#belgarion

[theycallmebabycakes]

[littlesparklight]

Since I was adding a little more to my always-a-girl!Garion femslash AU of The Belgariad earlier this month, I was once again confronted by how I look at the text differently now from when I was younger.

(I mean, aside from noticing all the Really Unfortunate Racism baked in, but that one I realized ages ago.)

When I was younger, I never once thought much about how Garion is presented as overreacting about his powers, Polgara's relationship to him, and all that. Like, the text, while at times sympathetic, is firmly on the side of "Garion needs to grow up this isn't that big of a deal".

And like, all I've been able to think about while skimming through sections of the first four books is that... I just don't agree. Garion deserves so much better than he's given, my god.

That boy is 14 to 16 during the length of the first five books, and - just. Hello???

Polgara first upends his existence back in the first book, when Captain Brendig catches up to them. She gives him no heads up before hand, no check in after - and he finds out (via eavesdropping, yes, naughty naughty, but still, they never directly tell him and what this means for his relationship to them!) who they are a little later. And all he basically gets told is "this isn't a big deal, your aunt and I are who we are and that's not any different from before, now is it?"

Except it is! Neither Belgarath or Polgara bother - before it comes to even the first of several heads - to straighten things out! And what's worse, considering I only got more fond of Garion and Polgara's relationship in my skimming is that... Polagara and Garion never really have a talk to clear anything up and out. He is made to apologize several times (and he should), but she never does, they never talk more than briefly and not about THEM, really.

Meanwhile, Belgarath and Garion have several emotionally important relationships - and I do like them. But the lack, then, of something similar, between Garion and the woman who definitely is his adoptive mother, stands out.

He kills Chamdar in a really unsettling way, and we do not get any conversation between them where she actually shows any sympathy or support. The there's the whole slave rescue in Nyissa, and Garion blowing up.

And I can't even say I don't understand, exactly, where he's coming from. Given the previous instances - is it strange that a fifteen year old, yanked about as he's been and not getting any good explanations at any point (especially for things relating to himself and his relationship to her), calls Polgara aloof and cruel and inhuman? In her relationship to him, past leaving Faldor's Farm, what we're seeing in moments of crises for Garion, when he'd both needs and deserves some actual adult and familial support, he does not get it! And worse, he gets no understanding, either by other characters or the text itself, basically

It's so deeply frustrating (and yes, I am going to partially redress that lol).

[mellowmagpie]

the beglariad inspired dungeon synth album is straight bangers

[moosehorn]

The belgariad and the malloreon have been and always will be my favourite book series

[blackrigante]

Belgariad question for fans.

Reading the Belgariad from Pawn of Prophecy to Polgara the Sorceress I have an interesting question for fans.

First off Belgarath hints to the fact that the miner they ran into in Gar og Nadrak is Aldur when you read Belgarath the Sorcerer. In King of the Murgos we also are first introduced to how events repeat themselves over and over till the event happens. Fast forward to when the party is moving to Kell there is a repeat of events.

They are warned by a guy not to kill in the forests of Kell and Garion, Belgarath and Beldin discuss the reoccurring events theory and how this relates to the miner in Gar og Nadrak, if the miner was one of the seven gods that made the world, who came to warn the party?

I will assume it's not Aldur as he was involved last time, Belar I don't think would as he put enmity on the children of Torak and this was in Angarak lands. Mara is to busy looking after his surviving daughter Taiba and her children. Issa is most likely sleeping again, so that leaves only two, maybe three. Nedra or Chaldan are what remains of the gods who spun the world. UL could have warned them too, but he was already observing things as an albatross so I doubt he would pull double duty.

My gut feeling is the god who warned everyone is Nedra. If the people take after their god, as many have then Chaldan is to formal and aggressive to be the choice. What does everyone else think?

[scrumptiousdragons]

Belgarion doubts that a king would be in a dingy bar but like dude you are in that dingy bar. If you are there whats to say the king of the country wouldn't also be there.

[sokarum]

[alice-blogs-things]

Incorrect Belgariad Quotes

Belgarath: What's in your pack, Silk?

Silk: Vodka.

Garion: You've brought an entire pack full of vodka?

Silk: Of course not! There's mixers as well, I'm not a savage. *pauses* You can mix vodka with wine, right?