Skull Bearers (Shannara): Difference between revisions
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'''Skull Bearers''' were [[Fictional characters|fictional minor characters]] from two books of the ''[[Shannara]]'' series, |
'''Skull Bearers''' were [[Fictional characters|fictional minor characters]] from two books of the ''[[Shannara]]'' series, ''[[First King of Shannara]]'' and ''[[The Sword of Shannara]]''. These are [[high fantasy|epic fantasy]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.terrybrooks.net/novels/index.html |title=Terry Brooks' official website|accessdate=2008-09-18 |last= Speakman |first=Shawn |authorlink= |year=2008 |publisher= }}</ref> novels written by [[Terry Brooks]]. They were [[Druids (Shannara)|Druids]] once upon a time, but they were subverted by the [[Ildatch]] along with Brona, who would later become the [[Warlock Lord]]. They "sacrificed their humanity"<ref name=MacRae74>''Young Adult Fantasy Fiction'', 74.</ref> to become "winged black destroyers",<ref name=MacRae74/> but by doing this, they tied themselves to their master; and when he died as a result of [[Shea Ohmsford]] using the [[Shannara artifacts#The Sword of Shannara|Sword of Shannara]], they were killed along with him. |
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== Role in the series == |
== Role in the series == |
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Revision as of 00:09, 22 September 2008
Skull Bearers were fictional minor characters from two books of the Shannara series, First King of Shannara and The Sword of Shannara. These are epic fantasy[1] novels written by Terry Brooks. They were Druids once upon a time, but they were subverted by the Ildatch along with Brona, who would later become the Warlock Lord. They "sacrificed their humanity"[2] to become "winged black destroyers",[2] but by doing this, they tied themselves to their master; and when he died as a result of Shea Ohmsford using the Sword of Shannara, they were killed along with him.
Role in the series
Prior to and during First King of Shannara
In his life long before First King of Shannara, Brona and his followers were Druids. They decided to experiment with magic, which was frowned upon by the Druids. Rather than stop, Brona and his followers left, taking a magical tome named the Ildatch with them. However, the Ildatch subverted them, causing Brona to morph into the Warlock Lord, a being with great psychological powers, and his most loyal followers were mutated into black monsters with wings, claws and great magical powers, including the ability to fire red bolts from their eyes and green fire from their hands. They acquired their name, "Skull Bearers" from the silver Skull-shaped pendants that they wore in their role as generals during the First War of the Races. They served as scouts and emissaries for the Warlock Lord, and they a constant hazard to the Druid Bremen and his companions. They were all banished when Jerle Shannara used the Sword of Shannara upon the Warlock Lord.
The Sword of Shannara
500 years later, the Skull Bearers returned with the Warlock Lord. Several of them were sent to hunt Shea Ohmsford and Allanon. However, the Skull Bearers were unable to kill the heroes, despite one taking Allanon by surprise in the furnace of Paranor and another attacking Keltset, Panamon Creel and Shea in the fields of Streleheim. A third flew over Tyrsis on the final day of the battle, but it was killed, along with the rest of the Skull Bearers, when Brona fell to the Shea and the Sword of Shannara.
Critical Reception
Reviewers and critics had mixed opinions on the Skull Bearers. Praise for them came from Frank Herbert, the author of Dune, who also liked all of the "monsters" in The Sword of Shannara. He said that "[Terry] Brooks creates distillations of horror that hark back to childhood's shadows, when the most important thing about a fearful creature was that you didn't know its exact shape and intent. You only knew that it wanted you. The black-winged skull bearer, for instance, is more than a euphemism for death.[3] Tom Shippey wasn't so positive, as he thought that the Skull Bearers were too familiar to those who had read The Lord of the Rings: he found that the Skull Bearers were "analogues" for the Nazgûl.[4]
Sources
- MacRae, Cathi Dunn (1998). Presenting Young Adult Fantasy Fiction. New York: Twayne Publishers. ISBN 0-8057-8220-6.
References
- ^ Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official website". Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ a b Young Adult Fantasy Fiction, 74.
- ^ Herbert, Frank (1977). "Some Author, Some Tolkien". The New York Times Book Review (April 10, 1977): 15.
- ^ Shippey, Tom (2000). J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. London: HarperCollins. pp. 2001 paperback, 319–320.