Celestial Connections: Faith and Religion in The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Bauer, Nina (2024)
Bauer, Nina
2024
Englannin kielen, kirjallisuuden ja kääntämisen kandidaattiohjelma - Bachelor's Programme in English Language, Literature and Translation
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2024-10-01
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202409058561
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202409058561
Tiivistelmä
This thesis examines how religion and characters’ relationships to it are depicted in the book The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. Both religion, understood as the edicts of organized worship, and faith, understood as the beliefs and practices of individuals, are very much present in the text. Therefore, the key questions deal with how religion and faith influence the different characters and in connection to that, what the role of community in their lives is. Do those provide support and succour, or only restrictions and ostracism? How do these things influence the formation of identity?
Lions is a historical fantasy novel taking place in a fantasy version of Spain in the Middle Ages, where the three religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism are represented by their fantasy counterparts. As the genre is a rather distinctive one, the analysis will begin by defining it and discussing how the choice of fantasy instead of regular historical fiction makes the narrative more universal. While examining how the fantasy elements relate to real history it is noted that there are clear parallels to historical events and persons, but the timeline of the novel is constricted to focus on the personal growth and tragedy of the characters. This is an example of how the use of fantasy frees the author to shape the narrative to their needs.
The theory of Othering is introduced to help interpret the sociological patterns present in the text. “Othering” is a process whereby humans define themselves, or their society, in relation to the “Other” which is abnormal and undesirable. The different communities and groups present in the novel often exhibit this behaviour but many characters also actively defy it.
To answer how identity intertwines with belief, the three religions of this world are discussed in depth, comparing them both to one another and to their real-world counterparts. After establishing these the focus moves to religious conflict and how it is represented. Last the relationships between individual characters and communities they either belong to or come to contact with are analysed.
The analysis reveals religion not to be that significant in the characters’ lives in terms of faith or even as a builder of community. It is shown more often as a basis for prosecution or an excuse for political ambition, than as a positive force. Instead, secular virtues emerge as a theme as well as the importance of seeing other people as individuals, not just as representatives of a group. The idea of choice is recurring. Tragedy occurs when characters perceive themselves as having no choice and, in contrast, making the right choices can lead to personal growth and happiness. Thus, while the novel is not strictly anti-religion, it certainly is highly critical of religion and the ways it contributes to human suffering.
Lions is a historical fantasy novel taking place in a fantasy version of Spain in the Middle Ages, where the three religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism are represented by their fantasy counterparts. As the genre is a rather distinctive one, the analysis will begin by defining it and discussing how the choice of fantasy instead of regular historical fiction makes the narrative more universal. While examining how the fantasy elements relate to real history it is noted that there are clear parallels to historical events and persons, but the timeline of the novel is constricted to focus on the personal growth and tragedy of the characters. This is an example of how the use of fantasy frees the author to shape the narrative to their needs.
The theory of Othering is introduced to help interpret the sociological patterns present in the text. “Othering” is a process whereby humans define themselves, or their society, in relation to the “Other” which is abnormal and undesirable. The different communities and groups present in the novel often exhibit this behaviour but many characters also actively defy it.
To answer how identity intertwines with belief, the three religions of this world are discussed in depth, comparing them both to one another and to their real-world counterparts. After establishing these the focus moves to religious conflict and how it is represented. Last the relationships between individual characters and communities they either belong to or come to contact with are analysed.
The analysis reveals religion not to be that significant in the characters’ lives in terms of faith or even as a builder of community. It is shown more often as a basis for prosecution or an excuse for political ambition, than as a positive force. Instead, secular virtues emerge as a theme as well as the importance of seeing other people as individuals, not just as representatives of a group. The idea of choice is recurring. Tragedy occurs when characters perceive themselves as having no choice and, in contrast, making the right choices can lead to personal growth and happiness. Thus, while the novel is not strictly anti-religion, it certainly is highly critical of religion and the ways it contributes to human suffering.
Kokoelmat
- Kandidaatintutkielmat [8709]