This guest post is part of The Doors of Midnight virtual book tour.
The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi releases on Aug. 13, 2024, and is available to pre-order on: Amazon | B&N | Apple Books | Books-A-Million | Bookshop.org | Loyalty Bookstores (Signed)
FULL BOOK TOUR
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Myths begin, and a storyteller’s tale deepens, in the essential sequel to R.R. Virdi’s breakout Silk Road-inspired epic fantasy debut, The First Binding.
Some stories are hidden for a reason. All tales have a price. And every debt must be paid.
I killed three men as a child and earned the name Bloodletter. Then I set fire to the fabled Ashram. I’ve been a bird and robbed a merchant king of a ransom of gold. And I have crossed desert sands and cutthroat alleys to repay my debt.
I’ve stood before the eyes of god, faced his judgement, and cast aside the thousand arrows that came with it. And I have passed through the Doors of Midnight and lived to tell the tale.
I have traded one hundred and one stories with a creature as old as time, and survived with only my cleverness, a candle, and a broken promise.
And most recently of all, I have killed a prince, though the stories say I have killed more than one.
My name is Ari. These are my legends.
And these are my lies.
˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖
Now, please enjoy this guest post by R.R. Virdi.
━━━━━━━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━━━━━━━
There are three tools all heroes must possess. Know them by their shape and their names. They are the candle, cloak, and cane.
Magic swords, magical horns, and magic powers. Heroes throughout myth and modern fiction have had no end of magical macguffins to seek or draw upon. But when crafting Tales of Tremaine, I wanted to look back through history, and mythology, to what heroes have often had or needed, but perhaps not always got the spotlight.
So, where did I begin?
The candle!
But why? Well, what is a candle? It’s essentially a portable light source, that if you dial it back in mythology, is a tradition of man’s ingenuity and act of creation since we first made fire. Cultures around the world have a fire origin myth, usually a fire theft myth (most famously Prometheus known to the western world) in where the creation tool of fire is taken from the gods and brought to mortals. Many times this is what led to the invention of the torch, an early predecessor to the candle.
But why is it important? Well, look at what it let us do? We could harness fire to cook, shape and build, and most importantly in those old and dark times, light our way, literally and figuratively.
It’s no surprise since fire existed that we created a ritualistic relationship with it. Offering things to it in sacrifice. Burning things in effigy, or for protection. The candle became representation of the eternal flame of life but in our possession and ability to manipulate.
Cultures across the world have relied on candles as potent meditation tools and exercises such as, trataka, a South Asian practice of candle gazing to sharpen the eyes and improve concentration. Something I drew inspiration from for Tales of Tremaine.
The candle has symbolized light in our hands and in fact the triumph of good (light) over evil (dark). They have been used in spell work and rituals through various pagan cultures, and have always been associated with ceremony.
But in the literal sense, they light the way—our way. And light has always been important to the hero.
Take for example Frodo Baggins, a small and out of his league (at times) Hobbit who takes it upon himself to walk into the heart of darkness, rather literally. Mordor is a land of gloom and doom. Choking poisonous air. It seems the sun never rises in this kingdom cast in forever loured skies. What is the gift Galadriel gives our brave Hobbit?
A crystalline phial in which rests the light of a star. The Light of Earendil in fact. And with it goes a reminder: “May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” Frodo then relies on it when he is chased by a Nazgul at Cirith Ungol and about to succumb to the temptation of the One Ring, knowing he can hide from sight if he simply puts it on. Instead, he grabs hold of the phial, and it brings him clarity and restores his senses.
The most famous example of course is where we come across Shelob in her lair and the radiant star light is used to shock the monstrous spider and stun her.
The importance of light, and being able to have it at our fingertips, has been so important it’s become taken for granted in fact. You can look at a slew of contemporary fantasy that make sure to incorporate minor tools and magic to give protagonists their light source, making it clear you can’t forget about it, but many times it seems the importance of that light is forgotten.
Modern day wizards can conjure a ball of light or flame. Perhaps you have a lighter or wand or spell that can zoop up all available nearby light for yourself, only to release it at a later time.
And thus, back to the candle.
There is a great example of Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, holding a lantern (or candle in some stories) to the faces of the citizens of Athens. When asked what he was doing, he told them he was searching for an honest man. But why bother with the light? Or, was there something else at play?
Does the light mean something? Historically, and literally, light reveals. It shows/shines the way. And, can shine on truths, including our own.
Sometimes a hero needs that. So why would one ever want to be without a source of that light then? And so, the candle.
Giving us fire in the palm of our hands. Or…mantle places. You probably shouldn’t walk around with a candle in your hand unless it’s for dramatic effect, in which case, carry on.
The cloak! Dashing, a fashion statement, and of course multipurpose useful.
From cloaks of invisibility, or those to keep you from drowning, or to even change your shape. Magical cloaks have been something found throughout our myths and that have enraptured us. Why? Well, they were the leather jackets of their day, or nice blazer. The outermost garment everyone could see. They kept the weather off you, could announce you by your status depending on the cut and style and material you used. And never mind the obvious that they kept you safe from the elements.
But a hero wouldn’t just have any old cloak, would they? Of course not.
Take of example the tale of Culwch, a Welsh myth, in where King Arthur is said to possess a Mantle of Invisibility. Something by the way that is noted to be his most prized possession. This is of course totally different to Sigurd (the dragon slayer) and his cloak of Tankappe, which oddly also makes you invisible. We like our invisible cloaks. Why, imagine being a nerdy trouble making teenager at a magical academy? Wouldn’t it be quite cool if you too had a cloak that could make you invisible?
I mean, there’s certainly precedence for it. And, again, style points.
The cloak protects the hero. One of the greatest example of this is in the film adaptation of the Lord of the Rings. The Hobbits are given magical cloaks that hide them, in this case making them appear as part of the natural environment around them.
Freja, the Norse Goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and magic, possessed a feather cloak (and she’s not the only one in mythology to do so) that she would often lend to those in need. What would such a cloak let you do? Well, it depends. But the most common ability is allowing you to take the shape of a bird and of course fly.
In the Persian legendary epic of Rostam, our hero wears a special suit (sometimes a cloak) that is invulnerable to fire, water, and the touch of weapons. It was noted to be dark and hairy (perhaps a fur cloak?). Some suggest the cloak was made from the skin of a leopard (and this seems mighty similar to another feline skin garment, the pelt of the Nemean Lion slain by Hercules. The beast’s skin was said to be impervious to mortal weapons, be the bow and arrow, or the sword. So eventually, Hercules used something just as deadly, his own fists to pummel and then strangle the beast. Little did the lion know Hercules’ hands were Rated E: For everybody).
The cloak protects the hero in more ways than one, and is such a common item in ancient times, it made perfect sense to me to build a mythology and sense of importance around the need and usage of one.
Lastly, the cane, or the staff.
Wizards love them, druids lean on them, and Kung-fu pandas twirl them (as well as random bears on the internet apparently). But the hero needs them. Because they’re just one thing. Not really. That’s like saying a stick is just a stick, and as every child knows, a stick is a sword. It’s a lightsaber. And of course, it is a magical staff imbued with all manner of terrible and wondrous powers.
But for the traveler? Well, a good cane is also a tool to save your life. It can be used as a crutch or splint if you’re injured. Something to fasten belongings over to then hang off your shoulder and ease your burdens. And of course the obvious, make walking long distances more bearable. And if you’re a hero in the classic old stories, chances are you’re going to be walking a good bit.
And let’s not forget the crudest but sometimes most useful function. It’s a pretty big stick, so if trouble starts, you’ll be ready to thump some noggins. Sometimes a big piece of wood is the only tool you need to solve a problem.
But where’s the sense of wonder with just a cane? Sure, it’s practical. But does practical make a hero? Not really. Heroes are larger than life, so they need more than just being prudent. And that’s where the dual function of the cane/staff comes in.
Our oldest stories speak of wizards, sages, and prophets. Gods and demi gods who would channel arcane and mystical forces through their rods, using them as focus tools for all their mystical power.
Some would channel the very will of god and terrify oppressive pharaohs. Others would light the way or block the frighteningly powerful attacks of enshadowed and fiery beings chasing you across a dwarven bridge.
Or, if your name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, your tool’s responsible for more acts of public vandalism than anything else. But, does that really matter when your big magical stick is also responsible for saving lives? Lives > public property damage.
It is known.
The staff has always been a handheld representation of power and its channeling. The divine tool that lets us channel and direct the equally divine forces of the world, the godly—ethereal. Call it what you will.
Let’s just say magic.
Whether it’s Gandalf, or a god, or Sailor Moon, the staff/cane is representative of so much more than the literal and practical. But that being said, sometimes it’s good just to have a simple stick you can lean on when the times call for it.
Then again, as a wise taco co connoisseur once said: “Why not both?”
And that’s the idea I went in with for Tales of Tremaine? Why not both? Once again, taking something practical like the candle and the cloak, and never forgetting their once meaning, symbolism, and potential, and spinning new mythology and importance in my world for the cane as well.
A hero needs three things.
Candle.
Cloak.
And cane.
Find yours.
NOTE: Author is not responsible for myths that might spin out from your adventures following the acquisition of your own hero’s toolkit. You understand and agree by reading this article that any mountains felled—villages buried, serpents slain, and magical academies set aflame cannot be put on the author of this piece.
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