The Roots of the Mountains · Chapter
LIX: The Behest of Face-of-God to the Bride Accomplished: A Motestead Appointed for the Three Folks, to Wit, the Men of Burgdale, the Shepherds, and the Children of the Wolf explained
Three years and two months after the victory, Bow-may arrives in Silverstead with Face-of-god's second son, delivering a message from Face-of-god to Folk-might and the Bride.
What happens
Three years and two months after the victory, Bow-may arrives in Silverstead with Face-of-god's second son, delivering a message from Face-of-god to Folk-might and the Bride. Folk-might responds with an invitation for the three kindreds to meet in Shadowy Vale for a mote. Bow-may stays in Silverdale for a half-month, then travels with Folk-might, the Bride, and others to Shadowy Vale, where they meet Face-of-god, Alderman Iron-face, and the chiefs of Burgdale and the Shepherds. The meeting solidifies the unity of the kindreds, who become one folk and agree to hold future councils in Shadowy Vale.
Themes in this chapter
Community and Kinship
The chapter culminates in the unification of the three kindreds into one folk, emphasizing bonds of friendship, shared heritage, and mutual support.
Love and Sacrifice
Bow-may's journey and the gift of Face-of-god's child to the Bride reflect deep affection and the fulfillment of past promises, highlighting love and sacrifice.
Tradition and Change
The establishment of a recurring mote in Shadowy Vale blends old traditions with new alliances, marking a change from past conflicts to a peaceful future.
Characters to notice
- Bow-may
Arrives in Silverstead with Face-of-god's second son, delivers messages, stays for half-month, then travels to Shadowy Vale.
- Folk-might
Receives Bow-may and the child, sends Crow with a message to Face-of-god, leads the Wolf and Woodlanders to Shadowy Vale.
- The Bride
Receives the child from Bow-may, caresses it, and later travels to Shadowy Vale with Folk-might.
- Face-of-god
Sends Bow-may with messages and his second son to the Bride; meets the others at Shadowy Vale.
- Crow
Delivers Folk-might's message to Bow-may and is sent as messenger to Face-of-god.
- Iron-face
Meets the others at Shadowy Vale, rejoices in seeing the Bride again.
Key passages
“Three years and two months thereafter, three hours after noon in the days of early autumn, came a wain tilted over with precious webs of cloth, and drawn by eight white oxen, into the Marketplace of Silverstead”
After three years and two months, in early autumn, a wagon loaded with fine cloth and pulled by eight white oxen arrived in Silverstead's marketplace.
Sets the time and scene for Bow-may's arrival.
“Thus saith Face-of-god: ‘Friend and kinswoman, well-beloved playmate, the gift which thou badest of me in sorrow do thou now take in joy, and do all the good thou wouldest to the son of thy friend.’”
Face-of-god sends word to the Bride: take this child, once promised in sorrow, now in joy, and care for him as your own.
Face-of-god fulfills his earlier promise to the Bride.
“But since ye have joined yourselves to us in battle, and have given us this Dale, our health and wealth, without price and without reward, we deem you our very brethren”
Because you fought alongside us and gave us this valley freely, we consider you our true brothers.
Folk-might's message emphasizes the bond forged through battle and generosity.
“Now telleth the tale of all these kindreds... that they were friends henceforth, and became as one Folk, for better or worse, in peace and in war, in waning and waxing”
From that time on, all these kindreds were friends and became a single people, united in all circumstances.
The final unification of the kindreds is declared.
