David Eddings: The Belgariad
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Introduction
There are another worlds - worlds made of our own imagination. I am going to tell you about one of these imaginary worlds, which is created by David Eddings. The Belgariad is a story which includes five books. these books are a journey to a different world compared to our own world. Some of our rules don´t exist and there is unbeliefeble magic - sorcery.It took me a couple of years to start the first book of The Belgariad, which is called Pawn of Prophecy. A couple of years - sounds stupid, don´t you think? Anyway, I was much younger then and the book felt too thick. I was also suspicious - fantasy literature? Now I can say, when I got started, I couldn´t stop :-)
I believe there is a style of literature for everyone, we just have to keep looking. Now, I will try my best to get you interested in The Belgariad, or then notice that fantasy is not your area of interest. In any case, there is a reason for me to start telling about my great love :-)
Something about the world of the Belgariad
A word of warning: The world is very complex and the Belgariad actually includes five THICK book. Notice also that there is no high technology or even electricity.
Gods of The Belgariad
In the beginning of days Gods created the world. There were seven young Gods and they were all equal. Together they created land, seas, stars, the sun and "it´s wife, moon. They also made men and devided them into nations.
BELAR - the Bear God of the Alorn people
CHALDAN - the Bull God of the Arend people
NEDRA - the Lion God of the people who call themselves Tolnedrans
MARA - the Bat God of the Marags, who are no more...
ISSA - the Snake God of the Nyissans
TORAK - the Dragon God of the Angaraks
ALDUR - the Owl God over no people, until a young boy came to his vale and became his disciple - sorcerer.
While the younger Gods were creating the world there was a great spirit wondering aroud the sky. He is known as UL and he didn´t participate in creating the world. He kept his wisdon to himself and so the younger Gods made mistakes. There were monsters on earth and the younger Gods wanted to make them undone. UL, however, forbit it: nothing was to be vanished. In anger the other Gods told to the monsters and godless people to find UL - he was to be their God. So there became a race of very white people who live in caves and they are called Ulgos.
The Orb of Aldur
There became a time when Aldur spent all his time with a simple rock. the rock changed in his hands and it had the pover of the blue stars. The orb is no bigger than "a heart of a child" and aldur could do miracles with it.
The Prophecy and the Mrin Codex
There is a problem with destiny and actually destinies - only one of them can come true. Mrin Codex, on the other hand, tells the prophecy and it is written by an insane - so naturally the text is hard to understand. The prophecy must be fullfilled, because it leads to a battle between destinies - so in the end, there will be only one destiny.
Sorcery
A very little group of people are called sorcerers and they are all disciples of Aldur. time has no meaning to them. If something has to be done and it takes thousands of years, so be it. Aldur taught them the power of the Will and the Word, which means they can do things with their minds. But notice, it is NOT like magic we know - making tricks.
About the five books of The Belgariad
1. Pawn of Prophecy
2. Queen of Sorcery
3. Magician´s Gambit
4. Castle of Wizardy
5. Enchanters´ End Game
There is no reason to tell a shorter version about this amazing series of books. I couldn´t do it anyway. But one thing I can do: I can be as irritating as Eddings and give bits and pieces of information - hints. Trust me, Eddings has a habit of being very annoying by hinting and hinting and hinting...
While the evil God is sleeping (want to know more about it, you have to wait untill I write another entry), somewhere in Sendaria there is a farm called Faldor´s farm. On that farm life is simple and full of work. One little boy called Garion lives on that same farm with his Aunt Pol. He plays with other kids on the farm when Aunt Pol´s eye isn´t watching him. that´s quite rare, because Garion feels Aunt Pol always seems to know were he is.
Often an old man whom Garion calls Mister Wolf comes to tell stories. He has some very exciting stories about how the Gods created the world and about the Battle of Vo Mimbre (as I said, you´ll have to wait, or read the books). those are all interesting stories, but as a normal Sendar, Garion does not believe in magic.
As Garion grows he begins to ask questions about his parents and other things. Aunt Pol, as usual, tells only pieces to him. Garion also has a so called visiter every once and a while: a dry voice in his mind is telling him things - like if he has done something stupid. Take my word for the fact that Garion is not mentally ill. He is just a bit special, I would say. Garion may seem a bit ignorant, but that´s only because no one tells him anything. For a reader there lies many unsolved questions: like who is Mister Wolf and why does Aunt Pol want to keep Garion´s hands dirty...
