Podcast
Questions and Answers
When and where does the story take place?
When and where does the story take place?
Post Arthurian Britain
Where do Axl and Beatrice live?
Where do Axl and Beatrice live?
A warren
What is a main characteristic of a warren?
What is a main characteristic of a warren?
A village carved into a hillside
Axl and Beatrice are forbidden the right to have a ____________ in their room.
Axl and Beatrice are forbidden the right to have a ____________ in their room.
What does Axl notice about the people in the village? Give two examples of things that support this.
What does Axl notice about the people in the village? Give two examples of things that support this.
After talking with a strange woman in black rags, what does Beatrice want to do?
After talking with a strange woman in black rags, what does Beatrice want to do?
What is the couple's first stop on their journey?
What is the couple's first stop on their journey?
Who do they meet at their first stop?
Who do they meet at their first stop?
What does the Old Woman tell them?
What does the Old Woman tell them?
What does the Boatman tell them?
What does the Boatman tell them?
What is happening at the Saxon village that they arrive at on their second stop?
What is happening at the Saxon village that they arrive at on their second stop?
Who arrives at the Saxon village the night of Axl and Beatrice's arrival?
Who arrives at the Saxon village the night of Axl and Beatrice's arrival?
When Wistan brings Edwin back safely, what do the villagers find on him that makes them want to kill him?
When Wistan brings Edwin back safely, what do the villagers find on him that makes them want to kill him?
Who does Beatrice see at the Saxon village? Where do they intend to go next?
Who does Beatrice see at the Saxon village? Where do they intend to go next?
What does Wistan do with Edwin?
What does Wistan do with Edwin?
While on the way to the monastery, how does the group evade a guard of Lord Brennus?
While on the way to the monastery, how does the group evade a guard of Lord Brennus?
Who does the group meet along the way to the monastery?
Who does the group meet along the way to the monastery?
Who does Wistan kill that confronts the group?
Who does Wistan kill that confronts the group?
When they arrive at the monastery, what does Wistan notice about the place?
When they arrive at the monastery, what does Wistan notice about the place?
What does Jonus tell the group?
What does Jonus tell the group?
Who alerts Brennus' soldiers of Wistan and Edwin's residence at the monastery?
Who alerts Brennus' soldiers of Wistan and Edwin's residence at the monastery?
While the soldiers attacked the monastery, a monk leads Axl, Beatrice, and Edwin to an escape tunnel. Who do they meet in the tunnel?
While the soldiers attacked the monastery, a monk leads Axl, Beatrice, and Edwin to an escape tunnel. Who do they meet in the tunnel?
What does Gawain do while in the tunnel?
What does Gawain do while in the tunnel?
What does Gawain reveal about Edwin's wound?
What does Gawain reveal about Edwin's wound?
What was significant about the dragon wound?
What was significant about the dragon wound?
What does Edwin do after the couple escapes from the tunnel?
What does Edwin do after the couple escapes from the tunnel?
How does Wistan escape the monastery?
How does Wistan escape the monastery?
How do Axl and Beatrice resume travel after their escape?
How do Axl and Beatrice resume travel after their escape?
Who casts a spell on Querig? Who disagreed with this?
Who casts a spell on Querig? Who disagreed with this?
What happens while Axl and Beatrice are traveling by water?
What happens while Axl and Beatrice are traveling by water?
While making their way to the mountains, Axl and Beatrice encounter a young girl and her brothers. What does the girl ask them to do?
While making their way to the mountains, Axl and Beatrice encounter a young girl and her brothers. What does the girl ask them to do?
Who do they meet on the way to the Giant's cairn (where they will place the goat)?
Who do they meet on the way to the Giant's cairn (where they will place the goat)?
At the Giant's Cairn, Wistan and Edwin catch up to the group. What does Gawain admit? What does he reluctantly do?
At the Giant's Cairn, Wistan and Edwin catch up to the group. What does Gawain admit? What does he reluctantly do?
Why does Gawain protect Querig?
Why does Gawain protect Querig?
Who wins the duel between Wistan and Gawain?
Who wins the duel between Wistan and Gawain?
What does Wistan do after the duel?
What does Wistan do after the duel?
What is Querig's physical state of being before being killed?
What is Querig's physical state of being before being killed?
What does Wistan intend to do with Edwin?
What does Wistan intend to do with Edwin?
What will soon break out across Britain?
What will soon break out across Britain?
What is the Buried Giant?
What is the Buried Giant?
What do Axl and Beatrice worry about the mist being lifted?
What do Axl and Beatrice worry about the mist being lifted?
What happened to Axl and Beatrice's son?
What happened to Axl and Beatrice's son?
Where does the couple need to go to see their son's grave?
Where does the couple need to go to see their son's grave?
What must the couple tell the boatman?
What must the couple tell the boatman?
What does the Boatman say?
What does the Boatman say?
Does Axl get to go to the island?
Does Axl get to go to the island?
What was the name of Gawain's horse?
What was the name of Gawain's horse?
Who was the silent monk?
Who was the silent monk?
Who is the Saxon elder they meet in Edwin's village?
Who is the Saxon elder they meet in Edwin's village?
Where can one find an ogre?
Where can one find an ogre?
Who most closely resembles Dan Mead?
Who most closely resembles Dan Mead?
How did Axl know Gawain?
How did Axl know Gawain?
Study Notes
Setting and Characters
- The story unfolds in post-Arthurian Britain, a mythical period following King Arthur's reign.
- Axl and Beatrice reside in a warren, a hillside village designed for protection and community.
- Key figures include Axl, Beatrice, Master Wistan, Sir Gawain, Edwin, and various mystical beings.
Narrative Journey
- Axl and Beatrice are initially characterized by their struggle with memory loss, highlighted by their forgetting of significant people, such as a red-haired woman and their missing child, Marta.
- Beatrice is motivated to find their son after a conversation with a mysterious woman, propelling the couple on their journey.
- Their first notable encounter is at a rundown Roman villa with an old woman and a boatman who establish the necessity of proving love through shared memories to cross to an island.
Encounters and Conflicts
- In a Saxon village, the couple witnesses ogres attacking, resulting in the abduction of a boy named Edwin.
- Master Wistan emerges as a protective figure, suggesting Axl and Beatrice take Edwin to safety.
- Tensions rise as Wistan faces a guard while they attempt to escape Lord Brennus’s soldiers with the clever ruse of masquerading as Axl and Beatrice's enslaved companions.
Intriguing Revelations
- Gawain, a knight tasked with slaying the dragon Querig, intersects their journey, eventually revealing his role as the guardian of Querig, whose breath induces forgetfulness.
- The existence of the dragon's wound on Edwin suggests he can help locate Querig, intertwining their fates.
Climactic Confrontation
- A crucial duel between Wistan and Gawain results in Wistan's victory, yet it leads to the killing of Querig, an event that symbolizes the end of enforced peace due to forgetfulness.
- Wistan's intention to mold Edwin into a vengeful warrior foreshadows impending conflict across Britain.
Symbolism and Themes
- The Buried Giant serves as a metaphor representing suppressed memories and unresolved issues that resurface.
- Axl and Beatrice's anxieties about confronting their past highlight the fragility of human relationships and the fear of lost memories.
- The narrative warns of the inevitable return of war, echoing the cyclical nature of violence and conflict in society.
Conclusions and Uncertainties
- The mystery of whether Axl will join Beatrice on the island to see their son’s grave leaves readers contemplating the strength of love amidst trials.
- The open-ended conclusion emphasizes themes of remembrance, loss, and the complexities of human connections.
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Description
Explore the narrative journey of Axl and Beatrice in a post-Arthurian Britain. This quiz delves into their struggles with memory loss, encounters with mystical beings, and their quest to find their missing son, Marta. Test your knowledge on key characters and themes in this mythical tale.
