Eragon

"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini (22nd edition, 2014)

The Eragon - Tetralogy (original title: Inheritance Cycle = legacy cycle) is a fantasy book series by the American writer Christopher Paolini for young people. The action takes place in a fictional world called Alagaësia and focuses on the adventures of the dragon rider Eragon and his dragon Saphira.

The books have been sold over 35 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 49 languages. The first volume was made into a film in 2006 , but had only moderate success, which is why the sequels were not realized.

Another book about Eragon was published on January 21, 2019, entitled The Fork, the Witch and the Worm. Stories from Alagaësia . This book is not part of the tetralogy, but contains three short stories that take place one year after the fourth volume.

Genre and success

The cycle is a typical representative of the fantasy genre, with distinctive elements such as dragons , elves , dwarfs , a fictional world and magic . The writing style is aimed primarily at a young audience. Paolini began to write the first volume at the age of 15, which is the age of the title character at the beginning of the story.

The cover images of all four volumes were designed by the book illustrator John Jude Palencar .

The first book reached second place on the New York Times bestseller list shortly after it was published on April 22, 2004 . The first three volumes were translated into German by Joannis Stefanidis and the fourth by Michaela Link. They were published by cbj-Verlag. Part 2 was published in autumn 2005. The content intended by the author for the third volume turned out to be too extensive during the creation, so that it had to be divided. Volume 3 was published on September 20, 2008 in English , the German edition on October 25, 2008. The fourth and final part was published on November 8, 2011 in English and on November 19, 2011 in German.

The first part was filmed by 20th Century Fox under the title Eragon - The Legacy of the Dragon Riders on locations in Slovakia , Hungary and Canada and was released on December 14, 2006 in international cinemas. The main role was cast with Edward Speleers . The criticism was rather moderate, as the film differed greatly from the book.

action

The Legacy of the Dragon Riders

(Original title: Eragon )

The 15-year-old protagonist Eragon has lived as an orphan with his uncle Garrow and his cousin Roran since his mother's disappearance and lives the life of a simple farmer on the outskirts of the small village of Carvahall in the Palancar valley. One day while hunting, Eragon finds a large blue stone in the hump , a mountain range. After a while it turns out to be a dragon egg from which a young hatches later. Eragon's touch creates a connection between the two, which makes them dragon and dragon rider. Since Eragon doesn't know anything about dragons, he has the old storyteller Brom tell him something about them and also suggests some names. Eragon and the female dragon, with whom he begins to speak with the help of his mind after a short time, decide for "Saphira". When Saphira's existence becomes known to Galbatorix, the reigning king of the Empire, he sends the Ra'zac to have him brought to him. Galbatorix is ​​a renegade dragon rider who started an uprising against the Order of the Dragon Riders about a hundred years ago and - he believes - killed all the dragon riders in the most gruesome way.

During Eragon's absence, the Ra'zac destroy the farm, killing Garrow in the process. Because he wants to protect Carvahall from further attacks and want to avenge his uncle, Eragon flees from the Palancar valley together with Brom. Brom gives Eragon Zar'roc, an old sword with a blood-red blade, which Brom had taken from a former dragon rider, but does not reveal his name. During the journey, Brom trained Eragon in sword fighting and other skills such as the use of magic. Brom turns out to be a well-informed magician, but refuses to tell Eragon and Saphira about his past.

With the help of Jeod, a trader in the city of Teirm and a friend of Brom, they manage to locate the Ra'zac's hideout. They hide on the Helgrind, a steep mountain near the town of Dras-Leona. In Teirm, Eragon meets the herbalist and fortune teller Angela, whose wascat Solembum gives him puzzling advice that he accepts without understanding. Then Brom and Eragon travel to Dras-Leona, but there they are captured by the Ra'zac. Shortly before the Ra'zac can kill Brom, who is worthless to them and also think about murdering Eragon, Murtagh, the son of the traitor Morzan (which Eragon learns only later), shows up and frees her. However, Brom is fatally injured in the fight with the Ra'zac, but he tells Eragon with his last breaths that he was also a dragon rider and that the name Saphira was once borne by his long-dead dragon.

Eragon, Saphira and Murtagh set off towards Gil'ead, where, according to Saphira, who gave Brom further information long before his death, there is a man who takes them to the Varden, a hidden community of people, the Galbatorix to refuse allegiance, to lead. There, Eragon is captured again by the shadow Durza who is in Galbatorix's service. Murtagh and Saphira can rescue him and an elf named Arya, of whom Eragon had had visions for some time, from the prison there. Shortly before they can escape, they are stopped by Durza. Only with Saphira's help can they finally escape.

After an almost fatal battle with an army of Urgals, they can get to the Varden, which are submerged in Farthen Dûr, the capital of the dwarves. Murtagh, who is known as Morzan's son and refuses to let magicians examine his mind for hostile sentiments, is first imprisoned so as not to cause problems for the Varden. An old woman asks Eragon to bless the baby named Elva, who has been entrusted to her, and he chooses a sentence in the ancient language that translates as: “May happiness and contentment follow you and may calamity avoid your path” (Atra Gülai un Ilian tauthr ono un atra ono orphan skölir fra Rauthr).

Shortly thereafter, a huge army of Urgal's Farthen Dûr attacks through tunnels. During the battle that soon followed, Durza reappeared and fought against Eragon. Saphiras and Aryas use a diversionary maneuver to destroy the giant star sapphire Isidar Mithrim, to thrust his sword into the heart of the shadow and destroy him. But Durza was able to severely wound Eragon in the back during the fight due to his superiority and then Eragon passed out.

While Eragon is unconscious, an alien being called Togira Ikonoka ("the unharmed cripple") makes contact with Eragon in spirit and helps him fight the spirits released by Durza's death. He also asks Eragon to come to the elven capital Ellesméra to complete his dragon rider training. Eragon agrees and then wakes up from the coma. But Angela's healing methods have not completely relieved him of the injury: a large scar remains on his back.

The Elder's Order

(Original title: Eldest )

The scar from the fight with Durza causes Eragon to fall victim to a curse that causes fits and painful convulsions without warning. After the battle is fought and won by the Varden, the pursuers of the fleeing Urgals are ambushed. Murtagh and the twins, who are the leaders of the Varden magicians, are captured and kidnapped, and the leader of the Varden, Ajihad, is killed.

After Ajihad's death, the Varden need a new leader and a power struggle ensues. Eragon eventually swears obedience and loyalty to Ajihad's daughter Nasuada, thus thwarting the plans of the power-hungry council of elders. In order to neutralize the influence, he also joins the Dûrgrimst Ingietum, the ruling dwarf clan, at Hrothgar's offer, so that in the end everyone has equal influence over Eragon: He has promised the Varden his help, the dwarves can justify their claim to him with his clan membership and the elves will complete his training so that he is obligated to them too.

After they have struggled enough with intrigues, Eragon and Saphira go with the dwarf Orik and Arya to the elves in Du Weldenvarden to complete their training as dragons and riders. In Ellesméra, the capital of the elves, he meets his teacher Oromis, who suffers from a disease similar to that of Eragon. It was Oromis who, as Togira Ikonoka, made contact with Eragon after the battle. He is the dragon rider of Glaedr, a huge, golden dragon who lost its left front leg in battle. Together they escaped Galbatorix and are hiding from him.

During the Agaetí Bloëdhren, the blood oath ceremony, a festival that celebrates the union of elves and dragons and only takes place every 100 years, Eragon's body is healed and changed by the powerful dragon magic. From then on he has the appearance of an elf and their physical abilities.

While Eragon is in Ellesméra, his home village of Carvahall is besieged by soldiers of the Empire and the Ra'zac as Galbatorix tries to capture Roran, Eragon's cousin, and use it as a hostage against Eragon. Roran, who is now called Hammerfaust because he prefers his hammer to a sword in battle, defends his homeland bravely with the inhabitants. Since all attacks on the village have failed so far, the Ra'zac Roran's fiancée kidnap Katrina in order to put Katrina under pressure. The inhabitants of Carvahall finally have to give up the village and flee to Narda, a small town by the sea. From there they take the ship to Teirm, where they happen to meet Jeod, a trader and secret ally of the Varden. He recognizes Roran and tells them about Eragon's experiences and that there must be a traitor among the Varden because none of his ships have reached their destination for some time. Together they decide to steal a warship from the king, the Dragonwing, and sail with him to Surda, the only independent kingdom in Alagaësia. The project succeeds and they travel to Dauth, a port city in Surda. Most of the Carvahallers go ashore there, but Roran and a few villagers go up the river towards the Du Völlar Eldrvarya, the burning steppes, to help the Varden in a new battle.

Meanwhile, Eragon's training in Ellesméra is progressing. One day he sees with the dream vision, a spell to observe others from a great distance, that the Varden and the Kingdom of Surda are in the middle of war preparations. Galbatorix wants to take Surda. Eragon leaves immediately with Saphira and Orik. The Empire's army is outnumbered, but the Varden win the battle with the help of the surprising dwarves. A blood-red dragon appears in battle, and its rider kills Hrothgar, the king of the dwarves. After a lost duel against him, Eragon recognizes his former friend Murtagh, who was kidnapped by Urgals at the battle for Farthen Dûr and believed dead. But Murtagh is no longer the same, because he and his dragon Dorn are forced to serve Galbatorix by means of a binding oath, taken in the ancient language - in which it is impossible to lie. Murtagh reveals to Eragon that Saphira is the only remaining female dragon in the world. He also explains that Eragon is the second son of Morzan and therefore Murtagh's younger brother. After he has stolen his sword, Zar'roc, Murtagh returns to Galbatorix without having achieved anything, without having fulfilled the assignment to bring Eragon to Galbatorix. Because although he beat and overpowered his brother in battle, Eragon managed to persuade Murtagh to let him escape. After the battle, Eragon meets his cousin Roran again and promises him that they will work together to free Katrina from Ra'zac captivity.

The wisdom of fire

(Original title: Brisingr )

Eragon, Saphira and Roran travel to the Helgrind to free Katrina from the captivity of the Ra'zac, which they successfully manage. They also kill the creatures and their parents, the flying horses, also known as Lethrblaka. Unexpectedly, Eragon also finds Sloan, Katrina's father, in Helgrind, which he hides from Roran and Katrina. However, this presents him with the problem that he has to free Sloan from there because he does not see himself in a position to kill him. Therefore, under the pretext of wanting to kill the remaining Ra'zac, he stays behind alone in the Helgrind and sends Katrina and Roran on the back of Saphira on their return journey to the Varden. Afterwards he is forced to travel on foot through the kingdom to Surda. Meanwhile, Nasuada must accept the challenge of Fadawar, the leader of a tribe that supports the Varden, to secure her leadership position with the Varden. The ritual called “long knife trial” calls for the one who can make more cuts on the arm and who is able to survive the pain longer to emerge victorious. With the help of Elva, the little girl whom Eragon blessed with the wrong words, Nasuada succeeds in surpassing Fadawar. After Saphira and Roran return to the Varden, Arya sets out for the Empire to track down Eragon and ensure his safe return. The two eventually find themselves in a hostel in Eastcroft and from there continue the journey together, using the time to learn more about each other.

Back at the Varden, Eragon pays old debts and redeems some promises. Among other things, he tries to mend his failed spell in his blessing for Elva, without being completely successful. As everyone in the Varden camp is preparing for Roran and Katrina's wedding party, uninvited guests appear: ships full of Galbatorix's soldiers and the red dragon Dorn with Murtagh, who is tasked with capturing Eragon and Saphira and bringing them to Galbatorix . Before the Dragon Rider duel, Eragon shows Murtagh and Dorn a way to break Galbatorix's spell. They would have to change their nature and thus their real name in order to escape his control. In the following duel, Saphira is superior to Dorn and Eragon with the help of Arya and twelve magicians of the elves, which the queen of the elves, Islanzadi, has sent for his protection, can withstand the magical attacks of Murtagh. However, Murtagh and Dorn manage to escape. To their horror, the Varden discover that Galbatorix used a spell to relieve some soldiers of their sensation of pain, which makes it more difficult to fight them because they have to have their heads cut off, their hearts pierced or other fatal injuries inflicted.

After the marriage of Roran, Eragon receives an order from Nasuada to travel to the dwarves in Farthen Dûr, accompanied by an Urgal, who are now allies, to ensure that they choose a successor to the king who supports the Varden cause. Saphira stays behind to keep Eragon's departure a secret for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the Varden army sets out for Feinster to take the city. The warriors of the elves have meanwhile also left Du Weldenvarden to attack the empire and in particular to take Gil'ead. Roran is sent on various missions by Nasuada to test his leadership skills. Roran defies the leader of his squad, Edric, because he considers Edric's tactics to be pure suicide, and so saves the warriors. He himself kills 193 opponents in this battle, about a third of the enemy troop. Nasuada has him flogged for insubordination to Edric in order to maintain Varden discipline. The next day, however, she gave him his own command of a mixed contingent of humans and Urgals. There he has to accept the challenge of an Urgal after an assignment in order to maintain his leadership position. To the surprise of everyone involved, he succeeds in defeating him in a wrestling match.

In Farthen Dûr, the clan meeting for the election of the king is painfully slow. Only after an unsuccessful attack on Eragon's life does the matter get dynamic. Orik succeeds in convicting Vermûnd, the Grimstborith (head) of the clan Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, as the author and this is banned by the clan heads. In the subsequent election, Orik can capitalize on these events and win a majority of the votes of the clan leaders. As part of his coronation, Saphira, who has meanwhile rushed here, can keep another promise made by Eragon and her and make Isidar Mithrim, the star sapphire of the dwarves, shine in a new light with the help of unpredictable dragon magic. Then Saphira and Eragon set off to Ellesméra, where Eragon wants to find out from Oromis and Glaedr what Galbatorix draws his strength from in order to possibly defeat him. Although the siege of Feinster is imminent, Nasuada allows him to pursue his request. However, they have little time because the Varden are vulnerable without them. In Ellesméra, Eragon learns that Brom and not Morzan was his father and that his mother, who was once Morzan's "Black Hand", had supported the Varden before her death. Glaedr explains to him that Galbatorix draws his strength from Eldunarí, the so-called hearts of hearts, soul hoards from deceased dragons that live on in a kind of gemstone. Galbatorix captured almost all of these hearts and subjugated the dragons within them. He learns how to move objects with magic. Furthermore, with the help of the elf smith Rhunön, who forged all dragon rider swords, Eragon forges his new sword Brisingr ("fire" in the ancient language), which unexpectedly develops the property of breaking out in flames along its blade when Eragon calls it by name . Thereupon he leaves together with Oromis and Glaedr Du Weldenvarden in the direction of Feinster, while the other two travel to Gil'ead to openly support the elves in the fight against Galbatorix. Before they part ways, they entrust Eragon and Saphira to the Eldunarí of Glaedr.

When the two arrive in Feinster, Arya and the elven magicians have already started the attack on the city to open the gates for their comrades-in-arms, but are in distress. Eragon and Saphira are just in time. With the help of Eragon and Saphira, the Varden can quickly take the city and tackle the storming of the keep, where three mages of the Empire are just about to conjure a shadow when Eragon, Arya and Saphira meet them. The mages succeed too, but Arya destroys him before he can cause damage. At the same time, the battle for Gil'ead rages, where Oromis and Glaedr deliver a duel with Dorn and Murtagh, who is controlled by Galbatorix in the fight. He reveals that he is about to become invincible and considers himself a god. Oromis had previously indicated that Galbatorix had been busy with something for years. This could be related to information the last Ra'zac gave to Eragon before he died that Galbatorix had almost found out the real name (of whom or whatever). However, through the Eldunarí, Eragon, Saphira and Arya witness how Galbatorix first kills Oromis and Glaedr is killed by Dorn. Nevertheless, the day is victorious because the cities of Feinster and Gil'ead can be captured. The Varden are now preparing to march via Belatona and Dras-Leona to Urû'baen to face Galbatorix for the final battle. Eragon vows to do everything in his power to avenge Glaedr and Oromis and free Alagaësia from Galbatorix's cruel rule.

The legacy of power

(Original title: Inheritance )

The book begins with the Varden attack on Belatona. During the fight, Saphira is almost killed by the Dauthdaert (literally “death spear”, name of the lances that were once made by the elves to fight the dragons) Niernen . According to the elven magicians, the spear is capable of penetrating all protective spells. Eragon and Arya find and overwhelm the ruler of the city, Lord Bradburn, bringing the people of the city under the control of the Varden. After the Battle of Belatona, Grimrr Halfpaw, the leader of the werecats, offers Nasuada to fight the Empire on the side of the Varden. The conditions set by Grimrr are accepted and the Varden get other helpful supporters.

After a few days, Roran is sent to Aroughs to help the Varden positioned there to take the city so that the Varden do not have to fight on two fronts. Once there, he developed an almost impossible plan to break through the city walls: They use barges, which can get into the city on canals, as battering rams and in this way break into the city at dawn. They finally manage to take Aroughs. Carn, a Varden mage, is killed by an enemy mage. Roran is seriously injured by an arrow in the attack on Aroughs, but survives. Then Roran returns to the Varden camp, which is now before Dras-Leona.

Jeod finds a secret tunnel into the city in old scrolls. Eragon leads a small group consisting of Angela, Solembum, Arya and Wyrden, an elf, through the corridors of the labyrinth under Dras-Leona. They are discovered by soldiers and try to escape. Wyrden dies in a trap and Angela is dragged into a hidden room. Then Arya and Eragon are captured, Eragon is deprived of Aren, the belt of Beloth the Wise and his sword Brisingr. It turns out that the attackers are priests from the Helgrind and want to feed them to two soon-hatching Ra'zac, which are still slumbering in their eggs. As they learn from the priests, there are many more Ra'zac eggs. The eggs are already cracked when Angela shows up and frees them both from their bonds. Solembum kills the newly hatched Ra'zac. The four are still in the maze, but discover a way up and end up in the middle of a priestly ceremony. You kill her and find Aren and Brisingr again; the belt remains lost. Next they plan to open the city gate to the Varden, but are discovered by soldiers. While Saphira distracts Murtagh and Dorn with an elf disguised as Eragon, he uses all the energy in Aren to blow open the gate. The Varden then conquer Dras-Leona. The following night, Nasuada is kidnapped by Murtagh and Dorn, which Eragon and the Elven Mages cannot prevent, and Eragon becomes the new leader of the Varden.

Nasuada is brought from Murtagh to Urû'baen, where she is held captive in a large dungeon on a stone block. Shortly thereafter, King Galbatorix visits her personally to persuade her to join him. When he does not succeed, he tries torture methods: Among other things, he lets carnivorous larvae, so-called drill maggots , maltreat Nasuada's arm and attacks her mind with bizarre visions. But the latter remains steadfast and continues to refuse allegiance to the tyrant. Murtagh, on the other hand, who seems very attracted to Nasuada, visits her secretly and promises to help her.

Meanwhile, Eragon desperately seeks a way to overthrow Galbatorix when he remembers the prophecy of Solembum, the werecat. This commanded him, when his strength was no longer sufficient, to go to the rock of Kuthian and speak his name out loud to open the "dungeon of souls". He calls Solembum over to find out more. In a trance he says that there is something about it in the book "Domia abr Wyrda". After that, Solembum no longer remembers it. Eragon reads this part of the book and learns that the dungeon of souls is on Vroengard, the deserted island of the Dragon Riders. He asks Glaedr if he knows the dungeon, but Glaedr cannot remember it. Eragon realizes that a spell is at work that will erase all memories of the dungeon. He and Saphira decide to search for the rock of Kuthian with Glaedrs Eldunarí on Vroengard. On the island, Eragon discovers many strange creatures that did not exist before the demise of the Dragon Riders. They try to open the dungeon of souls, but then realize that they must speak their true names in the ancient language. They brood about it for days, until finally first Saphira and then Eragon finds out his real name. In the Dungeon of Souls they find 136 Eldunarí and 243 dragon eggs, protected by Cuaroc, a metal man with the head of a dragon. Among the Eldunarí is also that of the dragon Umaroth, whose rider Vrael was the former leader of the dragon riders. They take all but five of the Eldunarí, who are left to protect the dragon eggs, with them, in order to be prepared for the fight against Galbatorix. After leaving the cave, they forget about the eggs using a spell designed to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Empire.

They fly to Urû'baen to attack the city together with the Varden. Eragon succeeds with the elven magicians, Arya, Elva and Saphira, to break into the citadel of Galbatorix and to overcome all traps. In front of the throne room, all the elves except Arya are kidnapped in a strange way. When they meet Galbatorix in the throne room, who had already been waiting for them, he tells them that he is invincible because he has found out the real name of the ancient language, with the help of which he wants to control the magicians of Alagaësia. But he does not know himself or does not know that Eragon knows that you can work magic without the help of the ancient language. Although he utters the spell in the presence of Eragon, the latter cannot remember him by virtue of a thought spell. To buy time, Eragon challenges Galbatorix to a sword fight. But this orders that Murtagh should compete for him. It's a very even fight until Eragon manages, with a daring deception, to thrust the sword into Murtagh's stomach. Then all attack together, including Murtagh, who is no longer bound to Galbatorix because his real name has changed, Galbatorix and his gigantic dragon Shruikan. But Galbatorix is ​​still too strong and now attacks Eragon with his mind in order to submit him to his will. But with the help of the Eldunarí he can work a spell without words, which makes Galbatorix understand the suffering he did to the peoples of Alagaësia. At the same time Arya stabs Shruikan with the Dauthdaert. His pain is so extreme that Galbatorix can no longer bear it and destroys himself with a huge explosion. Eragon can protect himself and the others with the energy of the Eldunarí at the last second. The king's suicide blows away part of the citadel and destroys much of the city.

Murtagh and Dorn are now free and decide to fly north to calm down and contemplate after saying goodbye to Eragon and telling him the name of the ancient language. Arya and the Elven Mages find the green egg and the many Eldunarí that Galbatorix owned. You will also find more than a hundred swords of the killed dragon riders. Nasuada, who survived captivity, is finally appointed queen over Alagaësia after a violent battle of words, but gives Surda part of the southern cities. Eragon is tasked with clearing the land of Galbatorix's magic using the true name of the ancient language. Roran is named Count of the Palancar Valley and names his daughter Ismira. Arya returns to her people and becomes Queen of the Elves after her mother is killed in the Battle of Urû'baen. The green dragon Fírnen hatches on her and she becomes a dragon rider. When Eragon meets the dragon, Arya reveals her real name to him and he reveals his to her.

Eragon and Saphira remember the dragon eggs and try to find a suitable place to train the dragon riders to come. Since Vroengard is too dangerous a place and they have no other suitable alternative, they decide to look for a suitable place outside Alagaësia, in the east. Before their journey they get the eggs from the dungeon of souls and fly to Ellesméra to cast a spell that also enables Urgals and dwarves to become dragon riders. Then they travel east by ship with about twenty elves, the Eldunarí and the dragon eggs. He finally says goodbye first to Roran and then to Arya. Saying goodbye to Arya is visibly difficult for him and later, for the first time, he allows himself to cry about the goodbye. But when Saphira assures him that they will not be alone, he can smile again before sailing further down the river into a future that is uncertain for him.

people

In addition to humans, the following races mainly appear in the Eragon tetralogy:

Dragons

The dragons are the oldest people in Alagaësia, have wings and are unexpectedly intelligent. Their scales can be almost any color and are very resilient. When the dragons become sexually mature, they develop the ability to spit fire. As the plot progresses, it becomes clear that the dragons have both a passion for puzzles and a susceptibility to flattery. The dragons used to be involved in a quarrel with the elves, which is why the Dragon Riders were founded. Dragons also dispose of so-called Eldunarí, soul stones inside, which they can spit out if necessary. The souls in such an Eldunarí live on even after the dragon's death and enable an owner to take their energy without loss through, for example, a long distance from the dragon.

Elves

The elves are magical beings and therefore have improved senses and more power than humans. They are also immune to numerous diseases and can only die through violence. They also have light skin, pointed ears and slanted eyes. Their hair is mostly black or silvery. Furthermore, elves are described as very nature-loving beings who consider plants and animals to be very important. Elves are popularly known as the "beautiful people".

Dwarfs

The dwarfs are small beings (about 1 meter tall) who mostly have long beards. Despite their small size, they have a lot of strength, build underground tunnel systems and dig for gemstones. Except for a few superficial cities, the dwarfs live underground. The dwarfs are divided into thirteen clans, some of which have a quarreling relationship. The dwarves are ruled by a king, who in turn is elected by individual representatives of the clans.

Ra'zac / Lethrblaka

Outwardly, the Ra'zac are a crossbreed of human and bird with a beak on their face, but they have an exoskeleton made of resilient chitin . When they are fully grown, they grow wings and change their body until it resembles a dragon. These Lethrblaka are both parents and flying animals of the Ra'zac. Their breath is numbing, which is why they are successful - albeit nocturnal - hunters. They are naturally vicious and cruel because they primarily feed on humans.

Urgals

Urgals are about two meters tall creatures that have a bloodthirsty reputation in Alagaësia, as they often attack and devastate human villages. In addition, they have very bellicose character traits. Their strong bodies allow them stamina for days without a supply. There is also a sub-genus of the Urgals, so-called " Kull ", which are even stronger and significantly larger. Female Urgals choose as their breeding partners only those who have defeated at least three enemies in battle.

Werecats

The werecats are magical transformable beings. They can either take the form of cats or small people. In addition, all werecats are able to communicate with their spirit because they cannot talk in their animal form.

Ghosts / shadows

Spirits are beings made of energy. If a person conjures up one or more ghosts that he is unable to control, they take control of his body and a shadow with superhuman strength is created.

The gray people

The gray people are only mentioned in the course of the plot and not described in detail. The members of this people had lived in Alagaësia before other peoples came and tied their language (the "ancient language") to magic.

Dragon rider

The League of Dragon Riders was originally created to end the dispute between the elves and dragons. The people were added to the covenant later. After the fall of the Dragon Riders, no dragons hatched for a long time until Saphira hatched at Eragon. After the fall of Galbatorix, it was decided that an era of dragon riders should begin again, and dwarves and Urgals were integrated into the union.

Alagaësia

Alagaësia consists of two human kingdoms as well as the kingdom of the dwarves and that of the elves. The larger by far the human kingdom is the Empire , which is ruled by the tyrant Galbatorix. Galbatorix is ​​a dragon rider whose dragon was killed long before the main storyline of the book during an Urgal raid. Desperate and angry that the elders of the Dragon Rider Order refused to give him a new dragon, he became a traitor. With the help of the young dragon rider Morzan, he stole the young dragon Shruikan for himself and gradually murdered all members of the dragon rider order except for those who voluntarily joined him, the so-called 13 renegades . Together with these he killed all the other dragon riders except Oromis and seized control of the land.

Dissatisfied with this development, a region split off in the south of the empire, which represents the much smaller kingdom of Surda . The non-human intelligent cultures withdrew from the core area of ​​the empire. Since the demise of the Dragon Riders, the elves have been living in seclusion in the magical forest of Du Weldenvarden , while the dwarfs inhabit the hard-to-reach mountain region of the Beor Mountains in the southeast of the continent. The Varden (Guardians), an organization of human rebels who want to liberate the country from Galbatorix's rule and fight hard against him and his empire, play a special role. They have allied themselves with the dwarves and live with them in the Beor Mountains . However, as the story progresses, they have to move to Surda .

In the middle of the country there is the great Hadarac desert, in which there are no cities. In the far northwest is the island of Vroengard with Dorú Areaba as its capital. It was the headquarters of the dragon riders in the dragon rider's time, but has now fallen into ruin. There is also a smaller group of islands in the southwest of the continent.

The empire

The Empire is the Kingdom of Galbatorix. It borders in the north on the North Sea , in the northeast on Du Weldenvarden , in the west on the Great Sea , in the south on Surda , in the east on the Hadarac Desert and in the southeast on the Beor Mountains . The capital of the empire is Urû'baen . From there, King Galbatorix rules the country with dictatorial power.

On the west coast of Alagaësia, the hump , a forested mountain range, extends from north to south . Many people fear the area as there have been many scary stories about the hump over time. Half of Galbatorix's army is said to have disappeared there without a trace. The Urgals are at home in the southern part. In the north of the hump is the place Carvahall . To the west of the mountain range is Teirm , among other things , which is an important trading center and, due to external threats, was built as a fortress town with a mighty city wall and a castle.

The capital of the empire lies further south and significantly further to the east. Urû'baen is centrally located in the empire on the Ramr River . It is a city built by the elves and was formerly called Ilirea . Dras-Leona is located west of Urû'baen on the huge Leona Lake . Nearby is the black granite mountain Helgrind and Edur Ithindra , a dilapidated elven watchtower. The believers of a cruel religion in the city worship the Ra'zac, who have their nesting place in the Helgrind, refer to them as the “venerable ancients” and offer blood sacrifices from their own bodies for them.

The Hadarac Desert is a vast, dry area on the eastern border of the empire, in the middle of Alagaësia . The dwarves and dragons once lived in this area before it got too dry and the dwarves moved to the southern Beor Mountains .

The small area of ​​the Burning Steppes in the far south is completely uninhabited. The ground is barren and fountains of fire keep shooting up from the ground. Long ago the dragon riders fought the renegades here. The dragons set fire to the ground with their bursts of fire, and the fire continues to smolder there to this day; Since there are extensive deposits of peat under the soot crust, the area up to 10 meters above the ground is covered with poisonous steam. The name in the ancient language of the Burning Steppes is Du Völlar Eldrvarya .

Surda

Surda is a small, independent kingdom located in the south-west of the empire, bordering the Beor Mountains to the east and ruled by King Orrin. Surda split off when Galbatorix seized power. The small country is always afraid of an invasion by its powerful neighbor, which is why the kingdom works - initially clandestinely, later openly - together with the Varden and tries to overthrow Galbatorix. The capital of Surda is Aberon , it is located in the south-eastern part of Surda. After the final battle has been fought, Queen Nasuada almost doubles it at King Orrin's request. Nasuada takes over the rest of the empire except for the city of Teirm.

You Weldenvarden

Du Weldenvarden is the forest where the elves have lived since Galbatorix came to power. It is located in the north and especially northeast of Alagaësia . The trees in Du Weldenvarden are mostly pines, only at the edge of the forest are deciduous trees. They are relatively high, but their width is much more astonishing: some of the trees are more than ten meters in diameter. The forest got its name from the ancient language, it means "the protective forest". The elves have lived in this forest for more than 100 years before Galbatorix. In the center of this forest lies the elven capital Ellesméra , which, like the whole forest, is hidden by magic and is therefore extremely difficult to find. For example, one cannot look into the forest using the dream view or fly down into it from above. Even their allies rarely allow the elves to enter the fabulous forest. The houses of the elves are mostly the trees themselves. The elves sing to the trees in the ancient language so that they grow into the desired shape. The "Monolith of Tears" is located near the elven capital. The dragons brooded there until elves sneaked to the mountain in the Dragon War and destroyed the dragons' eggs.

The Beor Mountains

The Beor Mountains are a mighty mountain range in the southeast of Alagaësia , which is much larger than the hump . The dwarves have dug an intricate system of tunnels underneath to get from one end to the other without stepping on the surface. The mountain slopes are densely forested in the lower part, but these forests steadily decrease with height (the mountains are on average ten miles high, sometimes even higher). The dwarves have lived in the Beor Mountains since they came from the Hadarac desert and built numerous cities there. The name Beor Mountains comes from the elven word Beor (= cave bear ). The dwarves themselves have another name for it, but they guard it jealously.

In the middle of the mountains lies the Farthen Dûr (dwarf for Our Father ). It is a hollow volcano in which the dwarfs built the Tronjheim town mountain . Tronjheim is the capital of the dwarves. It was built a long time ago by generations of dwarves, modeled on Farthen Dûrs, as a mountain with a circular opening at the top made of marble. The upper floors of Tronjheim have been empty for centuries, but they are very important for the dwarves - in an emergency the entire dwarf people can find shelter there. In the middle of Tronjheim there are four large halls, one in each direction.

The East

Little is known about the world east of the dwarf city of Hedarth, except from Eldunarí, who have already been there and reported that the landscape there is flat. It is also said of Galbatorix that the tablet on which he found the true name of the ancient language was written outside of Alagaësia. Eragon also uses the Edda River to leave Alagaësia, which suggests that it still flows far to the east.

Follow-up books

Book 5

After the publication of the fourth and final volume in the series, Paolini announced in various interviews that he intended to return to the world of Alagaësia at a later date, but that after more than a decade of work on the series, he would initially turn to other projects. In the following years he replied to questions about the content of the planned successor novel , only titled as Book 5 , that it was not a direct continuation of the self-contained Dragon Rider cycle, but a few years after this game and both some old and some new ones Characters. In addition, many of the open topics and questions from the fourth book should be discussed and clarified.

Stories from Alagaësia

In 2018, Paolini announced that it would be releasing a new trilogy of stories from Alagaësia, which will be created after the first four volumes and before book 5 .

The fork, the witch and the worm. Stories from Alagaësia. Volume 1: Eragon

(Original title: The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm )

The first volume was published at the end of 2018. One of these short stories was written by Angela Paolini, the author's sister.

When Eragon and Saphira finally found a suitable place, Eragon realizes how much work it is to build a dragon lair, but he does not give up.

criticism

A review in the New York Times explains the quirks of the Eragon novels with the young age of the author. Paolini was classified as a talented author and his book as a good work, but the course of the plot is partly predictable and sometimes suffers from logical breaks, the language is full of clichés and stilted dialogues. The constellation of implausible dialogues and an uncomplicated, "easy" plot means that the work is ultimately only suitable for children and young people between 9 and 13 years of age. The books were often accused of being more than just "inspired" by Lord of the Rings and Star Wars , but of having copied the plot and motifs almost entirely.

Eragon is filled with nightmare moments, dreams, visions. It never falters in its velocity. Its plot is episodic rather than climactic; it is clearly part of a larger work. The 500-plus pages race past. I found myself dreaming about it at night, and reaching for it as soon as I woke. Like countless other readers, I am waiting to see what happens next, with wonder, with admiration and with hope. As Eragon's dragon tells him, All will be well, little one.

“Eragon is full of nightmare moments, dreams, visions. It never fluctuates in speed. Its plot is episodic rather than climatic; it is clearly part of a larger work. The more than 500 pages raced by. I dreamed about it at night and picked up the book as soon as I woke up. Like countless other readers, I wait to see what happens next with astonishment, admiration, and hope. As Eragon's dragon says, "Everything will be fine, little one." "

- Liz Rosenberg : New York Times

“Paolini, who was 15 years old himself when he began this book, takes the near-archetypes of fantasy fiction and makes them fresh and enjoyable, chiefly through a crisp narrative and a likable hero. He carries a substantial Tolkien influence — fanciful spellings of geographical names, the use of landscape as character, as well as the scale and structure of the story itself. But his use of language dispenses with the floral, pastoral touch in favor of more direct prose. The liking does not end there: the volume opens with a detailed map of Paolini's world, and ends with a glossary and pronunciation guide for his invented language. An auspicious beginning to both career and series. "

“Paolini, who was 15 when he started writing the book, takes the archetypes of the fantasy genre and makes them fresh and enjoyable, especially with a clear narrative and a personable hero. He has had considerable Tolkien influence - fanciful spellings of geographical names, the use of landscape as character, and the extent and structure of the story itself. His use of language, however, abandons a floral, pastoral fashion in favor of more direct prose. The similarity doesn't end there: the volume begins with a detailed map of Paolini's world and ends with a glossary and pronunciation chart for his invented language. A happy start for both his career and the book series. "

- Publishers Weekly

"Because the author lacks poetry, he piles up detail upon detail and effect upon effect, so that the novel looks like a huge hidden object picture in which only the connoisseur can find his way."

- Ulrich Greiner : With King Kitsch into nowhere

“Paolini weaves in elements that are reminiscent of fantasy stories, tells the story in a gripping manner - as if the author wanted to be Eragon himself. You can feel the fun the 15-year-old had while writing. That makes you want to try it yourself. "

- The reviewer is a 12-year-old student : Süddeutsche Zeitung

“Reading this novel is like walking the worn paths of Disneyland in search of fairy tale magic: so little wit, imagination and creativity has seldom been found in a book. Paolini's dragon novel reads like a soulless clone by JRR Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey and Ursula K. LeGuin. "

- Denis Scheck : Tagesspiegel (about The Wisdom of Fire )

Trivia

• The name Eragon is borrowed from the English word for dragon.
• The names of the married couple Selena and Brom are derived from the successive elements selenium and bromine in the periodic table .

media

filming

The German theatrical release of Eragon - The Legacy of the Dragon Riders (Eragon) was on December 14, 2006. The film received only mediocre reviews and in many places deviates strongly from the original book. The film is now also available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc . The second part will not be filmed for the time being.

Video game

Sierra Entertainment released a video game from Eragon for PC , Xbox 360 , PlayStation 2 , PSP , Nintendo DS , Nintendo Wii , GameCube , Game Boy Advance and mobile phones . The game was released on November 24, 2006.

Audio books

The Eragon novels have been published as audio books in several languages . The English audio books were read by Gerard Doyle , the German editions by Andreas Fröhlich . Bob Andrews already lent his voice happily in The Three ??? as well as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings , among other things he dubbed Hollywood greats like Ethan Hawke , John Cusack and Edward Norton . In 2007, the audio book Eragon - The Order of the Elder won the German Fantasy Prize for the best audio book / radio play of the year.

• Eragon - MC edition, English: Random House, ISBN 0-8072-1962-2 .
• Eldest - MC edition, English: Random House, ISBN 1-4000-9862-9 .
• Eragon - The legacy of the dragon riders, 17-CD edition, German: Random House Audio, ISBN 3-86604-015-6 .
• Eragon - The Legacy of the Dragon Riders, 3-MP3-CD edition.
• Eragon - The Order of the Elder, 22-CD edition, German: Random House Audio, ISBN 3-86604-109-8 .
• Eragon - The Elder's Order, 4-MP3-CD edition.
• Eragon - Die Weisheit des Feuers, 24-CD edition, German: Random House Audio, ISBN 3-86604-361-9 .
• Eragon - The Wisdom of Fire, 4-MP3-CD edition, German: Random House Audio, ISBN 3-86604-944-7 .
• Eragon - Das Erbe der Macht, 26-CD edition, German: Random House Audio, ISBN 3-8371-0854-6 .
• Eragon - Das Erbe der Macht, 5-MP3-CD edition, German: cbj Audio, ISBN 3-8371-0921-6 .

music

The band Schandmaul processed the first volume in their song Saphira .

literature

Original editions

• Christopher Paolini: Eragon. Random House US, 2004, Volume 1, ISBN 9780552553209 .
• Christopher Paolini: Eldest. Random House US, 2005, Volume 2, ISBN 9780552554107 .
• Christopher Paolini: Brisingr. Random House US, 2008 Volume 3, ISBN 9780552559966 .
• Christopher Paolini: Inheritance. Random House US, 2011, Volume 4, ISBN 9780552560252 .
• Christopher Paolini + Angela Paolini: The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm. Random House US, 2019, ISBN 9780241392393 .

German editions

• Christopher Paolini: Eragon - The Legacy of the Dragon Riders. cbj Verlag, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-570-12803-2 . (Part 1)
• Christopher Paolini: Eragon - The Elder's Order. cbj Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-570-12804-0 . (Volume 2)
• Christopher Paolini: Eragon - The Elder's Order. cbj Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-570-13216-1 . (Hardcover deluxe edition, including excerpt from chapter three of the following volume)
• Christopher Paolini: Eragon - The wisdom of fire. cbj Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 3-570-12805-9 . (Volume 3)
• Christopher Paolini: Eragon - The Legacy of Power. cbj Verlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 3-570-13816-X . (Volume 4)
• Christopher Paolini + Angela Paolini: The fork, the witch and the worm. cbj Verlag, Munich 2019, ISBN 9783570165812 .

Supplementary literature

• Christopher Paolini: Eragon - Everything about the fantastic world of Alagaësia. cbj Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 3-570-13875-5 . (Illustrated, hardback edition)

Web links

• Official German website
• Review of volume 1, "The legacy of the dragon riders" at Jugendbuchtipps.de
• Review of volume 2, “The Order of the Elder” at Jugendbuchtipps.de
• Review of Volume 3, “The Wisdom of Fire” at Jugendbuchtipps.de
• Official English website of the author

Individual evidence

1. ↑ By the numbers: 'Eragon,' 10 years later . USA Today . October 16, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
2. ↑ Eragon is back! randomhouse.de, accessed on February 1, 2019 . 
3. ^ Official German publisher's website on Eragon
4. ↑ randomhouse.de
5. ↑ New York Times, November 16, 2003
6. ↑ ^{a b} Eragon: The Inheritance Cycle . commonsensemedia.org; Retrieved May 18, 2012
7. ↑ More of the 'Rings' magic . usatoday.com; Retrieved May 18, 2012
8. ↑ ERAGON , review on publishersweekly.com
9. ↑ Ulrich Greiner: With King Kitsch into nowhere . In: Die Zeit , No. 46/2008
10. ↑ The blue dragon. Süddeutsche Zeitung, November 30, 2004, accessed January 25, 2010 . 
11. ↑ tagesspiegel.de
12. ↑ Literature Prize Winner of the German Fantastic Prize