The Fionavar Tapestry

The Five

Drawn by magic from our world and thus strangers to Fionavar, each of them finds a new role and a new destiny during their adventures in Fionavar.

The Deities

Rakoth Maugrim, the Unraveller, Sathain, The Hooded One - renegade god, the enemy of the Weaver and of all that is good. Jealous of the Weaver's creation, he broke into Fionavar just as the Weaver had completed his work, bringing fear, pain, distress, and great evil. Since he came from outside the Loom, has no thread on the Weaver's Loom and so cannot be destroyed. A thousand years ago the combined might of all the races of Fionavar came against him and, after a final tremendous battle they defeated him and chained him beneath the mountain Rangat. His escape sets in motion the events of the trilogy.

Galadan - Lord of the Andain (offspring of a mating between god and mortal), a shapechanger who can take the shape of a malevolent black wolf with a silver splash on its head; he works with Maugrim but for his own openly nihilistic ends.

Fordaetha of Ruk - Ice queen of the Barrens in the far north; her touch freezes men to the bone.

Mörnir - Lord of the Summer Tree, the patron god of the royal house of the High Kingdom. His role seems to be a sky-god who is connected with oak trees, somewhat like Zeus in classical mythology.

Darien

Son of Jennifer and Rakoth Maugrim, Darien is precisely balanced between Dark and Light. His choice turns out to be the most difficult of all. He is able to take the form of a white owl.

Other characters

Ailell dan Art is the High King of Brennin. He has two sons, the elder of whom, Aileron, is in exile. The younger, Diarmuid, although a fearless and elegant fighter is also (apparently) frivolous, impulsive, and shallow. Diarmuid falls in love with and is eventually betrothed to Sharra, also known as the Dark Rose of Cathal. Her father is Shalhassan whose title is Supreme Lord of Cathal.

Historically the Council of the Mages, headquartered in Brennin, may include up to seven mages, but at the time of the story there are only three: Loren Silvercloak, and his source Matt Sören, a dwarf; Metran, First Mage, and his source Denbarra; Teyrnon, and his source Barak. Each source is bound to the mage he serves by magical rituals and oaths, and provides from his own lifeforce the energy needed to power the mage's magical works. This link can be drawn upon even to the source's death, although this will then render the mage permanently powerless. The Book of Nilsom (a grimoire belonging to a mad mage of the past) includes secret knowledge of an abominable method by which a mage may gain power from more than one source.

Other important Brennin folk include Ysanne, the Seer of Brennin; Jaelle, High Priestess of Dana at the temple in Brennin; Vae, Shahar, and their son Finn; Mabon, duke of Rhoden, who saves Dave from being killed by Avaia, the carnivorous black swan; and Leila, a 15-year-old who calls Finn to "The Longest Road" via a game called the "takiena" and succeeds Jaelle as High Priestess.

The Dalrei, plains-dwelling tribes of nomadic hunters who both hunt and guard the vast herds of eltor in the northern part of Fionavar. Each tribe is led its own chieftain, helped by the tribe's shaman who is ritually blinded in youth the better to focus the sight of his inner eye. Of particular interest to the story is the Third Tribe, under the leadership of Ivor dan Bannor and their shaman, Gereint. Ivor's wife Leith, and their children Levon, Tabor and Cordeliane also play important parts.

The lios alfar or Light Elves, live in Daniloth, a beautiful land in the northwest corner of the land which they have of necessity wrapped in a confusing mist as protection from Maugrim and others who wish them evil. Notable lios alfar of the past include Lathen Mistweaver who wove the sheltering mist, and Ra-Termaine, killed by Maugrim at the Bael Rangat. Present-day light-elves include Brendel, a lord of his people, and Ra-Tenniel, their king. The lios alfar are Maugrim's bitterest foes, "most hated by the dark, for their name is light" (ST, p. 138).

The dwarves dwell in the mountains near the twin peaks of Banir Lök and Banir Tal. Fierce fighters, they have recently been led into questionable acts by Kaen and Blöd.

The Men of Eridu, a proud and independent race, have been wiped out by a mysterious poisonous rain. The only remaining man is Faebur, exiled by his father and thus not present when the deadly rain fell.

The Paraiko, the peaceful giants of the mountains. It was the ancient Paraiko who long ago bound Owein and the Wild Hunt to obey Connla's Horn. The Paraiko refuse violence even in self-defence; in exchange, they are protected by the curse of the Paraiko, drawn down on whoever sheds their blood.

A main thread of the story is the replaying of the legends of King Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, all of whom appear in the story. Arthur is brought into Fionavar as The Warrior by Kimberley; Lancelot is revived in Cader Sedat in the second book, and Guinevere's life and memories awaken within Jennifer; the three reenact some (though not all) of their well-known tale as expiation for their sins.

Creatures

Themes

Kay's central concept in the novels is that Fionavar is the first of worlds, particularly in a mythological sense; the sagas and tales of other worlds originate (or culminate) in this most primary of settings. Because of this, what happens in Fionavar ripples into other worlds—thus the victory or defeat of Rakoth Maugrim has not just immediate importance for Fionavar but also implications for our own world.

The story emphasizes over and over the importance of free will, as demonstrated in Jennifer's decisions to keep Darien and later to send Lancelot away, Finn's choice to follow his destiny with Owein and the Wild Hunt, Paul and Kevin's acceptance of the role of sacrifice (though in different ways), Diarmuid's decision to take the final battle with Uathach on himself enabling Arthur to survive the last battle, and of course the vital importance of Darien's ultimate choice of allegiance at the end. When the Baelroth demands that Kim call the Dragon into the struggle she refuses for moral reasons.

Another important theme is that of forgiveness: Arthur has long since forgiven Guinevere and Lancelot; Paul must learn to forgive himself for his girlfriend Rachel's death; Galadan at the end is forgiven his evil past and offered a second chance; Darien at the end understands his mother's treatment of him and forgives her; and more.

One of the more prominent themes is that of power, and the price that one pays for it. Often in the book, the price for power lies with someone else, as witnessed by the sources to the mages; as well as Kim's own summoning power, the price is often paid by whatever or whomever was summoned.

Books in the series

The three books are:

Awards for the Fionavar Tapestry