The legend

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The legend , published in Germany in 1994, is the first and most famous work by British fantasy writer David Gemmell .

prehistory

Gemmell first came up with the idea for the work described here in 1976. At that time, Gemmell was suspected of having cancer . To get his mind off things , he tried to write a short story he called The Siege of Dros Delnoch . The fortress described in it and its attackers, the nadir , were metaphors for him and the cancer. In the end, however, it turned out that he did not have cancer and he forgot about the work that he claimed was not good anyway. However, a friend of Gemmell's read the manuscript in 1980 and concluded that it had potential. With this encouragement, Gemmell revised the story and renamed it The Legend . The resulting book was not accepted by Century Hutchinson until 1982 . The legend is the prelude to the Drenai Saga ( Eng. Drenai ), which comprises eleven self-contained novels, which, however, are interwoven through a common story and recurring main and secondary characters.

action

The Drenai Empire is in danger. The tribes of the Nadir were united by the tribal leader and warlord Ulric , who was able to establish a huge empire in the north. The Drenaian leader Abalayn tries to negotiate new contracts with Ulric. But Ulric is striving for a further expansion of his territory and a 500,000-strong Nadir army marches towards the fortress Dros Delnoch, the gateway to the heart of the Drenai country. Dros Delnoch is the largest fortress in the fantasy world described in the novel. It lies in a narrow pass and is protected by six massive walls and a castle. The fortress was once considered practically impregnable. However, under the Abalayn, who advocated disarmament, their crew was reduced to less than 10,000 men.

The fate of the Drenai depends on the defense of Dros Delnoch. If the fortress withstood the Nadir hordes for three months, the Drenai general would have enough time to train an army against the enemy.

At the center of the plot are two characters: The now graying Drenai hero Druss , and the disillusioned and self-doubting man Regnak , who becomes one of the key figures in the fight against the Nadir.

The ax fighter Druss is the greatest hero of the Drenai (see Druss - Die Legende ) and a feared warrior. His deeds are so legendary that he was nicknamed Die Legende during his lifetime , which makes him the title hero of the book. Druss was prophesied of death on the walls of Dros Delnoch at a young age. In this story, Druss is already a comparatively old man at the age of 60. Still, he is an imposing figure, an excellent warrior, and an inspiring leader for the Drenai forces. When Druss learns of the threat posed by the Nadir, he sets off for Dros Delnoch to help his people one more time and to be true to his ideals to the last.

Regnak is portrayed at the beginning of the book as a bitter former warrior with a penchant for self-contempt. Since he is of the opinion that the realm of the Drenai is doomed and no one can stop the hordes of the Nadir, Regnak first flees from the impending war. However, when he falls in love with the daughter of the Count von Dros Delnoch and finally marries her, Regnak reconsiders his situation and decides no longer to run away from the Nadir. When the old count dies, Regnak is his successor as his son-in-law. As such, he sets off to Dros Delnoch with 30 warrior priests and his new wife to face the enemies of the Drenai and in this way meet his new responsibilities. During the trip it becomes clear that the new Count is a berserk who can become a terrible opponent on the battlefield. In addition, Regnak succeeds in winning new allies for the Drenai people.

Regnak and Druss organize the defense together with the warrior priests and the Drenai generals so successfully that they manage to hold the fortress for a long time. When Ulric finally seems to succeed in the conquest, he receives news of an uprising at home, whereupon he withdraws. Druss dies a heroic death in the course of the defense.

literature

  • David Gemmell: The Legend. Bastei Publishing House. Bergisch Gladbach 1994, ISBN 3-86047-880-X

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ David Gemmell. In: SF Book Reviews. Retrieved March 8, 2020 .