What's the significance of the title?

[Evans Caamora]

It seems that all the books in the first and second chronicles, that the title of each book fits with the plot that is developing in each of the books. So my question is....what is the significance of the title 'The Runes of the Earth'. I don't recall reading anything about 'runes'..... and for that matter what exactly does 'Fatal Revenant' mean?

[Unfettered One]

A revenant is a ghost, or someone you haven't seen for so long that you think they're a ghost. In that regard, I think we were meant to think that TC's return at the end of ROTE was the Fatal Revenant,

Spoiler

but we find at the end of FR that the author was most likely referring to the actual TC's resurrection.

Runes of the Earth most likely refers to the ability that Anele has to "read" or "listen" to stone.

I could be wrong on both of these though... but that's the way I interpret them.

[wayfriend]

Emil van Zuylen: First of all, thank you for the tantalising 'Runes of the Earth', to kick off the 'Last Chronicles'. Wow, it will be nine years from now that we will learn of the outcome of the current predicament of the Land.

My question is regarding the title: Does it refer to what Anele is grasping from the Stone?

Thanks again for your time and attention,

Emil

• You're right about Anele and the title. In the text, there is a deliberate confusion about Anele's perception of the knowledge contained within the bones of the Earth: he "sees" it, or he "hears" it, or he "feels" it; no one can be sure exactly which. It's a language problem: I simply don't know how to describe *exactly* how Anele registers what the stone around him is thinking. But there's an old line from somewhere (I can't remember it exactly) about "fate" or "truth" being "graven in the heart of the rock." So "The Runes of the Earth" refers to secrets written where no ordinary person can read them. Anele's blessing/curse is that he has learned how to read that secret language.
  
  (11/13/2004)

[deer of the dawn]

Hmmm!!.... and I was thinking that it was the grass stains on Linden's jeans (which are referred to as being like runes). :O

[IrrationalSanity]

Hi Deer,

Although they may not be the "Runes" of the title, I don't think we have heard the last of the writings from the One Lawn...

[MsMary]

A revenant is a ghost, or someone you haven't seen for so long that you think they're a ghost. In that regard, I think we were meant to think that TC's return at the end of ROTE was the Fatal Revenant,

Spoiler

but we find at the end of FR that the author was most likely referring to the actual TC's resurrection.

That's my understanding, as well.

[Blackhawk]

I was thinking of this recently and came up with this...

Runes of the earth are history and Earth power graven in the earths bones (not physically)
giving it power and life and the ability to tell a story to those who know how to hear it, the Rune carvings on the original staff of law are what gave it power.

[ellll]

The Runes.....

Secrets..., right, wordsmiths...? From the German, my fathers language..., but also I read that it may be Norse as well...

I will settle for secrets.....

ellll (Johnny, John, Cont.., etc..whatever)