#frost and fire roger Zelazny

[life-of-a-rat]

I just think they should be friends

art kids….

alt. bgs bc im indecisive

[dreamsandimagination]

Random of Amber: Character study

Roger Zelazny derived a lot from Norse, Arthurian and Celtic mythology. For example, Tir Na Nogh is the Celtic eternal realm of the fae. Lance(lot) from “Guns of Avalon” clearly stems from Lancelot de Lac from the Arthurian legends. And so forth. Now though, I am focusing on one particular character, namely Random.

The paralells to the Norse Trickster god Loki is quite obvious. Corwin, who is accompanied by a Raven called Hugi(nn) and who loses his eye(s) in return for wisdom, mentions in the first book that Random is his full brother. Pretty much how Odin saw Loki as his bloodbrother, when they clearly were not related at all by blood.

Loki is quite the help for the norse gods, preventing a war with the frost giant Skadi for example, or supplying Odin and Thor with the spear Gungnir and the hammer Mjolnir. Likewise, Random provides Corwin his own power - guiding him towards the Pattern in Rebma and therefore allowing Corwin to regain his memory.

The similarities don’t stop there. Loki has a very special connection to fire and heat in general, like some norse version of Prometheus you could almost say. Random’s colors are the very colors of heat: red, yellow and orange. Loki derives from the indo-european word “Leuk”, meaning “Flashing light”.

Another Trickster god too, is connected to this word: “Lugh” or “Lugus”, the celtic god of arts, harvest, trade, oaths, trickery and kingship. Random loves to trade very much with cards. He loves to drum, which is an art on itself and takes his promises seriously (His marriage to Vialle, his promise to find/avenge Martin).

To take it one step further, Lugh is very reminiscent of Hermes, the greek god of yes, you guessed it, also of trickery, trade, contracts... and who acts as a shining light, a guide to the underworld for the dead. It seems, we are going full circle now.

More connections between these three trickster gods, are that they are all represented with snakes. Both Lugh and Hermes are carrying a spear. Random doesn’t have a snake as a pet nor does he use a spear as weapon, but consider this.

The spear, for all three trickster gods, is used to heal. Hermes’ staff Caduceus is winged and encircled with snakes, the very symbol for the doctors. In norse and celtic myth, both Lugh and Loki use a spear to strike down a fellow sun god to tame their power.

For Loki, it was Baldr (the god of light), for Lugh it was Balor. Both trickster gods cause a massive change through these actions. Loki, by killing Baldr, causes Ragnarok to happen, the end of all things. For Lugh, on the other hand, one has to look at the word “Lúghnasadh”, which is “a blistering summer day on which thunderstorms with plentiful rain are expected and welcomed”. The rain provide a respite from the fierce summer heat that endangers the crops and encourages insect pests. 

One of Lugh’s many names is “Fierce striker”. The spear he uses to kill Balor, is the lightening. Balor’s Evil Eye is the unforgiving scorching sun, and Lugh himself is the blessing rain and storm. Anointed literally by Storm, both Random and Lugh become king of their respective realms after defeating their enemy.

It is clear that, while they are all tricksters, what they do is bring a fresh air of well-needed change, kindly given guidance and firey enlightenment. Everything that Random embodies perfectly, in my opinion. 

[dantekamikaze]

“I know, too, that death is the only god who comes when you call.”    ―      Roger Zelazny,            Frost & Fire    

[itsquotational]

Riding, riding, through the wild, weird ways that led to Avalon, we went, Ganelon and I, down alleys of dream and of nightmare, beneath the brass bark of the sun and the hot, white isles of night, till these were gold and diamond chips and the moon swam like a swan. Day belled forth the green of spring, we crossed a mighty river and the mountains before us were frosted by night. I unleashed an arrow of my desire into the midnight and it took fire overhead, burned its way like a meteor into the north. The only dragon we encountered was lame and limped away quickly to hide, singeing daises as it panted and wheezed. Migrations of bright birds arrowed our destination, and crystalline voices from lakes echoed our words as we passed. I sang as we rode, and after a time, Ganelon joined me.

the guns of avalon, roger zelazny

[ayedreana]

“I know, too, that death is the only god who comes when you call”

Roger Zelazny, Frost & Fire

[dantekamikaze]

     “I know, too, that death is the only god who comes when you call.”    ―    Roger Zelazny,          Frost & Fire    

[life-of-a-rat]

Reminder to the people that you should read EPICAC and LOKI 7281 if you even slightly enjoyed Electric Dreams

LOKI 7281:

EPICAC:

I just think they should be friends

art kids….

alt. bgs bc im indecisive