The riddle of the Seven Words - SOLVED!!!

[Fist and Faith]

OK, maybe, maybe not. But here's my theory.

(Please don't kill me for starting yet another thread for the Seven Words. There's just too many pages in the others to keep track. Everybody start a thread with your favorite theory, and we'll try to stay on track. 'k? )

Anyway, Lord Callindrill's post was a revelation to me!!! I completely forgot about this!!!!!!!!!

“This is Banas Nimoram, the dark of the moon on the middle night of spring. Not in my generation has there been such a night, such a time of rareness and beauty. Do not measure the Land by the standard of yourself. Wait. This is Banas Nimoram, the Celebration of Spring – finest rite of all the treasures of the Earth.”

And the glossary says, simply,

Banas Nimoram: the Celebration of Spring

Holy cow, that’s amazing!!!!!

OK, the Seven Words are not seven words. Just counting the ones we know rules that out.

Here’s a possibility...
One of the “Seven Words” is Banas Nimoram - the Celebration of Spring.

Another Word is Melenkurion abatha - Melenkurion EarthBlood.

A third Word is Duroc minas mill khabaal, and I won't even speculate on what it means.

Let me explain. We know that one phrase translates to a natural rite. Part of another oft-used two-word phrase, Melenkurion abatha, is another natural thing - the largest mountain. The fact that the EarthBlood is under that mountain certainly makes the mountain special beyond its size, and could be the meaning of abatha.

And that’s my theory - that the Words are natural Powers/phenomenon/rites.

Further, I’m guessing that the Words are in the very language that the Earthpower taught Berek; the Earthpower’s “native tongue”! I’ll bet that this is the language that a conversation between a Forestal and an Elohim would be in. Certainly, it’s not a human-created language. Why would a Raver flinch at hearing something spoken in a language created by puny humans? And they wouldn’t flinch if you yelled Celebration of Spring, so it’s not merely mentioning the rite that hurts them, but mentioning the rite in its native tongue.

And if it’s such strong stuff that the Ravers flinch when it’s pronounced badly, I wonder what happens when it’s pronounced correctly!!

[Landwaster]

yewdaman

I reckon you're right, AND, in FACT, I reckon the Seven Words, might be borrowing from the other definition of 'word' per the books ... eg Weird, Wurd, Wurm etc ... I reckon these Seven Words might be Seven Powers!

And that makes it even more interesting to think about linking it in with the Seven Wards ... perhaps each Ward concerned powers related to one Word ... or natural power/phenomenon, each?

[duchess of malfi]

I have always wondered if the khabaal word (or words) might have something to do with the ranyhyn. That word sort of has the same sort of sound to it as the name of the Father of Horses.
And while the Elohim might be Earthpower Incarnate, the Ranyhyn seem awfully full of Earthpower themselves...

[Landwaster]

nice thought ... Kelenbrabhanal or something, that was, right? yeah I can see the connection.

Maybe we have a new task on our hands, to locate the seven powers.

Melenkurion abatha - Earthblood.
duroc minas mill khabaal - Ranyhyn (or fauna?).
Banas Namoram - ?? light? wraiths? seasons?

[Roynish]

I show my ignorance on these higher powers and hidden meanings in the Chronicles.
I am not worthy "don't touch me"..

[Fist and Faith]

Now don't start that, Roynish! Besides, you have a real cool av!


So I guess I have to abandon the theory that the EarthBlood was one of Foul's banes. I made a thread about that loooong ago. My idea was that, since nobody thinks it's possible to use it safely, there's no reason the Creator would have put it there, and no reason Foul would NOT want it there. But I can't imagine Foul would put something there if merely mentioning it would, at the very least, cause pain in evil beings. So I either abandon that theory, or my translation of Melenkurion abatha. Which I'm liking right now.

But I also said this:

Another thought I just had is that maybe you can't make Earthpower without EarthBlood coming along for the ride, even if you didn't want it. Like you can't have sound without the possibility of sounds so loud that you go deaf.

So I wasn't entirely sold on that anyway. Just toying with the idea.

[Landwaster]

Yeah I agree with yer ... the Earthblood was just a thing, albeit an extremely potent thing ... its not good or bad until someone tries to go use it for something.

[Furls Fire]

Way cool Fist!!

About the EarthBlood tho, it is "the blood of the Earth." So, I always thought of it as the Earthpower's life source. Like, we would die if we lost all our blood. The pool of Earthblood under Skyweir is just one place where it is accessible. I always thought that the Blood ran throughout the depths of the Earth. And maybe Elemensedene is the "heart" which pumps the Earthblood. Seeing as the Elohim are Earthpower incarnate.

What does Melenkurion itself mean? Perhaps something like "invoke" or "rise up"? Melenkurion Abatha "rise up Earthblood" or "invoke Earthblood". I love the idea that it's the language that the Earthpower taught Berek.

It was also said that the Ranyhyn were "creatures of Earthpower". The Father of all Horses, Kelenbhrabanal, could have "sprung up" from Earhpower itself. So, maybe Duroc minas mill khabaal has something to do with strength and swiftness. The Ranyhyn were faster and stronger then regular horses, and could "hear" a call before it was even made.

I don't know..I think I'm babbling again..LOL!!

Great thread Fist!! I love this kind of stuff

[Forestal]

absolutely.... brilliant posts... i like this idea of the words being rites or rituals...

it runs with the wards too...

Melenkurion Abatha - 1st Word/Rite - 1st Ward
Duroc Minas mill Khabaal - 2nd Word/Rite - 2nd Ward
Banas Nimoram - Could this have been in the 3rd Ward? We will never know... but it would make sense.. (interesting how an unfettered knew it...)

however the only qualm i have about this is that the unfettered one didn't say Duroc.. surely if it was past of a rite's name he would have said it...

[Guest]

or, the unfettered could have been simply invoking the power of the words on behalf of "Banas Nimoram," which would explain why the name of the Celebration of Spring is thrown in with the rest of the 7 words. In this case, there would still appear to be 6 words, but they would still be individual words, and wouldn't require that the Unfettered know more words than the Lords do...

[Forestal]

no but it would make sense woudln't it? after all, the lords knew little of kevin's lore, and the unfettered... well just how old was s/he?

on a side note.. did that unfettered get killed or not? i cant remember...

[Furls Fire]

Yes, Atarian and Covenant heard his scream as he fell

[Forestal]

damn it!

[UrLord]

I doubt he was old enough to have lived through the ritual of desecration...and I'd assume that the ritual would be one of those things that, you know, might be hard to live through. Also, how could one just all of a sudden discover the words of an ancient language that nobody else living understands? I would say that the ones studying the main source of information that would contain the words would be the main authorities on the subject, and not some guy wandering around in the wilderness...

[Forestal]

I would say that the ones studying the main source of information that would contain the words would be the main authorities on the subject, and not some guy wandering around in the wilderness...

Are you dissing my unfettered friend?? i certainly hope not...

its always possible to live thru the RoD... look at the haruchai and the ranyhyn, they managed it... who's to say that the unfettered one didn't live in the mountains during the RoD?

they do travel around a fair bit, and as he knew quite alot of old words, i would say that its highly likely that he infact did live thru the RoD...

as a point... how come the bloodguard didn't know the words? they spend enough time with kevin to know the name of the 7th ward, but they for some reason cant remember the 7 words... seems a bit sus to me...

[amanibhavam]

well, if we are at that, how come they could not translate the wards for the Lords?

[Furls Fire]

hmm..the Unfettered, after long years in the Loresraat, would answer a "calling" in their hearts and take the Rites the Unfettering to pursue their own visions. Their lore was no more or less than the lore the Lords, except when it concerned their "vision", like the Unfettered who lived beyond Glimmermere and told Covenant that he "dreamt the truth". Or the one in Morinmoss who healed Covenant in TPTP of his broken ankle and animabahaven (sp) poisoning, (which was too much for her and she died in doing so). They quite possibly were more "attuned" to the Earthpower then the Lords, but I really don't know. We don't really know much about them.

It's my hope they we learn more of them in the Last Chrons. They have always fascinated me.

And Hail and well met, UrLord!! Be welcome and true to the Watch.

[UrLord]

thanks

what with time being screwed up at all, we might be seeing all kinds of people from the Land's past...among them (I hope) might be Kevin, who always seemed to me to be one of the more interesting characters in the series...if so, then we might learn more of Kevin's Lore than anyone would ever care to know

[Forestal]

oh i'd care to know all of kevin's lore... it facinates me...

oh yeah, welcome to the watch

[duchess of malfi]

Of course the Bloodguard knew the seven words, the location of the seven wards, and the language of the Old Lords. They just chose not to tell the New Lords...

Spoiler

remember how Elena made them choose between Kevin's intent and the New Lords in The Illearth War?

Maybe the Second Ward had some of the Lore of the Forestals in it. Do you remember how it helped the Lords heal the Land and grow such lush greenery in Trothgard? Not to mention Revelwood?