island_of_reil (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
island_of_reil) wrote2013-08-23 05:47 pm
island_of_reil) wrote2013-08-23 05:47 pm
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Mark of the Horse Lord
Oh, Phaedrus.
As sad as the ending is, I didn't find it tragic, as I did The Lantern Bearers despite its note of hope at the end. Phaedrus has, as Sutcliff writes, grown into his kingship, and as Lord of the Dalriadans he is called upon to sacrifice himself for the greater good of his tribe — including the son he will never see. As a gladiator, he was always aware that he might not live out the day anyway; now, at least, his death is a meaningful one.
When Phaedrus and Midir first met, I was ready for the novel to be another "Lost Prince" tale, in which it was ultimately revealed that Phaedrus's late mother Essylt was royal Dalriadan kin taken captive in wartime. Leaving aside the fact that such a matrilineal claim to the throne would have made things more complicated, I'm glad Sutcliff didn't take that path. The story as written is considerably more complex and engaging, not least because kingship is not portrayed as a matter of having "the right" bloodline. (I love the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, but... really.) Judging from the childhood incident with Murna's pet otter, it's quite possible that Phaedrus made a much better king than Midir himself would have. Conversely, even Midir himself does not despise his own skill as a leatherworker; he holds it in high regard, as he should, despite how bitter he is at his lot in life.
(I could be better acquainted with Irish myth than I am; I didn't realize the name "Midir" is from the Mythological Cycle. Interestingly, the mythological character's beloved, Étaín, was identified by a prominent Celtic scholar as a sun goddess. On a discussion board I've seen a reference to "the story of Mídir and Liadán,", but I can't find any more information on it.)
There's a fair amount of internalized misogyny in Sutcliff's novels. MotHL is only the fourth I've read to date, but the initial description of Liadhan's character, along with that of the mother-goddess faith of the Caledones, are as strong examples of said misogyny as I've seen so far. So the character of Murna, and the fighting women of the Dalriadans (and of the Caledones) in general, were pleasant surprises. Certainly, it's telling that Sutcliff respected women only if they were warriors, but the treatment of women in MotHL is still better than that of women in, say, Frontier Wolf (which I liked very much otherwise). Also, Murna's description of her mother as emotionally abusive to everyone she "loved" helped shift Liadhan, for me anyway, out of the two-dimensional archetype of man-devouring female evil. Not a flattering portrait but a more-human one.
Conory was a pleasant surprise as well. Placidus in Eagle of the Ninth is a despised character not only because he's an ass but because he's somewhat effeminate. I cringed when Sutcliff initially described Conory as something of a dandy, because I thought she would make him into the same type. Nope: As she writes later, he's an effective sword in an elaborate silk scabbard, and he's intensely loyal. And I was delighted with his pet Shan, a (sort of) tame wildcat, because Sutcliff was definitely a dog person, and cats are all too often despised because they're associated with femininity.
MotHL is set several decades later in the second century CE than EOT9 is, but it's not part of the Dolphin Ring Cycle. (Apparently Marcus's and Cottia's sons or, if they'd come of age by then, grandsons hadn't left southern England by that point.) I was amused to see a commander of the Frontier Wolves named Hilarion make an appearance. FW wouldn't be published for another 17 years… Sutcliff recycled names a lot, but I guess she really liked that name in particular for the Wolves.
If I end up writing any fic in this fandom, I suspect it'll be het: Phaedrus/Murna, and/or post-book Conory/Murna. I'm a little surprised to see very little fic for it out there, even though I realize it's a tiny, tiny fandom.
As sad as the ending is, I didn't find it tragic, as I did The Lantern Bearers despite its note of hope at the end. Phaedrus has, as Sutcliff writes, grown into his kingship, and as Lord of the Dalriadans he is called upon to sacrifice himself for the greater good of his tribe — including the son he will never see. As a gladiator, he was always aware that he might not live out the day anyway; now, at least, his death is a meaningful one.
When Phaedrus and Midir first met, I was ready for the novel to be another "Lost Prince" tale, in which it was ultimately revealed that Phaedrus's late mother Essylt was royal Dalriadan kin taken captive in wartime. Leaving aside the fact that such a matrilineal claim to the throne would have made things more complicated, I'm glad Sutcliff didn't take that path. The story as written is considerably more complex and engaging, not least because kingship is not portrayed as a matter of having "the right" bloodline. (I love the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, but... really.) Judging from the childhood incident with Murna's pet otter, it's quite possible that Phaedrus made a much better king than Midir himself would have. Conversely, even Midir himself does not despise his own skill as a leatherworker; he holds it in high regard, as he should, despite how bitter he is at his lot in life.
(I could be better acquainted with Irish myth than I am; I didn't realize the name "Midir" is from the Mythological Cycle. Interestingly, the mythological character's beloved, Étaín, was identified by a prominent Celtic scholar as a sun goddess. On a discussion board I've seen a reference to "the story of Mídir and Liadán,", but I can't find any more information on it.)
There's a fair amount of internalized misogyny in Sutcliff's novels. MotHL is only the fourth I've read to date, but the initial description of Liadhan's character, along with that of the mother-goddess faith of the Caledones, are as strong examples of said misogyny as I've seen so far. So the character of Murna, and the fighting women of the Dalriadans (and of the Caledones) in general, were pleasant surprises. Certainly, it's telling that Sutcliff respected women only if they were warriors, but the treatment of women in MotHL is still better than that of women in, say, Frontier Wolf (which I liked very much otherwise). Also, Murna's description of her mother as emotionally abusive to everyone she "loved" helped shift Liadhan, for me anyway, out of the two-dimensional archetype of man-devouring female evil. Not a flattering portrait but a more-human one.
Conory was a pleasant surprise as well. Placidus in Eagle of the Ninth is a despised character not only because he's an ass but because he's somewhat effeminate. I cringed when Sutcliff initially described Conory as something of a dandy, because I thought she would make him into the same type. Nope: As she writes later, he's an effective sword in an elaborate silk scabbard, and he's intensely loyal. And I was delighted with his pet Shan, a (sort of) tame wildcat, because Sutcliff was definitely a dog person, and cats are all too often despised because they're associated with femininity.
MotHL is set several decades later in the second century CE than EOT9 is, but it's not part of the Dolphin Ring Cycle. (Apparently Marcus's and Cottia's sons or, if they'd come of age by then, grandsons hadn't left southern England by that point.) I was amused to see a commander of the Frontier Wolves named Hilarion make an appearance. FW wouldn't be published for another 17 years… Sutcliff recycled names a lot, but I guess she really liked that name in particular for the Wolves.
If I end up writing any fic in this fandom, I suspect it'll be het: Phaedrus/Murna, and/or post-book Conory/Murna. I'm a little surprised to see very little fic for it out there, even though I realize it's a tiny, tiny fandom.