# The Bird of Doom and the End explained — The Gods of Pegāna

> Chapter companion for The Gods of Pegāna by Lord Dunsany.

## What happens

The chapter describes the prophesied end of all things, where the bird of doom Mosahn heralds the final destruction. The gods sail away in golden galleons down the River of Silence, never to return, while Māna-Yood-Sushāī remains alone in thought. Time, the hound of the gods, dies after devouring all worlds, and a heretical Saigoth tradition holds that Mung will fight a last battle with Time under Trehágobol, both perishing in the struggle.

## Themes in this chapter

### Time and Inevitable Decay

Time is depicted as a hound that grows lean with age, eventually dying after devouring all worlds, emphasizing the inevitable decay of all things.

### Suffering and Death

The final battle between Mung and Time, the rusting of the Sword of Severing, and the silence that drowns all worlds highlight the centrality of death and suffering in the end.

### The Absurdity of Divine Games

The gods' calm departure and the heretical account of Mung's futile last stand underscore the absurdity and futility of divine struggles against inevitable oblivion.

## Character check-ins

### Māna-Yood-Sushāī

Sits deep in thought in the Middle of All as the gods depart and the end unfolds.

### Pegāna Mung

According to the Saigoth heresy, Mung turns alone to fight the hound Time with the Sword of Severing, Death.

### Skarl

Implied among the gods who make the sign of all the gods and sail away in galleons of gold.

### Sish

Implied among the gods who depart in the galleons, their faces showing utter calm.

### Kib

Implied among the gods who go down to the galleons and sail away.

## Key lines

> For at the last shall the thunder, fleeing to escape from the doom of the gods, roar horribly among the Worlds; and Time, the hound of the gods, shall bay hungrily at his masters because he is lean with age.

In the end, thunder will roar as it tries to flee the gods' doom, and Time, like an old starving hound, will howl at his masters.

_Sets the scene of cosmic decay and the impending end._

> Then shall the River overflow its banks, and a tide come setting in from the Silent Sea, till all the Worlds and the Skies are drowned in silence; while Māna-Yood-Sushāī in the Middle of All sits deep in thought.

The River will flood, and a silent tide will drown all worlds and skies, leaving only Māna-Yood-Sushāī contemplating in the center.

_Describes the final silence and the solitary god._

> But there are some that hold⁠—and this is the heresy of the Saigoths⁠—that when the gods go down at the last into their galleons of gold Mung shall turn alone, and, setting his back against Trehágobol and wielding the Sword of Severing which is called Death, shall fight out his last fight with the hound Time, his empty scabbard Sleep clattering loose beside him.

The Saigoths heretically believe that as the gods depart, Mung will stay behind to fight Time with his sword Death, his scabbard Sleep rattling empty.

_Introduces the alternative, more violent ending involving Mung._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_gods_of_peg_na_se/chapters/the-bird-of-doom-and-the-end
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_gods_of_peg_na_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_gods_of_peg_na_se/chapters