[Calmerwater]

An owl appears throughout the series, and most recently I've witnessed it in RG... now, I think that someone, somewhere knows what the meaning is of the Owl - I am sure it was in a SE Q&A a while back, but whilst it says that the person was right about the owl.... it doesn't say what the Owl MEANS!!!!

So, any ideas?!

[Traveller]

RG spoilers.... The owl is used as, iirc,

Spoiler

an omen of Trulls death. It first appears in the first scene featuring Trull, on his way back with news of the seal harvest. There are then several appearances, one of the most significant being the dead one on Seren Padacs floor when she gets home.

Bottle's vision while dreaming has him mumbling about someone 'never seeing the owl...' referring to the moment later on in the arena, when Trull is crouching with Rhulad, and Sirryn Kanar is creeping up on him. An owl flies across, and its shadow would have given away his approaching killer but for a 'nudge' from the Errant - so instead he doesn't notice, which results in his death.

"There was that one moment when a shadow had flitted across the sand - a damned owl, of all things - but the fool had not noticed."

This post has been edited by Traveller: 18 August 2011 - 07:09 AM

[Held]

Wow, I read all of the books and wondered if the occasional owl had significance. Thanks.

[hansebee]

thank you! In my mind I had confused the owl with the white crow that had appeared to Udinaas, but that was a portent to Silchas' appearance as we learn when he taunts the White Crow with it.




wasn't there a scene with an owl in the woods the Bonehunter hit&run squads roamed on their way to Letheras? Something about Bottle taking control of it like a CCTV or something?

[ForkassalOfTheInnerCircle]

hansebee, on 28 September 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

thank you! In my mind I had confused the owl with the white crow that had appeared to Udinaas, but that was a portent to Silchas' appearance as we learn when he taunts the White Crow with it.




wasn't there a scene with an owl in the woods the Bonehunter hit&run squads roamed on their way to Letheras? Something about Bottle taking control of it like a CCTV or something?

Yeah, he was stating that owls are stupid, even as far as birds go, and complained about it not looking the way he wanted it to. It was when the some squads of the marines were getting drunk in the tavern in that village close the Letheras, and the Edur were closing in on them from the woods.

[Traveller]

I think I finally found the lines that better explain the appearances and significance of the owl throughout Midnight Tides and Reapers Gale. Its a symbol rather than an omen - it is the sign of the Mortal Sword of Shadow, ie Trull Sengar. It makes several appearances in association with Trull, I always thought of it as a bad omen, but these two events, not too far apart, in RG, kind of confirm its actual meaning.

The first is from Hannan Mossag...

'The shadow of a gliding owl slipped over the glistening slide, crossing his intended path, and Hannan Mosag froze. No. It cannot be. There is no-one alive to claim that title. He is dead. He was not even Tiste Edur! And yet, who stood alone before Rhulad Sengar? Yes, she has his severed finger. The owl – most ancient of omens – the owl, to mark the coming of the one."

Ok he's talking about Brys, but I believe he's mistaken. He knows the owl marks the coming of 'the one,' but at this point he thinks of Brys as he defeated Rhulad.

While, in another realm, QB, Onrack and Trull are travelling together...

‘I hate it when everyone knows more than me.’ Then he snorted. ‘Mind you, my company consists of a mage and an undead, so I suppose it’s no surprise I falter in comparison.’ ‘Falter?’ Onrack’s neck creaked loud as the warrior turned to regard the Tiste Edur. ‘Trull Sengar, you are the Knight of Shadow.’

That is of course if the Mortal Sword/Knight of Shadow are one and the same, anyway. It's just one of those details that gets noticed on a reread, doesn't amount to a huge deal, but is a solid thread throughout Trulls story. Id never noticed the scene with Hannan Mossag before though, which kind of ties it together. There's even a dead owl on the floor when Seren returns to her house.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 14 July 2020 - 10:17 AM