Post-Arthurian Britain: Quest for Memory
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Questions and Answers

When and where does the story take place?

Post Arthurian Britain

Where do Axl and Beatrice live?

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.

<p>candle</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Axl notice about the people in the village? Give two examples of things that support this.

<p>They forget things. Examples are how they forgot the red-haired woman and how they forgot about a missing child, Marta.</p> Signup and view all the answers

After talking with a strange woman in black rags, what does Beatrice want to do?

<p>Set off to see their son's village</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the couple's first stop on their journey?

<p>The run-down Roman villa</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who do they meet at their first stop?

<p>Old woman and the Boatman</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Old Woman tell them?

<p>That she wasn't allowed to go with her husband to an island and was forbidden by the boatman.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Boatman tell them?

<p>That in order to enter the island together, they both must be able to share their best memories to prove their love for one another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is happening at the Saxon village that they arrive at on their second stop?

<p>Two strange ogres kill two men and abduct a boy, Edwin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who arrives at the Saxon village the night of Axl and Beatrice's arrival?

<p>Master Wistan, a visiting Saxon warrior from the Fenlands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When Wistan brings Edwin back safely, what do the villagers find on him that makes them want to kill him?

<p>An ogre bite</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who does Beatrice see at the Saxon village? Where do they intend to go next?

<p>A medicine woman; a nearby monastery to see the wise monk Jonus.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Wistan do with Edwin?

<p>He proposes that Axl and Beatrice take him to their son's village. He agrees to journey with them to the monastery.</p> Signup and view all the answers

While on the way to the monastery, how does the group evade a guard of Lord Brennus?

<p>By Wistan and Edwin pretending to be Axl and Beatrice's slaves.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who does the group meet along the way to the monastery?

<p>Sir Gawain, a knight of Arthur tasked with slaying the dragon Querig.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who does Wistan kill that confronts the group?

<p>The guard</p> Signup and view all the answers

When they arrive at the monastery, what does Wistan notice about the place?

<p>That it was a former Saxon battlefort.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Jonus tell the group?

<p>That Querig is the cause of the mist.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who alerts Brennus' soldiers of Wistan and Edwin's residence at the monastery?

<p>Gawain</p> Signup and view all the answers

While the soldiers attacked the monastery, a monk leads Axl, Beatrice, and Edwin to an escape tunnel. Who do they meet in the tunnel?

<p>Gawain</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Gawain do while in the tunnel?

<p>Kill a beast that was intended to kill Axl, Beatrice, and Edwin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Gawain reveal about Edwin's wound?

<p>It is actually a dragon wound.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was significant about the dragon wound?

<p>It would allow Wistan to find Querig by using Edwin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Edwin do after the couple escapes from the tunnel?

<p>Runs off to Wistan.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does Wistan escape the monastery?

<p>He uses part of the structure as a trap against the soldiers and was saved by a faction of the monks led by Jonus.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do Axl and Beatrice resume travel after their escape?

<p>By boat</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who casts a spell on Querig? Who disagreed with this?

<p>Merlin; Axl.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens while Axl and Beatrice are traveling by water?

<p>They are attacked by pixies after an encounter with the habit woman.</p> Signup and view all the answers

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?

<p>Feed the family's poisoned goat to Querig so that their mother and father will remember them and come back.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who do they meet on the way to the Giant's cairn (where they will place the goat)?

<p>Gawain</p> Signup and view all the answers

At the Giant's Cairn, Wistan and Edwin catch up to the group. What does Gawain admit? What does he reluctantly do?

<p>That he is the guardian of Querig. He reluctantly leads the group to her.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does Gawain protect Querig?

<p>Because her breath causes forgetfulness, which has led to peace and an end to the wars between Saxons and Britons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who wins the duel between Wistan and Gawain?

<p>Wistan</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Wistan do after the duel?

<p>Kill Querig</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Querig's physical state of being before being killed?

<p>Very old, weak</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Wistan intend to do with Edwin?

<p>Turn him into a vengeful Saxon Warrior</p> Signup and view all the answers

What will soon break out across Britain?

<p>WAR</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Buried Giant?

<p>A metaphor for all that has been 'buried' that has now come back.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do Axl and Beatrice worry about the mist being lifted?

<p>That an event in the past will ruin their positive view of their relationship.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happened to Axl and Beatrice's son?

<p>Died of plague after he was estranged by Beatrice's adulterous affair in the past.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where does the couple need to go to see their son's grave?

<p>The Island</p> Signup and view all the answers

What must the couple tell the boatman?

<p>They must prove their true love for each other in separate conversations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Boatman say?

<p>He assures them that they will be allowed to live together, but only ferries Beatrice first due to rough seas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Does Axl get to go to the island?

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the name of Gawain's horse?

<p>Horace</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who was the silent monk?

<p>Ninian</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is the Saxon elder they meet in Edwin's village?

<p>Ivor</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where can one find an ogre?

<p>The swamp (Washington DC)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who most closely resembles Dan Mead?

<p>The sinful monks</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Axl know Gawain?

<p>From the time of Arthur. All didn't want the spell to be put on Querig.</p> Signup and view all the answers

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.

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