"All Gods Die"

[thewormoftheworld'send]

HAHA! I never saw it coming, although I should have. Beginning on page 133 of the "Min" chapter, Min Donner learned who the true hero of this story is, which she already "knew" in a sense anyway. It is not her hero's journey at all, that honor belongs to Morn Hyland.

This brings back the question I've had in mind as to who are the real god's here. I recall a GI answer suggesting Warden Dios ("Dios" means God in Spanish), or Holt Fasner. But even at the time I knew better than to believe SRD's attempt at misdirection. They are only the two "chess-players" of the series, with other characters as their pawns and other pieces. But the pawns, the lowliest pieces on the board, are about to turn the tables and take over the entire game and not just one UMCP ship.

This whole affair was made possible by originally "welding" Angus. Of course I knew back in the second book that he would free himself from it somehow, eventually, it wouldn't be an SRD story if any character lacked freedom forever. Angus is not at this time completely free of it, and he had long-distance help from Dios. And eventually I know Angus will work his way up to the very top of Mt. Olympus and confront the "gods" themselves, confront the dragon in his lair (there was a dragon in Beowulf), and reveal who the real god of the story is.

Angus himself, I cannot see as a hero only a victim. When they were first standing on the bridge of Punisher, seen through Min's eyes, I saw them all as heroes who had survived a time in purgatory. And then they did the unthinkable. Of course. Who else but SRD could make it possible? But Angus, he is SRD's version of Grendel.

Every nail, claw-scale and spur, every spike
and welt on the hand of that heathen brute
was like barbed steel. Everybody said
there was no honed iron hard enough
to pierce him through, no time proofed blade
that could cut his brutal blood caked claw

Angus' story is one of self-enslavement and eventual freedom. Originally his freedom slowly diminished with each evil act he committed in TRS and before. I could see this in book 2: even surrounded by vast and limitless space, where there is seemingly limitless potential, there never seemed to be much choice in any actions because each is limited by his humanity and the extent to which they choose evil as a course of action. Angus is more like an offspring of the gods in Greek mythology, born fully armed and ready for battle, filled with hate, given a destiny to fulfill not of his own making and seeking vengeance upon those who engraved upon his very soul such an ignominious birthright.

[I'm Murrin]

It's all the heavy influence of Wagner's Ring cycle on the series. The story is about the passing of the gods from the world, and the rise of humans into their own.

Siegfried is born because of the machinations of the gods affecting Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Siegfried is who brings about the downfall not only of the Dragon (Fafner), but also the gods themselves (a downfall that Wotan himself facilitates, having seen what his machinations had brought about (the rise of Fafner in power)).

Angus is in a sense both Siegmund and Siegfried in SRD's story (aspects of Siegfried are given to Davies also).

Morn starts as Sieglinde, then takes on aspects of Brunnhilde toward the end. Min Donner plays another aspect of Brunnhilde (disobeying the order of Wotan in order to save Sieglinde, an order Wotan did not want carried out in any case - in the Gap, this corresponds in part to the sharing of Angus' command codes with Nick).


Of course the Ring is only one part of where this story comes from. Things like Angus' journey are another side, tied to SRD's own original idea of the constantly evolving and interchanging roles of villain/victim/rescuer, played out not only by Nick, Angus and Morn but to a lesser degree by a number of other characters over the course of the series.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

I knew about the Ring Cycle origin but I find literature to be very boring. So I never made it through SRD's explanation at the end of TRS. Your explanation is simpler and easier to read.

I don't know one way or another whether it's SRD's own original idea to evolve characters and interchange their roles between victim/villain/rescuer.

The theme of the "real story" has not changed either. Those not directly involved with the action always have their own stories about events. Hashi, in "data acquisition," makes up entire stories woven from a few threads of data. Much of it is based on assumptions, such as Min assuming Nick's dead-or-alive status before catching up with the Trumpet. But the real story is none of this, it is the story of Angus's changing role throughout the series.

[Cord Hurn]

But the real story is none of this, it is the story of Angus's changing role throughout the series.

I hadn't thought about this, but it seems to make sense.

[Avatar]

I always say SRD did the opposite in his two big series...in the Chrons, he took characters that you should have felt sorry for, and made you dislike them. In the Gap, he made you feel sorry for ones you should have hated.

--A