Lord Foul’s Bane
Chapter 19: Nineteen: Ringthane’s Choice
by Donaldson, Stephen R.The chapter opens with the Ramen Cord Rustah explaining their customs regarding the disposal of dead Ranyhyn renders, leaving them for vultures to avoid burial or pyres that might harm the Plains. The company camps a league away to escape the scent of death, but Covenant sleeps poorly, tormented by physical and emotional anguish. His leprosy leaves him feeling hollow and desperate for answers, yet he finds no solace in the green embroidery on his robe or the surrounding beauty of the Plains. Despite his exhaustion, he rides onward, his grief locked inside, unable to express the passion simmering within him.
The Plains’ vibrant energy contrasts sharply with Covenant’s inner turmoil. The Ranyhyn gallop freely, inspiring the Ramen to sing a tribute to their majesty and service. The song celebrates the bond between the Ramen and the Ranyhyn, emphasizing their roles as protectors and caretakers. Even Pietten, Foamfollower’s charge, stirs with longing at the sight of the horses. Prothall and Mhoram relax, sensing safety, while Covenant’s tears flow unnoticed, his emotions walled off by his suffering. The sun’s heat disorients him, and he drifts into a feverish dream, further alienating him from the Land’s vitality.
As the company nears the mountains, Covenant dreads the impending encounter at Manhome, where he fears the Ramen’s reverence for his white gold ring will pressure him to ride a Ranyhyn—a prospect he finds unimaginable. The mountains’ rugged impenetrability offers him a perverse comfort, shielding him from unseen horrors. The group arrives at Manhome by evening, a stark, communal cave dwelling where the Ramen’s Winhomes greet them with flower bands. Covenant’s band, woven from amanibhavam, triggers a violent physical reaction, intensifying his hunger and despair.
The chapter closes with Covenant’s visceral struggle against the flower’s scent, which exacerbates his torment. The Ramen girl’s awe contrasts with his agony, highlighting his isolation. The amanibhavam’s tang overwhelms him, symbolizing the Land’s beauty and power—forces he cannot reconcile with his leprosy or his fractured sense of self. His tears and retching underscore the tragic divide between his role as Ringthane and his inability to embrace the Land’s gifts, leaving him trapped in a cycle of suffering and alienation.
FAQs
1. What is the Ramen custom regarding dead renders of the Ranyhyn, and what practical reasons support this tradition?
Answer:
According to Cord Rustah, the Ramen leave dead renders of the Ranyhyn for vultures rather than burying them or burning them on pyres. This custom stems from two practical considerations: first, the Ramen see no reason to honor kresh (the predatory creatures that attack Ranyhyn) or to “affront the earth” by burying them. Second, pyres pose a fire hazard on the dry Plains of Ra. The company is led a league away to camp, ensuring the horses aren’t unsettled by the scent of death. This reflects the Ramen’s deep respect for the Ranyhyn and their careful stewardship of the Plains’ ecosystem.2. Analyze Covenant’s physical and emotional state in this chapter. How does it contrast with the environment around him?
Answer:
Covenant is in severe physical distress, suffering from hunger, the effects of poison (amanibhavam), and his leprosy. He sleeps fitfully, feels “ineffectual,” and is overwhelmed by uncontrollable tears—though he insists he isn’t weeping. Emotionally, he is empty, passionless, and detached, described as “cold ash.” This starkly contrasts with the vibrant, cheerful environment: sunny skies, warm breezes, and the energetic Ranyhyn, whose presence invigorates the rest of the company. The dissonance highlights Covenant’s alienation from the Land’s beauty and the others’ joy, emphasizing his internal struggle and isolation.3. What symbolic significance do the Ranyhyn hold for the Ramen, as reflected in their song?
Answer:
The Ranyhyn are revered as “the marrow of the earth” and embodiments of the Land’s vitality. The Ramen’s song celebrates their freedom (“no rein will curb”), resilience (“no claw or fang unpunished rend”), and connection to nature (“grass-grown hooves”). The Ramen view themselves as eternal servants to these horses, tending to them as “Manethrall curry, Cord protect, Winhome hearth.” The Ranyhyn represent an untamed, sacred force—the “Tail of the Sky, Mane of the World”—that transcends human control. This reflects the Ramen’s cultural identity and their role as stewards of a power greater than themselves.4. How does the description of Manhome reflect the Ramen’s way of life and values?
Answer:
Manhome is austere and functional, carved into a cliff face with minimal alteration to the stone, emphasizing the Ramen’s nomadic ethos and reverence for nature. The cave shelters communal spaces (fires, dancing grounds) and family tents, but its simplicity underscores that it’s merely a “centre” for their roaming lifestyle. The lack of permanent wear suggests the Ramen prioritize mobility and their bond with the Plains over comfort or settlement. This aligns with their identity as a people who live lightly on the land, devoted to the Ranyhyn and the open sky.5. Why might Covenant dread the prospect of being offered a Ranyhyn, and what does this reveal about his conflict?
Answer:
Covenant fears the Ranyhyn because they embody the Land’s Earthpower—a reality he resists accepting due to his leprosy and disbelief. Riding one would force him to confront the Land’s authenticity, which threatens his psychological defenses. The chapter notes he cannot even imagine himself atop a Ranyhyn, as they “quintessence” the Land, unlike his sterile, disease-ridden world. Additionally, the offer stems from respect for his white gold ring, a symbol he views as fraudulent. His dread reveals his core conflict: embracing the Land’s beauty risks undermining his survival strategy of denial.
Quotes
1. “Covenant slept fitfully, as if he lay with the point of a spike against his stomach; and when the dawn came, he felt as ineffectual as if he had spent the night trying to counterpunch hunger.”
This quote vividly captures Covenant’s physical and emotional torment, illustrating his struggle with both leprosy and his role in the Land. The visceral imagery underscores his sense of powerlessness and foreshadows his ongoing internal conflict.
2. “Run, Ranyhyn: gallop, play—feed, and drink, and coat-gloss gleam. You are the marrow of the earth.”
The Ramen’s song to the Ranyhyn encapsulates their reverence for these majestic horses, which symbolize the life force of the Land itself. This poetic passage highlights the deep connection between the Ramen and the Ranyhyn, central to the chapter’s themes of service and harmony with nature.
3. “He felt charged with passion, but could not let it out. The grief of his leprosy did not permit any such release.”
This quote poignantly expresses Covenant’s emotional paralysis, torn between his growing feelings for the Land and his leper’s discipline of numbness. It represents a key psychological tension that defines his character throughout the story.
4. “Manhome was only a centre, a beginning for the Plains-roaming of a nomadic people. The whole place seemed austere, as if generations of Ramen had not worn a welcome for themselves in the stone.”
This description of Manhome reveals the Ramen’s transient yet profound relationship with their environment. The passage illustrates their philosophy of existing in harmony with nature without seeking to dominate or permanently alter it.
5. “Their smell staggered him, and he nearly retched. The band was woven of amanibhavam. Its tang burned his nose like acid, made him so hungry that he felt about to vomit chunks of emptiness.”
This intense sensory experience represents Covenant’s painful duality - the amanibhavam both connects him to the Land’s power and exacerbates his leper’s alienation. The passage marks a crucial moment where Covenant’s physical and spiritual struggles violently intersect.