire. Venom and madness scourged forward as he strove to beat back Seadreamer's death. Foamfollower had already died for him.

His fury deflected or consumed the stars, though any one of them should have been too mighty for any mortal power to touch. But he was already too late. Seadreamer's hands fell from the branch. He sagged against the trunk of the Tree. Panting hugely, he took all his life in his hands and wrenched it into the shape of one last cry:

"Do not!"

The next moment, too much force detonated in his chest. He fell as if he had been shattered, thudded brokenly to the floor.

ah, my heart!!

Post by **Revan** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:35 pm

Zahir wrote:The exchange I sometimes relate to get folks interested in the Chronicles is from <i>Lord Foul's Bane</i>, where Covenant meets Foamfollower for the first time:

"So, Thomas Covenant, do you tell stories?"

"I did, once."

"Once? In three words as sad a tale as any I've heard. But tell me, how do you live without stories?"

"I live."

"In two words a tale more tragic than the first. Pray, Thomas Covenant, say no more. With one word you shall break my heart."

*sniff*

I thought that part waws funny... but ok...

I only cried when Thomas and Foamy died in the story... And did not think well of myself for doing so... but oh well... I love all Gaints

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

For the Giants