THE COLOR OF
MAGIC…
I’ve had a kind of a long
on-going conversation (through email) concerning the color of Brom’s magic and a
Rider’s Sword with MJohnson. Its taken me awhile to figure out how to address
the questions exactly…but here goes.
One email in particular I’ll
share here…
“When Brom first lights the fire in the plains in the
first part of Eragon, It doesn't say that it was any color, but that may be just
because his Saphira is dead. hmm... If the fire looked like normal fire, it
would be red or orange! It only makes sense. Maybe Christopher Paolini didn't
stay true to his facts or something.
Though it would be sort of weird. I thought his
dragon was blue too. I thought it over, and I realized that Brom might have
stolen Morzan's sword because it matches the hue of his dragon. Why else would
he go through all the trouble of retrieving it?
There is another piece of proof. In Eldest, the
sword maker Rhunon says that she refused to make Brom another sword to replace
the one he lost. Besides the fact that she had made an oath, perhaps Rhunon
didn't make him one because she didn't want to make another red bladed sword
like Zar'roc because It reminded her too much of the havoc that Morzan reeked
with the blade. This was why Brom stole Morzan's sword. And finally, I come to
the conclusion that unless Brom somehow got a blue Rider Sword, Eragon will have
to take his red one. More proof (sorry) but if Brom's sword was lost, how can
Eragon get it?”
I wanted to start by addressing one statement you made
about CP not staying true to his facts. One thing I can say is…CP always stays
true to his facts. We may not initially pick up a subtle meaning of a phrase –
but I have yet to see any inconsistencies in his writing. Intricate yes,
Inconsistent, no. Sometimes with a good writer it’s not what they say or write,
it’s what they don’t say or how they phrase something that is telling.
Let me give you a “for instance”. If an author says “she
was lost forever to the land of the living”, what is he saying? Is she dead or
has she maybe lost her mind and is unable to function in the world of the
living? It depends. You can’t really tell anything from the limited amount of
information I’ve given you here. You have to put it into context with what’s
happening in the story at the time, do alittle reflecting (if necessary) and
decide what he meant.
I say all this to say in effect that maybe some bits of
information that you don’t think fit in with your interpretation of what’s
happening in the story and makes it seem untrue or inconsistent may be
misinterpretations in meaning. But it could just be that CP is trying to
temporarily mis-direct where he’s taking you in the story so you’ll have to be
patient and take the journey with him until he’s ready to divulge more details.
Now for your questions…I think that the reason that the
fire looked “normal” is because it is, and that there’s no mention of Brom’s
magic color is just because CP is being discreet here. At this point in the
book we don’t know that Brom is a Rider – dragon less yes, but once a Rider,
always a Rider.
So I don’t feel that it’s beyond reason for him not to
mention Brom’s magic color here. I can’t find this part in the book, but I
think that this was the first hint that Brom was also a Rider. Also, Saphira’s
fire is differently “normal” while her coloring, egg shell and Eragon’s magic
color are all blue. Fire in and of itself is not magic, so it should appear as
normal fire. I still believe, as I’ve told you, that Brom’s magic color as well
as his Saphira were both blue. It would then follow that the sword created for
him by Rhunon was also blue.
As for the reason that he took Morzan’s sword, I think in
part it was to replace the Rider’s Sword that he had “lost” (and which is under
the Menoa Tree – mark my words). The more important reason he took Zar’roc was
to symbolize his defeat over this man who was closer than a brother to him.
Someone who turned on him and betrayed him, his nemesis. The man who stood
between him and Selene being together, the reason why Selene was lost to him.
I’m sorry, but I just don’t see any way that Zar’roc
could’ve matched Brom’s Saphira’s coloring. When you hear the name Saphira,
what color comes to your mind? Now, you have to put aside thinking about
Eragon’s Saphira, because that only prejudices the issue. It supports my
contention, but you need to have a clear mind to see both sides here. To
me…when I hear the name Saphira…color wise…I think of Sapphires…and what color
are Sapphire’s? They are blue! TaDa!
Rhunon created the Rider’s Swords to uniquely match their
dragons color. Brom’s Saphira was blue. To follow this through, Morzan having
a red sword would mean that he also had a red dragon and red magic. Isn’t it
something that his son Murtagh also has a red dragon and red magic to go along
now with his fathers red sword? As Blagden would say…like father, like son.
So following my train of thought here…Eragon has blue magic
and a blue dragon, so since Brom is his father, he would also have had blue
magic and a blue dragon…and soon Eragon will have his father’s blue sword.
You asked me how he would get Brom’s sword if it’s lost.
Well, Eragon knows where it is – Solembum told him, in Eragon, The Witch and the
Werecat pg 206, “Listen closely and I will tell you two things. When the
time comes and you need a weapon, look under the roots of the Menoa tree. Then
when all seems lost and your power is insufficient, go to the rock of Kuthian
and speak your name to open the Vault of Souls”.
This is where “WYRDA” or fate intervenes. Somehow when
Brom was a Rider he “LOST” his sword…but did he really lose it, or was it taken?
Is it possible that when he was hiding out at Ellesmera
after the fall of the Riders that Islanzadi or someone else…say maybe Maud took
it and hid it under the Menoa Tree? Could it be that Brom was having a break in
faith as a Rider being betrayed and all – maybe Maud took it for safe keeping or
to hide for the future Rider yet to come to lead the cause. You know Maud and
Solembum are like magical creatures. I think that Maud took it, told Solembum,
and then Solebum in turn told Eragon. One more thing, the fact that Brom was in
Ellesmera when he “LOST” his sword is supported by Rhunon who states that he
asked her to create another sword for him which she refused to do because of her
oath.
And now since he has been with the elves and knows where
the Menoa Tree is, he has only to go and claim it since he is now in need of a
weapon. I don’t believe it will be as simple as digging it up and “OMG” there
it is. Something’s telling me that CP has something special in store for this
resurrection. Also, with the sword being right there in Ellesmera, Rhunon will
be able to identify and confirm who she created that sword for. This I believe
will be all tied up with how Eragon finds out about Brom being his father. I
just have that feeling…there are too many coincidences converging for a simple
fizzle – this will be a gigantic explosion of truth.
Keep writing…d
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