The Underland Chronicles

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The Underland Chronicles is a five-part series of children’s books written by Suzanne Collins between 2003 and 2007. It tells the story of an eleven year old boy named Gregor and his adventures in a land hidden under New York City. The underland is inhabited by giant rats, cockroaches, rats, spiders, fireflies and other creatures.

The series

  • Gregor the Overlander (ISBN 0-439-43537-4) is the first book of the series. In the book, Gregor and his sister Boots fall into the Underland for the first time and meet the Regalians.
  • Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (ISBN 0-439-73137-2) is the second book in the series. Gregor is lured back to the Underland to slay a rat called "The Bane."
  • Gregor and the Marks of Secret (ISBN 0-439-79145-6) is the fourth book. The Bane takes control of the rats, and Gregor and his friends must fight to stop him. Gregor falls in love with Luxa, having nearly done so in the first book.
  • Gregor and the Code of Claw (ISBN 0-439-79143-X) is the fifth book. The prophecy in the story is the Prophecy of Time. It says that both the Bane and the Warrior will die, and that the Underlanders must break the cipher called the Code of Claw in order for humanity to survive. Gregor's attraction and consequent relationship to Luxa increases.

The Underland

The origins of humans in the Underland

A stonemason named Bartholomew of Sandwich led a group of his followers to New York, having seen the Underland in a dream. Because he believed that the Earth, above ground, would one day be empty of life, he ordered the building of a city underground. After fifty years of preparation, Sandwich and 800 others went beneath and sealed the gates to the Overland.

In order for humans to be able to inhabit the Underland, Sandwich needed to have land for them on which to live. The land Sandwich chose was inhabited by the Diggers (giant moles), who refused to give up their land without a fight. Sandwich realized he could not beat the Diggers without sustaining heavy losses himself; therefore he poisoned their water supply, killing most of them. This land became the future site of Regalia.

The sections

There are several sections in the Underland. The areas are each controlled by a separate species. These include the sections that belong to the humans, the cockroaches, the Dead Land (a land that is uninhabitable), as well as several other sections. In Gregor and the Marks of Secret Luxa often mentions the Uncharted Lands (lands that have not yet been explored).

The creatures

There are many creatures in the Underland. All are enormous versions of different species of animals that can be found on earth. There are rats, spiders, lizards, cockroaches, fireflies, bats, scorpions, moles, mice, ants and others. The bats have special bonds with certain humans that imply that they will help each other through life and death. In one of the books, when the bat Ares does not save his human, Henry (who betrays the humans to the rats), he is put on trial. Gregor, attempting to save his life, bonds with him.

When a human bonds with a bat, they are together forever. The punishment for forsaking a bond is banishment, which in the Underland soon means death. To bond with one another, the human and bat must recite a poem to their future bond, while holding hand in claw. A large feast signals the end of this ceremony. The poem is similar to this:

The human says:
Ares the flier, I bond to you.
Our life and death are one, we two.
In dark, in flame, in war, in strife,
I save you as I save my life.

The bat says:
Gregor the human, I bond to you.
Our life and death are one, we two.
In dark, in flame, in war, in strife,
I save you as I save my life.

The names, of course, are replaced by those of the human and bat who are bonding.

It is also possible for humans to bond with rats (as with Luxa and Ripred in Gregor and the Code of Claw).

The Government

The government of the humans is mainly a monarchy. It is ruled by a king and a queen under normal circumstances, but is, during the larger part of the narrative, ruled by a council for lack of a heir of age. In the novels, Luxa is legally the queen. There is, until she is of age to rule, a representative government made up of various representatives for the various species. However, in Gregor and the Code of Claw, when most of the Council members are killed by Gnawers, Luxa has full control as queen because the humans are at war.

Rats, Bats, Spiders, and Cutters all have rulers of their own; of Cockroaches, Lizards, and Snakes little is revealed. The Cockroaches at least have customs and rituals, as seen when in the first book Boots is named princess by Tick, Temp, and others. Sea Serpents, who are essentially plesiosaurs, presumably congregate only for reasons of benefit.

Locations

This is an incomplete list.

Regalia

Gregor first lands in the city of Regalia, where the humans reside. It is heavily guarded and is ruled by a council until Queen Luxa becomes sixteen years old. It is suggested that Regalia is the only significant human settlement in the Underland, except for the Fount.

The Fount

This is a settlement of humans, home to Luxa's cousin Howard and ruled by Howard's father, York. It is remarked that Ripred the rat attempted to conquer it with an army of lobsters; but aside from that little is known. A colony of mice once lived here, until the fourth book.

The Dead Land

This is a desert-like place, coming by its name as a result of barrenness. Only Ripred and the band of rats of whom he is leader dwell there.

The Jungle

This is a vast, mysterious network of carnivorous vines and other vaguely described entities. Few of those born outside who go in are known to come out alive. It is home to poison dart frogs, to the immense lizards called Hissers, to the giant ants known as the Cutters, and to sapient plants that arrange themselves into a cunning trap. In the third book, the nibblers (mice) inhabit the jungle.

The Arch of Tantalus

An entrance to the Jungle created from and surrounded by the bones of many creatures who met their demise in the Jungle. This is the location where Gregor and his party first encountered Hamnet, Frill, and Hazard.

Vineyard of Eyes

This perilous garden, formed by purposeful arrangement of carnivorous plants by themselves, is the only place wherein the plant called starshade grows. When Gregor ventures here in Book 3, the cutters (ants) strike, ultimately destroying the starshade. After the battle, it is discovered that the starshade was not necessary to cure the sickness named the Curse of the Warmbloods, because the Curse had not originated in the Vineyard.

Hades Hall

A cavernous tunnel, located beneath the rest of the Underland, that leads from the Swag, near to Fount, to the Firelands. It is inhabited by the Shiners (fireflies) as well as a number of other unknown creatures.

The Swag

A extreamly long tunnel the travels under the Waterway. It was destroyed in an underground earthquake during the fourth book.

The Uncharted Lands

These are areas that have not yet been explored.

Firelands

It is the home of strong winds that can carry extremely heavy objects (such as boulders) in mid-air, as well as of several volcanoes. This is where the rats bring the mice in order to destroy them.

Waterway

The Waterway is an ocean or sea that has many entrances and exits. Gregor uses it to go home and also to travel in Gregor and the Prophecy of the Bane. It is the location of one of three entrances to the Underland.

The Garden of the Hesperides

A golden apple orchard, once given as a peace offering from humans to rats. It was destroyed by Hamnet, on the orders of his mother and commander Solovet. During a fight to get control of the garden from the rats, the sluice gates of the protective dam were opened in an attempt to give humans the upper hand by making the rats "swim for it"; the entire dam crumbled, reclaiming the garden under 20 feet of water.

The Labyrinth

The labyrinth is a stone maze deep inside the rats' land. This was where the Bane used to live, until Gregor took him to Ripred.

Queenshead

Queenshead is a location beside the jungle. Named for the feature of a rock in the rough shape of a crowned queen.

Main Characters

  • Gregor: Gregor is a twelve-year-old Overlander (11 years old in books one through three) who accidentally found the Underland while chasing his baby sister Boots. He is the "warrior" described in Bartholomew of Sandwich's prophecies. Although he is reluctant, Gregor eventually accepted his duties to the Underland. Over the year that he has spent in the Underland, he has bonded with his own bat, Ares, and fulfilled several prophecies. He is a rager; a berserker whose senses become chronically acute in battle, while his mind becomes oblivious to anything except himself and his target. Although he states that he hates fighting, Luxa saw him smiling during a fight with twisters (snakes). Gregor is in love with Luxa. When returning to the Overland, he swears never to forget her.
  • Luxa: Luxa is the future queen of Regalia. She is of the same age as Gregor and will become the queen when she becomes sixteen years old. Until then, Regalia is led by a council. Luxa is a wise leader, but can be sharp-tongued towards others. This changed, however, after the conclusion of Gregor the Overlander, when she took a more positive attitude to her companions. She feels indebted to the nibblers (the Underland word for mice) for their hospitality. She has vowed to protect the nibblers, even going as far as declaring war on the gnawers (the Underland word for rats). In the final book, she brings peace between the gnawers and the humans by bonding with Ripred, the representative for the rats at the time; essentially swearing to protect the gnawers. Ripred swears likewise to Luxa to protect the humans. Luxa is in love with Gregor.
  • Ares: Ares was the bond of Henry, one of Luxa's royal cousins. After Henry betrayed the questing party in the first book, Ares chose to save Gregor from dying, instead of his bond. In Regalia, he is therefore put on trial. Gregor bonded with Ares to save him because Gregor knew that Ares did not know anything about Henry's plot to seize power. In the second book, Ares is regarded disdainfully by the Regalians. In the third book, he is a victim of an artificial plague, but begins to heal after the cure was applied. He has admitted that, like Ripred, he sometimes doubts the truth in the prophecies; albeit much less than Ripred, who considers them foolishness. He is killed by the Bane in the final book, The Code of Claw, while defending Gregor.
  • Aurora: Aurora is the golden bat bonded to Luxa. She has been in all five books and on all four quests (Prophecy of Gray, Prophecy of Bane, Prophecy of Blood, and the quest to find the nibblers), but Gregor still does not know her well because she does not often talk.
  • Boots: Boots is Gregor's baby sister. She is kind and friendly to everyone, without exception. Like many babies, she is completely oblivious to unpleasant circumstances, such as death. She has developed a friendship with the crawlers (cockroaches) and stingers (scorpions); the former treat her with great reverence, calling her the "princess", whereas the latter are placated by her ability to communicate in a language known to them. In the final book, she speaks in a less infantile manner. On the final page of the Code of Claw, she says Gregor's name correctly for the first time in the series.
  • Temp: Temp is a crawler (cockroach), and Boots' best friend in the Underland, appearing in every single book and in every quest. Temp is extremely loyal to Boots, as shown in the second book, wherein he defends her from the Serpents (plesiosaurs), then saves her life in the Dead Land. During the third book, he was, as Ripred said, a "real champ about baby-sitting", in that he was protective of Boots and her toys. He is also wise, in that he perceives what others do not and brings unconsidered possibilities to attention.
  • Ripred: Ripred is a gnawer who seems to be one of the only ones on the side of Regalia– and peace. He speaks with a biting wit and a world-weary air. Although many creatures resent him for this, Ripred shows much wisdom in time of need. He is a great fighter, and, like Gregor, is a rager. He gives Gregor lessons on echolocation; the skill of locating something using sounds, to learn to fight in the dark. Ripred's highest moral is mutual need. In Code of Claw, readers learn that he holds the prophecies in contempt, as well as that his mate and children died in the flood of the Garden of the Hesperides. Because Lizzie, Gregor's other sister, reminds Ripred of one of his pups, Silksharp, he is openly kind to her, and they become intimate.
  • Lizzie: Gregor's sister, older than Boots. Sensible, practical, and fond of word-play. She is more afraid of the Underland than is any Overlander– even her mother Grace– until the final book. She is very close to the rat, Ripred.
  • Mrs. Cormaci: A neighbor of Gregor's family. She is a talkative widow and a skilled cook. She provides for Gregor's family while his father, a science teacher, is ill. Later, she is taken into Gregor's confidence regarding the Underland. She seems to know more about the Underland than she has admitted.
  • Howard: Howard is Luxa's older cousin from the Fount. His father is ruler there. He was introduced to Gregor in the second book with his younger siblings. Luxa did not like them, but eventually realizes that Howard is a great comrade. Howard was infected and later cured of the Curse of the Warmbloods. He later joined Gregor and Luxa on their quest to learn the truth of the Nibblers' fate.
  • Hazard: Hazard is a Halflander; his father was Luxa's uncle Hamnet, and his mother an Overlander. Lived with his father and the lizard Frill in the jungle, until his father's death. Thereafter, he came to live with his cousin Luxa in Regalia. He is known to speak several languages: English, Hisser, Nibbler, Gnawer, Crawler, Stinger, Spinner, and even Flier. Luxa has sworn to prevent Hazard from becoming a warrior because it was his father's dying wish.

Other Underland Creatures

(Note: These are only the creatures listed in the books. Others may exist.)

This is an incomplete list.

Humans

In the Underland, Humans are also known as "Killers", although they do not like to be addressed as such, and are not called so by any other species when they are within earshot.

  • Regalians
    • Luxa - Queen of Regalia, quests with Gregor
    • Vikus - Luxa's Maternal Grandfather, Regalian Diplomat
    • Solovet - (Deceased) Luxa's Maternal Grandmother, Regalian General
    • Mareth - Regalian Soldier and trainer
    • Henry - Luxa's cousin (deceased), a traitor who tried to betray the humans to the gnawers' King Gorger. Luxa and Ares still miss and cherish him.
    • Hamnet - Luxa's uncle (deceased), twin of Judith, Luxa's mother
    • Horatio - (deceased) Gregor's temporary guard
    • Nerissa - Luxa's cousin (Henry's sister); extremely weak and eats little. Has precognitive and postcognitive abilities.
    • Neveeve - (deceased) Doctor who worked in Labs under Regalia
    • Marcus - (deceased) Gregor's temporary guard
    • Dulcet - Nanny in Regalia, cares for Boots
    • Hazard - Hamnet's son, Luxa's cousin (Halflander; mother was an Overlander)
    • Miranda - servant
    • Perdita - Soldier guards Gregor and fights Fangor and Shed. Perdita is made acting head of the Regalian army after Solovet is killed.
    • Lucent - servant
    • Miravet - Sister of Solovet
    • Claudius - Regalian guard
    • Troy
    • Keeda (deceased)
    • Anchel (deceased) (mentioned)
    • Daphne (deceased) (mentioned)
  • From the Fount
    • Howard - Luxa's cousin on her mother's side (eldest in his family)
    • Stellovet - Howard's sister, second eldest; considered obnoxious and unfit for political power.
    • Hero - Howard's sister (twin of Kent)
    • Kent - Howard's brother (twin of Hero)
    • Chim "Chimney" - Howard's youngest sister
    • Susannah - Howard's mother
    • York - Husband of Susannah
  • Overlanders
    • Gregor- turned 12 at the end of the third book; protagonist of the series. He is in love with Luxa. At the end of the Chronicles, Gregor is separated from Luxa and the entire Underland.
    • Boots - Gregor's sister, whose real name is Margaret. (age 2-3)
    • Grace - Gregor's mother
    • Gregor's dad who was held captive in the Underland by rats
    • Mrs. Cormaci - Gregor's neighbor, learns of Gregor's adventures at the end of the third book. Caretaker of Gregor's family.
    • Gregor's grandmother; often distracted by memories.
    • Lizzie - Gregor's sister. Seven years old. Distinguished by her ability to manipulate and understand words.
    • Larry - Gregor's friend at school
    • Angelina - Gregor's friend at school
    • Mr. Otts - buys the antiques that Gregor takes from the museum in the Underland (mentioned)
    • Hazard's mom - (mentioned, deceased)
    • Jedidiah - Lizzie's friend (mentioned)
    • Coco - Overlander mentioned to Gregor (deceased)
  • Halflanders
    • Hazard - Hamnet's son, Luxa's cousin

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are known as "crawlers" in the Underland. Their names are derived from words pertaining to time, because time is a synonym for life in the Underland.

  • Tick (deceased); name is an onomatopoeia of the sound produced by a clock.
  • Temp: Boots' caretaker and Tick's closest friend. Name means "time" in French, being derived from the Latin "tempus".
  • Pend: Rescues Boots in second book. The name may mean "wait", as in pending.
  • Min: Name is probably derived from minute.

Rats

Rats are known as "gnawers" in the Underland. Their names seem to relate to how the rats operate in war, or to some physical characteristic.

  • Human-siding Rats
    • Ripred- Is mentioned as an ally of the humans in all five books. He is a rager like Gregor. Ripred becomes very close to Lizzie in the fifth book; bonded with Luxa in Code of Claw to bring peace between the humans and the rats. His favorite food is shrimp in cream sauce.
      • Silksharp (deceased) A pup of Ripred. She died in the Garden of Hesperides. Was similar in personality to Lizzie.
    • Twitchtip (deceased): A scent-seer; ergo, one who is able to detect any detail via smell. Twitchtip went on the quest to find the Bane. A message told of her death in Code of Claw.
    • Razor (deceased): The Bane's main guardian. Killed by the Bane. Was with King Gorger in the first book.
    • Lapblood: Went on trip to find plague cure; met again by Gregor and others in Code of Claw.
    • Mange: Lapblood's mate (deceased)
      • Sixclaw (pup of Lapblood and Mange)
      • Flyfur (pup of Lapblood and Mange)
  • Neutral Rats
    • Makemince: neighbor of Lapblood; takes care of pups in Lapblood's absence.
    • Goldshard (deceased): the Bane's Mother
    • Cleaver (deceased): Ripred used his body as cover when fleeing from flesh-eating mites.
    • Clawsin (mentioned, status unknown): Rat wounded by Bane. Was with King Gorger in the first book.
    • Ratriff (mentioned, status unknown): Rat wounded by Bane
  • Human-hating rats
    • Fangor (deceased): Killed beside Shed in first book.
    • Shed (deceased)
    • King Gorger (deceased)
    • Snare (deceased) The Bane's father.
    • The Bane (deceased): Prophesized destroyer; also known as Pearlpelt. Pearlpelt egocentric and self-pitying, and has an unstable mind. Saved by Gregor in Prophecy of Bane; killed by Gregor in Code of Claw.
    • Twirltongue (deceased): Extremely persuasive. Advisor of the Bane. Killed by the Bane.
    • Gushgore (status unknown): Twirltongue's friend.
    • Reekwell (stautus unknown): Twirltongue's friend.
    • Bloodlet: One of King Gorger's followers

Bats

Bats are known as "fliers" in the Underland. All names are taken from Greek mythology.

  • Bonded bats:
  • Perdita's bond is not named in text.
  • Non-bonded bats:
    • Thalia: Was intended to bond with Hazard; deceased.

Other creatures

  • Lizards - Called "hissers".
    • Frill (Deceased)
  • Fireflies - Called "shiners". Their names are related to light.
    • Photos Glow-Glow, called Fo-Fo by Boots-- arrogant, gluttonous, argumentative, and (to others, including Zap) frustrating.
    • Zap-- Arrogant, gluttonous, argumentative, and (to others, including Photos Glow-Glow) frustrating.
  • Ants - Called "cutters".
  • Spiders - Called "spinners". Their names seem to be related to weaving and how the spiders move; all (known) spiders name end in an x.
    • Gox (Deceased)– accompanied questors en route to fulfill the Prophecy of Gray.
    • Treflex (Deceased)– died joining the quest to fulfill the Prophecy of Gray.
    • Queen Wevox
    • Purvox
    • Reflex- the code-breaker for the spiders in the Code of Claw.
  • Mice - Called "nibblers" Their names are related to math.
    • Cartesian (deceased)
    • Cube (deceased)
    • Heronian: part of the code team
    • Cevian (deceased)
    • Scalene
    • Newton
    • Root
    • Euclidian
  • Lobsters - Mentioned in Book 3. Ripred led an army of lobsters to try and take the Fount, but was unsuccessful.
  • poisonous frogs - encountered in the jungle
  • Humans keep cattle and sheep-- cattle are mentioned in Books One, Two, and Five, whereas in Book Four Luxa mentions having had a pet lamb.

Prophecies

Bartholomew of Sandwich

Bartholomew of Sandwich was an explorer who was the first European to discover the Underland. He founded the Human colony there. He was a prophet and carved all of his prophecies on stone in a room. His room has the only wooden door in the Underland, he and his followers brought it down with them. He was the one that wrote the prophecies that Gregor must fulfill. These prophecies may be read singly, as a series, or as one lengthy poem. The prophecies supposedly foretell the future of the Underlanders. While almost all creatures of the Underland seem to hold a certain respect for him, there is serious doubt raised as to whether his prophecies were true in The Code of Claw. Ripred, in particular, thought them to be foolery.

Prophecies used in Gregor's quests:

The Prophecy of Gray

This is the first prophecy. It means that Gregor must go on a quest with the others to save his father and prevent war.

Beware, Underlanders, time hangs by a thread.
The hunters are hunted, white water runs red.
The gnawers will strike to extinguish the rest.
The hope of the hopeless resides in a quest.

An Overland warrior, a son of the sun,
May bring us back light, he may bring us back none.
But gather your neighbors and follow his call,
Or rats will most surely devour us all.

Two over, two under, of royal descent,
Two Fliers, two Crawlers, two Spinners assent.
One Gnawer beside and one lost up ahead.
And eight will be left when we count up the dead.

The last who will die must decide where he stands;
The fate of the eight is contained in his hands.
So bid him take care, bid him look where he leaps,
As life may be death and death life again reaps.''

Translation

Beware Underlanders, time hangs by a thread: A general warning. Time means life, it is in danger
The hunters are hunted, white water runs red: Two rats (hunters) were killed (hunted), and when they put the bodies in the (white) water, the water turned red.
The gnawers will strike to extinguish the rest: The rats will attack to kill all the humans.
The hope of the hopeless resides in a quest: The quest to save his father will be the only hope for the hopeless humans.

An Overland warrior, a son of the sun: The Warrior is Gregor, and he is an Overlander, making him a “son of the sun.”
May bring back us light, he may bring back us none: Light means life to the Underlanders; ergo, Gregor may save the them or he may not
But gather your neighbors and follow his call: Going on the Quest will be the only way to know
Or rats will most surely devour us all: Or the Rats will surely have their victory

Two over, two under, of royal descent: Humans who must go on the quest: two Overlanders, Gregor and Boots; two Royal family Underlanders, Luxa and Henry
Two flyers, two crawlers, two spinners assent: Two bats, Aurora and Ares; two cockroaches, Temp and Tick; two Spinners, Gox and Treflex, must agree to go
One gnawer beside, and one lost up ahead: One rat, Ripred, guiding the party, and Gregor's Dad lost up ahead of them
And eight will be left when we count up the dead: Of the twelve questors, four will not survive the quest (Treflex, Tick, Gox, and Henry)

The last who will die must decide where he stands: Refers to Henry, who must decide to stand with the Rats or the Humans
The fate of the eight is contained in his hands: Henry's decision decides the fate of the others; his decision to betray his people influenced the entire future.
So bid him take care, bid him look where he leaps: Henry did not look where he was going; he was caught up in the Rats chasing Gregor, and he leapt into the Cavern
As life may be death and death life again reaps: Had Henry and Gorger Lived it would have meant death to the Underlanders; also Gregor's life, saved by Ares, meant Henry's death. The death of Henry and King Gorger meant Life for the Underlanders as the Rats fell into Chaos and stopped fighting at the news of Gorger's death.

The Prophecy of Bane

This foretells the rise of a new rat leader, the Bane. It was interpreted as requiring Gregor to kill the Bane, but he did not, which is what the prophecy actually meant.

If Under fell, if Over leaped
If life was death, if death life reaped
Something rises from the gloom,
To make the Underland a tomb.

Hear it scratching down below,
Rat of long forgotten snow;
Evil cloaked in coat of white,
Will the warrior drain your light?

What could turn the warrior weak?
What do burning gnawers seek?
Just a barely speaking pup,
Who holds the land of Under up.

Die the baby, die his heart,
Die his most essential part,
Die the peace that rules the hour
Gnawers have their key to power.

Translation

If under fell, if over leaped: Henry fell to his death, while Gregor, thinking he was meant to die, leaped off the edge of the cliff.
If life was death, if death life reaped: This means the same, it comes from the Prophecy of Gray.
Something rises from the gloom/To make the Underland a tomb: This most likely refers to the Bane, which will rise from underground where he has been hiding. He will try to make the Underland a tomb carrying on in Gregor and the Marks of Secret, where he is trying to persuade the rats to take over.
Hear it scratching down below: Gregor heard scratching when he was in the bowl with Ares.
Rat of long forgotten snow/Evil cloaked in coat of white: The Bane has a coat of white, and in this prophecy it gives a hint that he will turn out to be evil, which leads to the next line.
Will the Warrior drain your light?: This could mean A) What Nerissa said, that war would rage out if the Bane was killed, but it could also mean B) That in not killing the Bane, Gregor has put the Underland in danger because of the white rat's Evil side. (In the Underland, light is a symbol for life)
What could turn the Warrior weak?: Obviously, the thought of killing the Bane.
What do burning gnawers seek?: Again, the Bane.
Just a barely speaking pup/Who holds the land of Under up: This also refers to the Bane.
'Die the baby, die his heart/Die his most essential part: If the Bane dies, Gregor would feel guilty and saddened. He mistakes the baby for Boots, when she disappears with Luxa and Aurora, but later finds out that the baby referred to is instead the Bane.
Die the peace that rules the hour/Gnawers have their key to power: Nerissa said that if the Bane was killed, the peace that "ruled the hour" would be gone, and the gnawers would be able to wage war on the humans for destroying their new leader. However, the gnawers may still have their key to power in the Bane, who later became a leader of conquest.

The Prophecy of Blood

The Prophecy of Blood explains the plague that is killing the Underlanders, and how they must go on a quest to discover the cure.

Warmblood now a bloodborne death
Will rob your body of its breath.
Mark your skin and seal your fate,
The Underland becomes a plate.

Turn and turn and turn again,
You see the what, but not the when.
Remedy and wrong entwine.
And so they form a single vine.

Bring the warrior from above,
If yet his heart is swayed by love.
Bring the Princess or despair:
No crawlers care without her there.

Turn and turn and turn again,
You see the what, but not the when.
Remedy and wrong entwine.
And so they form a single vine.

Those whose blood runs red and hot
Must join to seek the healing spot.
In the cradle, find the cure
For that which makes the blood impure.

Turn and turn and turn again,
You see the what, but not the when.
Remedy and wrong entwine.
And so they form a single vine.

Gnawer, Human, set aside
The hatreds that reside inside.
If the flames of war are fanned,
All Warmbloods lose the Underland.

Turn and turn and turn again,
You see the what, but not the when.
Remedy and wrong entwine.
And so they form a single vine.

Translation

Warmblood now a bloodborne death/Will rob your body of its breath/Mark your skin and seal your fate/The Underland becomes a plate: All of this stanza is referring to the plague that is infecting the Underland.
Turn and turn and turn again: Once in the Vineyard, the travelling group must turn 180° three times, therefore facing Regalia, where the cure is.
You see the what but not the when: They know what the plague is, but not when it was started.
Remedy and wrong entwine: Neveeve set the plague on the humans by accident, but she also has the remedy for the cure.
And so they form a single vine: Which is Dr. Neveeve.
Bring the warrior from above: To bring Gregor back into the Underland.
If yet his heart is swayed by love: Gregor's bond, Ares, is sick with the plague. At first, Gregor doesn't want to go down to the Underland again, but when this is mentioned, he changes his mind.
Bring the princess or despair/No crawlers care without her there: Gregor must bring Boots into the Underland, because the crawlers must come on the quest for the remedy but will not do so without Boots along.
Those whose blood runs red and hot/Must join to seek the healing spot: The warmbloods must travel together to find the cure for the plague, in the Vineyard.
In the cradle find the cure/To that which makes the blood impure: They will find the cure to the plague where the plague was created.
Gnawer, human, set aside/The hatreds that reside inside: The rats and humans must keep peace.
If the flames of war are fanned/All warmbloods lose the Underland: The cure will not be found and the Underland will not be saved if war breaks out.

It should be noted that Boots figured out part of this prophecy in a way. When Gregor mentioned "turn and turn and turn again", Boots figured this to mean to turn literally. Her motions revealed the truth; that the "cradle" of the plague lay in Regalia rather than the Vineyard of Eyes.

The Prophecy of Secrets

This was a children's song and was not known to be a prophecy until events described in Gregor and the Marks of Secret. It tells of the genocide of the Nibblers by the rats, and the rats' attack on Regalia.

Dancing in the firelight,
See the queen who conquers night.
Gold flows from her, hot and bright.
Father, mother, sister, brother,
Off they go. I do not know
If we will see another.

Catch the nibblers in a trap,
Watch the nibblers spin and snap.
Quiet while they take a nap.
Father, mother, sister, brother,
Off they go. I do not know
If we will see another.

Now the guests are at our door,
Greet them as we have before.
Some will slice, and some will pour.
Father, mother, sister, brother,
Off they go. I do not know
If we will see another.

Translation

Dancing in the firelight: The light from the volcanoes in the Firelands
See the queen who conquers night: The largest volcano (the queen) erupts and makes it dark no longer
Gold flows from her hot and bright: The lava flows from her
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother: They were all mice families
Off they go: The rats marched the mice from their homes into the Firelands
I do not know/if we will see another: It could possibly be the end of the mice

Catch the nibblers in a trap: Catch the mice in a pit around the volcano
Watch the nibblers spin and snap: Watch them in a frenzy try to escape as the poison takes effect
Quiet while they take a nap: All mice are quiet in death (the nap)

Now the guests are at our door: The rats are coming to attack Regalia
Greet them as we have before: The Regalians will fight them yet again
Some will slice and some will pour: Some will fight with swords, while some will pour hot oil over the walls

It should be noted that once again, Boots figured out part of this prophecy in a way. She thought that when the mice died, they were taking a nap, which was how Sandwich phrased the prophecy.

Prophecy of Time

The war has been declared
Your ally been ensnared
It is now or it is never
Break the code or die forever.

Time is running out
Running out
Running out

To the warrior give my blade.
By his hand your fate is made.
But do not forget the ticking
Or the clicking, clicking, clicking.
While the rat's tongue may be flicking,
With its feet it does the tricking.
For the paw and not the jaw
Makes the Code of Claw

Time is standing still
Standing still
Standing still.

Since the princess is the key
To unlock the treachery,
She cannot avoid the matching
Or the scratching, scratching, scratching.
When a secret plot is hatching
In the naming is the catching
What she saw, it is the flaw
Of the Code of Claw.

Time is turning back
Turning back
Turning back.

When the monster's blood is spilled,
When the warrior has been killed,
You must not ignore the rapping,
Or the tapping, tapping, tapping.
If the gnawers find you napping,
You will rot while they are mapping
Out the law of those who gnaw
In the Code of Claw.

Symbology

Holocaust

In the fourth book, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, there is a very noticeable link between it and Nazi Germany. The Bane parallels Adolf Hitler in the sense that they are both intent on killing of a certain group; for Hitler it was Jews and for The Bane it was mice. In addition to that, both the Bane and Hitler were able to rally full support for their cause by blaming the wrongs done to them on their selected victims.

Another link between the content of Gregor and the Marks of Secret and Nazi Germany is the method of torture used by both the Rats and the Nazis. Both the Rats and Nazis used poisonous gases to their advantage; for the Nazis it was in concentration camps and for the Rats it was in the Firelands.

However, this resemblance may not be intentional.

Of Mice and Math

In Gregor and the Marks of Secret, Luxa mentions that the Nibblers love math. This becomes even more apparent in Gregor and the Code of Claw. Because of their love of math, the Nibblers name their children after important mathematical terms, ideologies, and persons.

  • Cevian, Luxa's close friend among the Nibblers, who is named for a line segment extending from a vertex of a triangle to the opposite side.
  • Cube, a baby Nibbler born at the jungle colony, who is named by Luxa.
  • Cartesian, the Nibbler rescued from Hades Hall, who is named after the French mathematician Descartes.
  • Heronian, the Nibbler who is part of the team to break the Code of Claw, who is named for Hero of Alexandria.
  • Scalene, one of the baby Nibblers that Hazard reunites with its family, named for a triangle in which all angles have different measure.
  • Newton, an orphaned baby Nibbler, named for physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton.

Greek mythology

Several of the bats' names were taken from Greek mythology.

  • Hermes, the Messenger Bat, named for a Greek messenger god.
  • Nike, the bats' princess. Nike is also the Greek goddess of victory.
  • Euripides, Vikus' bond, Greek tragedian.
  • Pandora, Howard's bond, named for a Greek figure in myth who was blamed for the release of misery into the world.
  • Ares, Gregor's bond, Greek God of War, son of Zeus and Hera.
  • Aurora, Luxa's Bond, Ancient Roman Goddess of the Dawn.
  • Andromeda, Mareth's bond, figure of Greek Myth rescued by Perseus.
  • Ajax, Solovet's bond, Greek hero, character in Homer's Iliad.
  • Athena, Queen of the bats, Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War.
  • Thalia, Hazard's would-be bond, Greek muse of Comedy.
  • Icarus, Greek figure of Myth, attached feathers to his back with hot wax but flew too close to the sun. At this, the wax melted, and he drowned in the ocean.
  • Daedalus, a member of the code-breaking team. In Greek Mythology, a skilled artisan and father of Icarus.

Other Greek associations

  • Tantalus, for whom is named the Arch of Tantalus was a Greek king who was punished in the mythological afterlife for killing his son.
  • Hades, after whom is named the Hades Hall, was the Greek god that ruled over the underworld.
  • The Garden of the Hesperides, which is in Greek mythology a garden in the corner of the earth.

Children of Vikus

Throughout the series, the names of the children of the Regalian regent Vikus are revealed.

  • Susannah, mother of Howard
  • Hamnet, father of Hazard, twin of Judith
  • Judith, mother of Luxa, twin of Hamnet

These are in comparison to the children of the famous English playwright, William Shakespeare.

External links

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