Runemarks
Encyclopedia
Runemarks is a children's
fantasy novel by Joanne Harris
, first published in 2007. In it Odin
, Loki
, Thor
and the other Norse
gods come to life.
world in which the Norse Gods have been stamped out of the history by the Order, an austere, puritanical regime, all mention of magic and the old legends is banned. The story begins with Maddy, now a teenager, working as a drudge in the local inn, discovering that goblins have got into the cellar again. Despite the fact that magic has been banned, the villagers occasionally find Maddy's latent magical ability useful, and dispensing with marauding goblins is one of those uses.
From this opening scene, the author leads the reader through a sequence of flash-backs, which illustrate Maddy's childhood, largely unhappy, until she met an old traveller, known as One-Eye (a much weakened Odin), who starts to teach her about the Runes, their meaning and their power. At the same time, he tells Maddy - and therefore the reader - some of the main Old Norse legends and the main characters, the Vanir
and the Aesir and the events leading up to the battle of Ragnarok.
Once the background is established, Odin then embroils Maddy in a quest to find and ancient treasure which is buried deep beneath the local hill, Red Horse Hill, which is suspected locally to be the source of the marauding goblins. Together they open the sealed entrance hidden beneath the ancient hill carving of a running horse and start the adventure which will lead to encounters with many of the most famous Norse Gods (such as Loki
, Thor
, Skadi, Mimir
, Frigg
, Hel
) and then to a confrontation with the Order and a new final battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.
In some ways the book reads like a classic fantasy quest, battle of good against evil, with a teenage heroine and a "race against time" to save the world - which Maddy and her allies do. However, the setting of the Norse legends is not often used for children's and YA fantasy and the way in which the author has attempted to capture the character of the squabbling between the gods and other characters such as the goblins introduces a strong strand of humour.
And that might have been that, had it not been for the fact that Joanne has a daughter. One day, she dragged Witchlight out of a drawer to read to her. Her daughter loved the story, so Joanne started writing a new story, and read it to her, chapter by chapter. That story became Runemarks.
) and the New Script (Younger Futhark
). Runes are symbols that were used in divination and believed to hold divine significance to the Germanic peoples that used them, as well as corresponding with sounds to make a legible script with out divine significance, much like the Roman Alphabet used in Western Europe and the Americas.
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
fantasy novel by Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris
Joanne Michèle Sylvie Harris is a British author.Biography=Born to a French mother and an English father in her grandparents' sweet shop, her family life was filled with food and folklore. Her great-grandmother had an odd reputation and enjoyed letting the gullible think she was a witch and healer...
, first published in 2007. In it Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
, Loki
Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
, Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
and the other Norse
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
gods come to life.
Description
Maddy, the central character in the novel is a loner. She was born with a rust-coloured runemark on her left hand, which sets her apart from the other villagers. Animals born with runemarks are normally regarded as deformed and are routinely slaughtered. Maddy, being human, was spared, but is widely regarded with suspicion by the other villagers. Set in a post-RagnarokRagnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
world in which the Norse Gods have been stamped out of the history by the Order, an austere, puritanical regime, all mention of magic and the old legends is banned. The story begins with Maddy, now a teenager, working as a drudge in the local inn, discovering that goblins have got into the cellar again. Despite the fact that magic has been banned, the villagers occasionally find Maddy's latent magical ability useful, and dispensing with marauding goblins is one of those uses.
From this opening scene, the author leads the reader through a sequence of flash-backs, which illustrate Maddy's childhood, largely unhappy, until she met an old traveller, known as One-Eye (a much weakened Odin), who starts to teach her about the Runes, their meaning and their power. At the same time, he tells Maddy - and therefore the reader - some of the main Old Norse legends and the main characters, the Vanir
Vanir
In Norse mythology, the Vanir are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr . After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir...
and the Aesir and the events leading up to the battle of Ragnarok.
Once the background is established, Odin then embroils Maddy in a quest to find and ancient treasure which is buried deep beneath the local hill, Red Horse Hill, which is suspected locally to be the source of the marauding goblins. Together they open the sealed entrance hidden beneath the ancient hill carving of a running horse and start the adventure which will lead to encounters with many of the most famous Norse Gods (such as Loki
Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
, Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
, Skadi, Mimir
Mímir
Mímir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology renowned for his knowledge and wisdom who is beheaded during the Æsir-Vanir War...
, Frigg
Frigg
Frigg is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. She is said to be the wife of Odin, and is the "foremost among the goddesses" and the queen of Asgard. Frigg appears primarily in Norse mythological stories as a wife and a mother. She is also described as having the power...
, Hel
Hel
Hel may refer to:* Hel , a location in Norse mythology* Hel , ruler of Hel, the location* Hel , a Swedish Viking rock band* Hel, Poland, a town on the Polish Baltic coast* Hel Peninsula, the peninsula on which the town is situated...
) and then to a confrontation with the Order and a new final battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.
In some ways the book reads like a classic fantasy quest, battle of good against evil, with a teenage heroine and a "race against time" to save the world - which Maddy and her allies do. However, the setting of the Norse legends is not often used for children's and YA fantasy and the way in which the author has attempted to capture the character of the squabbling between the gods and other characters such as the goblins introduces a strong strand of humour.
Background
Joanne Harris loved reading the Norse legends as a child. She says that she found them more attractive than the Greeks and the Romans, "funnier,more human and hugely more dramatic". Runemarks is based loosely upon the first novel she wrote, aged 19, which was called Witchlight, a hugely sprawling 1000 page monster of a story, which was rejected by every publisher. She carried on writing about the Norse Gods, creating a post Ragnarok world in which they played out their adventures. And then she moved onto other things, other books and became the bestselling author of Chocolat, Gentlemen and Players amongst others and, most recently The Lollipop Shoes (2007).And that might have been that, had it not been for the fact that Joanne has a daughter. One day, she dragged Witchlight out of a drawer to read to her. Her daughter loved the story, so Joanne started writing a new story, and read it to her, chapter by chapter. That story became Runemarks.
The Runes
In Runemarks, Joanne Harris uses the Runes of the Elder Script (Elder FutharkElder Futhark
The Elder Futhark is the oldest form of the runic alphabet, used by Germanic tribes for Northwest Germanic and Migration period Germanic dialects of the 2nd to 8th centuries for inscriptions on artifacts such as jewellery, amulets, tools, weapons and runestones...
) and the New Script (Younger Futhark
Younger Futhark
The Younger Futhark, also called Scandinavian runes, is a runic alphabet, a reduced form of the Elder Futhark, consisting of only 16 characters, in use from ca. 800 CE...
). Runes are symbols that were used in divination and believed to hold divine significance to the Germanic peoples that used them, as well as corresponding with sounds to make a legible script with out divine significance, much like the Roman Alphabet used in Western Europe and the Americas.