TWK: Thou Art god

Roy C. Lackey · 27 Nov 2005, 08:24 · from 2005-November.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 02:24:47 -0600
Subject: (urth) TWK: Thou Art god
Message-ID: <001b01c5f32c$0becb520$323ec6d8 at rclackey.stic.net>

When Art made his vow to defend that pass, he was an overgrown kid. What
complicates matters is the fact that when he actually undertook the defenses
he was twenty years older, had the aid of a magic steed, and was a *god*. In
fact, in all of his battles in the second book, after he came back from
Skai, he was a god. That hardly seems fair. What had a god to fear in his
contests with mere men? Death? He had already died and gone to Skai. What
were the natural parameters of his powers as a god? Exclusive of the clearly
supernatural powers he used when he broke his vow at the end of the story,
how much stronger was he as a god than a mere man, and how much did that
influence his prowess as a warrior?

When Overcyn Able bent his knee to Queen Idnn or King Arnthor, a Mythgarthr
god was bowing to his supposed worshipers, a blasphemy of sorts, a reversal
of the natural order of proper homage in the cosmology of TWK. I thought
that was what got the Aelf in trouble.

And when Art the god stooped to dally with Disiri, he was twice removed from
her, in terms of holiness. He was farther above Disiri near the end of the
story than Michael or Parka was above him.

-Roy

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