Post by dgan on Feb 18, 2005 9:03:47 GMT -5
I have read several times the 5 "original" books of the Pendragon cycle as well as the brilliant addition of Avalon, and I feel I have a pretty good grasp on the basic chronological concept. Mr. Lawhead masterfully writes this story rather as a series of stories about the lives and backgrounds of a few characters, through the eyes of different individuals. Thus, the chronological order of events becomes quite muddled, making for more enjoyable reading, if not requiring a migraine's worth of concentration.
It is so wonderfully done, that I feel I must be at fault for failing to grasp two glaring, conflicting variations from the storyline. I am convinced Mr. Lawhead did not err - it must simply be my inaptitude for understanding.
The first question: How is Morgian killed and buried in Aneirin's version of events in Arthur, yet is fully alive in the book, Avalon? I actually have a few theories on this one, but none sit too well with me.
Obviously, we could speculate she restored herself through her witchcraft or that Aneirin was mistaken in his memory of what happened with the body. Or it could simply be that Mr. Lawhead intended for Avalon to stand alone, seeing no need to bridge the gap of understanding between Arthur and Avalon.
Question two: In the book Grail, Gwalchavad depicts those events occurring immediately following the settling of the Vandali. The end of the book clearly tells a story of the Guardians returning the physical Holy Grail back to Avallach. However, in Aneirin's book, which occurs several years later, he tells of the Round Table determining to find the Holy Grail and Bedwyr and others going on some type of crusade to the Holy Land. What happened?
It seems like the disappearance of the Grail between those to periods of time would be of some importance and would have been documented by someone. Yet it seems to have just vanished between the book Grail, and the ultimate disappearance of Arthur and the Fair Folk at the end of the book, Arthur. For this, I have no explanation unless Mr. Lawhead is leaving this detail to our imagination.
If anyone can offer a more reasonable answer to these two discrepencies, please enlighten me. I believe I have unknowingly continued reading this cycle over and over just to find the solution to this frustrating puzzle.
It is so wonderfully done, that I feel I must be at fault for failing to grasp two glaring, conflicting variations from the storyline. I am convinced Mr. Lawhead did not err - it must simply be my inaptitude for understanding.
The first question: How is Morgian killed and buried in Aneirin's version of events in Arthur, yet is fully alive in the book, Avalon? I actually have a few theories on this one, but none sit too well with me.
Obviously, we could speculate she restored herself through her witchcraft or that Aneirin was mistaken in his memory of what happened with the body. Or it could simply be that Mr. Lawhead intended for Avalon to stand alone, seeing no need to bridge the gap of understanding between Arthur and Avalon.
Question two: In the book Grail, Gwalchavad depicts those events occurring immediately following the settling of the Vandali. The end of the book clearly tells a story of the Guardians returning the physical Holy Grail back to Avallach. However, in Aneirin's book, which occurs several years later, he tells of the Round Table determining to find the Holy Grail and Bedwyr and others going on some type of crusade to the Holy Land. What happened?
It seems like the disappearance of the Grail between those to periods of time would be of some importance and would have been documented by someone. Yet it seems to have just vanished between the book Grail, and the ultimate disappearance of Arthur and the Fair Folk at the end of the book, Arthur. For this, I have no explanation unless Mr. Lawhead is leaving this detail to our imagination.
If anyone can offer a more reasonable answer to these two discrepencies, please enlighten me. I believe I have unknowingly continued reading this cycle over and over just to find the solution to this frustrating puzzle.
Twyrch /|\
