Kevin's Watch

Giants.

Giants have returned to the Land. Let’s forget, for a moment, what dramatic role the Giants are to play in events – what their return to Land signifies and how it is to shape things to come. Above all, the purpose of these books is to entertain and excite the reader and this is one of those chapters that kept me up well past my bedtime; for who could close the book now when the last few sentences of Salva Gildenbourne brought Giants into the Chronicles.

And their appearance did not disappoint.

The intense encounter with the skurj takes on a new dimension as we see a foe who can defeat them – in hand-to-hand combat, no less! But I am getting ahead of myself . . . back up a few paragraphs and we witness a maddened, enraged male giant attempt to cleave Linden in two with a mighty sword. Quick action by Stave averts this blow, but it is more likely the skurj biting into this mad Giant’s shoulder that keeps certain death at bay. And then there are more – female giants, armored in stone appear and actually attack the skurj – effectively fighting it while other female warriors work to restrain the enraged Giant slavering for Linden’s death. The combat with the skurj ceases abruptly as a Giant does the unimaginable – reaching into the fiery beast and pulling forth a vital organ that ends its life.

At the same time, the enraged Giant (Longwrath) is restrained in manacles and his rage turns to an urgency as he pleads:

Slay her! Are you blind? Are you fools?

A great mystery has been introduced – why is this Giant trying to kill Linden? This question will not be answered anytime soon, but the mystery will grow more complex as the Giants relate their tale – The Long Journey of the Lost.

After brief introductions we learn that Rime Coldspray is the Ironhand of the Swordmainir. The Giants flee the area to search for a place of safety and they bear Linden, Anele and the Ramen as they travel – this allows them to move quickly, but also we learn that the skurj are not attracted to the Giants passing across the land.

And the clamor of our movements does not attract the were-menhirs, th skurj. The appear deaf to ordinary sound.

Ultimately, they arrive in a safe glade, Anele is given a piece of Rime’s stone armor to rest in and the telling of tales begins.

The Giants’ tale begin long ago for the mad Giant Longwrath is the third son of the third son of Gossamer Glowlimn and Pitchwife. To the Giants, this is a wonder of legendary proportions as children are rare, but to have had to generations give birth to three sons – this is a miraculous occurrence:

In the sons of Filigree and Gladbirth, we felt that we had been granted an augury of hope; a promise that the seed of the Giants had regained its lost vitality.

This third son of a third son was named Exalt Widenedworld, but he is now known as Lostson Longwrath and it is he that is the mad Giant who attacked Linden. Rare among male Giants, Exalt wanted to become one of the Swordmainir and in this he excelled. During a training duel with Coldspray he was accidentally struck on the forehead with the flat of her sword. Though the wound was not life threatening, Exalt nevertheless lasped into delirium for a long time, until one day he arose from his bed with the announcement to “Slay her”.
Exalt could not be restrained for long – he broke his shackles are fought with savage fury. He could not be reasoned with or communicated to with any effectiveness and his ramblings began to add on another question:

Are you fools?

His “insanity” eventually resulted in his causing his mother’s death and severe injury to his father. Now known as Lostson Longwrath, the Giants of the Swordmainir take on the task of guarding him and deciding to convey him to the land of the Bhrathair to have manacles of iron forged to restrain him.

There is much to be said of what happened to Longwrath and his apparent purpose, but for the moment it is interesting to see that the Swordmainir have themselves become “Lost” to Exalt’s wrath. Indeed, there is wordplay afoot as Exalt Widenedworld is in some respects the oppositeof Lostson Longwrath. Exalt=Wrath and Widenedworld=Lost.
Yet, at the same time Longwrath’s rage does indeed expand his and the Giants world, taking them to Bhrathairealm and ultimately to the land.

In Bhrathairealm we learn of the Sandgorgons migration though the sandwall. The Bhrathair do eventually forge manacles for Longwrath that he could not break . . . yet, escape he indeed did – mysteriously freeing himself from his manacles.

Joan, linden thought. Oh, God. For weeks, Covenant’s ex-wife had slipped repeatedly, impossibly, out of her restraints.

.

The message is clear and Donaldson does not want us to or Linden to forget it . . . though, as one would expect, Linden keeps this knowledge to herself and never seems to follow up on it . . .

Longwrath appears again on the prow of the dromond with the sword he took from the Bhrathair armory – a weapon which he would not surrender. (Note: I can’t find the reference at the moment – perhaps, it is not in this chapter, but I remember that the sword in question was designed to slay Sangorgons in a bygone day before Sandgorgon’s Doom).

Ere we set sail, the Harbor Captain informed us that Longwrath faced in the direction taken by the Sandgorgons.

Of course, Linden sighed, bleak in the darkness. Of course. Hugging her Staff, she faced Rime Coldspray and tried to contain her apprehension. Lord Foul was callinig in his allies.

In this, at least, I think that Linden in in great error. The entire “apparent” purpose of Longwrath screams “Red Herring”. Donaldson is practically shouting at us through Longwrath’s madness! “Are we blind? Are we fools?” . Foul is not expending his energies possessing a Giant “assassin” to finish off Linden. Indeed, Longwrath’s madness has served to bring a powerful force of Giants to the Land. Allies are the result of this madness – ancient friendships are renewed and the Giants even have the power to slay skurj. No, this is not the doing of Foul. That is not to say the Longwrath’s purpose was to bring Giants back to the land, but that is the result and neither Foul nor his minions would have been so shortsighted.

Returning briefly to the chapter summary we find that Longwrath is calm for the duration of the voyage – however, his gaze indicates his desire to go to the Lifeswallower, the Great Swamp. The Swordmainir do not wish to pursue this dangerous course and decide to make landfall to the North of this area, thus ending Longwrath’s temporary calm.

And as winter became spring, we found new cause to debate our course, for it grew evident tha Longwrath directed Dire’s Vessel toward the noisome banes of Lifeswallower, the Great Swamp. There we were unwilling to follow his rapt gze. The foulness of Lifeswallower dismayed our senses. Also we remember the tales of the Search, which warned of the lurker of the Sarangrave, and of the lurker’s servants, the corrosive skest.

Therefore we turned aside from Longwrath’s huner. Sailing northward along the littoral of the Land, we sought a safer harborage in The Grieve of the Unhomed.

Coldspray goes on to state that:

. . . the ease of their voyage was ended. Contrary and unseasonable winds opposed our course, compellingus to beat ceaselessly against them. And Longwrath emerged from his quiescence to rave and struggle.

Escaping his manacles again, the Giants pursue Longwrath inland eventually encountering their first skurj and slaying it at the foot of Landsdrop. From here, there are a few more encouters with skurj and Longwrath’s last escape which takes us to to beginning of the chapter . . .

With this fascinating and engrossing tale being told, the chapter wraps up with dialogue between Linden and co. and the Giants. As you might guess, there are questions and concerns as to Linden’s true purpose, why she needs the krill, what she intends to do with, etc.

It takes several pages, but it can pretty much be summed up with this bit of dialogue:

Coldspray:

Will you not reveal how you propose to accomplish your ends? The power which you seek will not in intself uncover your son’s hiding place. It may defeat Kastenessen and his skurj, but it will not halt the ruptures which you name caesures, or silence the madness of Thomas Covenant’s lost mate. Nor will it reveal the machinations of the Despiser – or of the Elohim. It will merely enable the riving of the world.
Why do you wish to wield illimitable might? What will you accomplish with Loric’s krill that does not serve the Despiser?

Linden (after a paragraph of internal dialogue):

I’m sorry. I know this is hard. But I’m not going to tell you. I won’t say it out loud.

.

Uh-huh. What’s new? If Coldspray had known Linden a little better she wouldn’t have had to waste her breath on these critically important questions . . .



So, what have we got here? I am going to focus on the arrival of the Giants and Longwrath’s “madness”.

First off, who/what is Longwrath really pursuing? Though there is no exact mention of when the madness overtook him, it was clearly quite awhile ago – say, 6 months to a year. There are numerous references to seasons changing, weeks passing, extended time spent in Bhrathairealm and travel across the Land. As for Linden? A general estimate puts her in the Land for about a month (give or take). Longwrath was screaming “Slay her! Are you fools!” half a year before Linden ever set foot upon the Land!

And if not Linden, then who? Joan might be the obvious answer and perhaps the “White Gold” connection draw Longwrath to Linden mistakenly . . . maybe.

There are other reasons why Linden as a target is Donaldson misleading the reader. For one – death in the form the fiery skurj was bearing down on her. Longwrath’s arrival actually brought salvation in the form of a powerful Giant contingent of Swordmainir.

Foul didn’t want that . . . Kastenessen didn’t want that . . . Roger didn’t want that . . . Ravers didn’t want that . . . the Harrow can’t allow that . . . so who the hell is possessing Longwrath?

Who has the power? It could be Joan herself, I guess. Is she the one that is reaching out to Longwrath, seeking her own death, using him as a vessel to end her life? There are many similiarities from the head wound that Longwrath suffered to her own self-inflicted heads wound in the hospital. And they both escape their bonds? Was Longwrath escaping the bonds concurrently with Joan? A mirror of our world to another?

And yet, there is something that causes me to doubt this and that is the Sword. Why does Longwrath desire the Sword? Indeed, how did he know of it – to break into the armory of the Bhrathair and take a Sword designed to slay Sandgorgons . . . that indicates prior knowledge of an item and a power that it possessed. How would Joan have had such knowledge from the ancient history of Bhrathairealm?

It could be a form of eath-sight . . . or perhaps a previously “unrevealed” power. I have an odd little theory that the clues have been laid by Donaldson and he will weave all these loose threads together as the books conclude. So, I keep searching for a “loose thread” and I keep coming back to the Vizard. Is that all we will see of him? Is his role in these books so brief and that he appears simply in the tales of the haruchai? But, there is one other place he appears . . . he apparently opposed the Harrow and by doing so was lost to body and mind. A being of great power, lost to madness and form . . . could he exist in some measure that allows him to possess Longwrath? Both now beings of madness? The source of the Vizard’s hatred is different as well – he desires the Elohim trapped for all time by Jeremiah’s power. And . . . there is one Elohim in the vicinity of Andelain and Linden at Longwrath’s appearance . . . a “her” , no less. Infelice. What effect would a Sword designed to slay Sandgorgons have on an Elohim if it struck?

As I said, an “odd little theory”. Yet, I know what effect Longwrath’s Sword would have on Linden – the exact same effect as his fist or foot or a stick or a rock would have. They would all crush her when wielded by a Giant . . . so why even bother with the Sword in the first place?

There is definite "power" involved though. I can't be forgotten that this "power" had a clear knowledge of the Giant's voyage and was able to enact changes in the very weather to dissaude them from their course. Again, the power may have resided in Longwrath himself - but it was of great puissance to be able to influence the winds and storms.

I also can’t help but applaud the masterful way in which Donaldson returns the Giants to the Land (and the stories). Who among us so the Giants appearing as they did? Sure, we may have hoped for it, but when they came crashing through the forest, I daresay none of us saw it coming and all of us were smiling to read of their return!


Oh yes, and Were-menhirs ? What an interesting name the Giants have for the skurj. Menhirs, in our world, are those large monolithic stones that various ancient cultures have placed upon the land. “Were” seems to indicate the transformation ability of one creature to another as with lycanthropy. That is: “Werewolves” (and for you fans of fiction and roleplaying games, all those other “were” creatures like wererats, werebears, weretigers, etc. If they can transform to “worm-like” creatures, perhaps they can be transformed back to “menhir-like” monuments. A part of the Land, as it were.

..i think a Giant would be proud of you dissect Beyond. These compassionate beings always bring a sense of ..for lack of a better idea,," well being"..to the story. Joan as the real destination for LongWrath makes sense to many . The misguided insanity of his Rage , could relate back to the Sandgorgon Sword.,,in that the Gorgons strike me as focused Blind Rage. And the Viz as a possessor of LongWrath? Thats a good one!!...Gesshus! Linden has her hands full!!

My feelings on this chapter formed the first time I read it, and I could not shake them off the second time I read it. I think it's something that needs to be said: this plot-line is a retread of the Second Chronicles!

Linden's intrepid party, lost in the wilderness. Beset by beasts they don't know how to defeat. In walk the Giants. No one even knew they were in the Land! Led by a badass girl giant. Fresh off the boat, brought here across the sea by one Giant's vision. A giant who just happens to be unable to communicate. And who just happens to be unable to communicate because the Giants' leader made an unfortunate error in judgement. And who also, in his inablity to communicate, forms a strange bond with Linden. But what fortune! It turns out our intrepid party is exactly who the Giants' really need. They'll gladly fall in behind and help out for the rest of the series.

Am I describing this chapter? Or is it "In the Name of the Pure One" from The Wounded Land?

It's unlike Donaldson to re-use old lines. So, while I'm disappointed, I guess I'm also holding out hope that there's a damn good explanation. But what explanation is possible? Nah. This is just plain old not-making-up-something-new, I'm afraid.

Gosh - even the bit about the birth of three Giant children, ushering in a possible new age of Giant fertility, was a retread of the birth of the Giant Ravers related in The Illearth War! Let me guess ... does it turn out to be a false omen, and actually spells the doom of the Gaints? The suspense is not killing me.

I'm also rather disappointed that the Giants we meet are so vanilla and unmemorable. Honestly, I didn't even remember their names from the first time I read this. "Longwrath" I remembered. That's it.

What is interesting is that the Giants and the Masters seem to be at odds. This could lead to some hitherto unchartered territory, Haruchai versus Giant.

Of course, there is also something tantalizing about Longwrath's ability to break out of his restraints. The similarity to Joan is so pronounced that we know that that HAS to be a clue. And how could it NOT have anything to do with the "shackles" the ur-viles are making back in scene II?

Unfortunately, I don't think it's possible to make anything of all this shackleness. There's just no information to go on. ( Unless it ties in to Lord Foul's being imprisoned in the Arch -- but that's sketchy at best: Foul is imprisoned, not bound. ) All we can do is baselessly speculate.

Okay -- putting their hand in and ripping out the sjurj's heart was kind of cool. (But wasn't that Beowulf?!?! Kee-rist!!!!)

Okay, baseless speculation: Longwrath has a vision that Linden will destroy the Earth, probably Elohim-work, so he sets out to kill her before she can do it. What he doesn't know, but what the ur-viles understand, is that the end of the Earth is not the Final Dark, but a necessary final act in order to resolve the whole Foul/Arch thing. So the ur-viles build some magic shackles which can be used to restrain Longwrath long enough for Linden to do what she needs to do.

Very impreesive dissection Beyond
It was good to see the re introduction of the Giants , they have always been my favorite characters in SRD books.

This is a cool dissect, and a couple pretty interesting speculations.
Another parallel that Wayfriend didn't point out (maybe just got bored doing it?): If memory serves, perhaps the most important thing Seadreamer did back in the day was stop the rousing of the Worm, and since Longwrath is attacking Linden, and Linden has had a vision of awakening the Worm...
From these, though, I actually expect that it is on purpose [which WF only hopes for] The fertility of the Giants doesn't really bother me: they are all descended from those who were healed by the combined power of the Staff and White Gold...that's some potent stuff.
Beyond's questions/speculations on the real target are good ones, especially since the path Longwrath wanted to follow heads directly to Lifeswallower (and there is a hint that that is Joans location..isn't she tended to by skest in Linden's vision in the ceasure?), but if you continue, straight line, it goes also to Mt. Thunder, then to Andelain...hmm...he's mad, and as you pointed out there seem to be other powers at work...so [speculation] the sight originally showed that he had to stop Linden from awakening the Worm, as Seadreamer stopped an earlier awakening, but killing wasn't necessarily the only means...but the madness, and the other power(s) drive him to slay.
The similarities between Joan's and Longwraths predicaments and abilities are too obvious to be ignored. We 'know' that LF and a Raver are involved with Joan's. But I have to wonder who or what else? Considering the discernment of Giants, I find it hard to believe that LF or a Raver could touch one without every other nearby Giant knowing it.
The sword, too. At the moment its enchantment is weak/fading. But if that power is restored/awakened?...if it can hurt Sandgorgons, what couldn't it hurt? [I'm assuming that it somehow damaged not only the flesh of Sandgorgons, but the force/power of them]
Question: Why doesn't Linden heal Longwrath? Or, at the very least, why doesn't she use her 'percipience' to find the cause/source/implications of his madness? She is capable of it, certainly of the attempt.

Yes, I agree. Longwrath's fixation may be a desire to prevent Linden from rousing the worm. (I speculated as much above, but not with those words.) Which would, again, make him nothing more than a Seadreamer retread.

My instincts tell me that this ability to escape from bondage is something that works in Foul's favor. (Which is why the ur-viles are opposing it by building super-shackles.) So I see Foul's hand in Longwrath's crazyness.

Ah . . . the ability to escape to from bonds. Actually, I have managed a way to incorporate this into my oddball "Vizard" theory.

What is (was) the Vizard's power anyway? Stave relates that they conceived it to be "supernal swiftness" . . . yet that isn't necessarily what it was. The Vizard defeated 500 haruchai in the space of three heartbeats. Perhaps the Vizard can "step" through space - change his location almost instantly. Such a being could simply "step" out of his manacles with no impediment.

Just another thought . . .

Here's a thought...

Longwrath's history went as follows:

"At first, his only words were, 'Slay her.' Later he inquired if we were fools.
...
"Still he would say only, 'Slay her,' and, 'Are you fools?"

But when we meet Longwrath for the first time:

"Slay her!" he pleaded hugely. "Are you blind? Are you fools? Slay her!"

So ... did his madness incorporate a new phrase, "Are you blind?", when he meets Linden?

If so, it may be significant, considering that blindness is a common theme in the Chronicles: Anele, Mahrtiir. Or it may be a reference to something visible to health-sense, or some other form of percipience.