Question 1: We get a fascinating insight about the King when Bardia says that he is always at his worst with women, priests, and politic men, "because he is half-afraid of them." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

I think it is partly true. Not afraid exactly--but women, priests, and political men could, in one sense, be described as more 'complex', in the sense of having more complex emotions and/or aims than he does. So I think he doesn't really understand them, and that he's sort of afraid of things he doesn't completely understand.

Question 2: When Bardia says that the wars cured his numb depression, what did he mean? Do you think he is right?

I think he means they gave him something else to think about. He couldn't hang around an be depressed on a battlefield, he had to fight or die. Yes, I think that having something important to do often helps, because you don't have time to be depressed.

Question 3: Bardia calls Psyche "the Blessed," but she used to be "the Accursed." What has changed her title in the mouths of the people?

I think her sacrifice--the fact that she was chosen to be the god's bride-- has made her 'holy' in the eyes of the people.

Question 4: Upon seeing the world outside of Glome for the first time, Orual says, "I had misjudged the world; it seemed kind and forgiving, as if its heart also danced." What does she mean by this? Has she taken joy in her sorrow-filled mission?

I'm not sure. Its like the beauty of the world is calling her into joy, and she is happy for a minute or two--before she remembers why she is there.

Question 5: As they pass Ungit's house, Orual describes "holiness" as a a smell or something polluting the air. Later in the chapter Bardia calls a certain part of the Mountain "bad," but then corrects himself to say "holy." What appears to be the definition of holiness in this book thus far? Is it like the holiness of the God of the Bible? Why or why not?

Holiness would seem to be--that which is so close to the gods that it is bad for humans. That is a little like God's holiness in the Old Testament, with the 'holy ground', and Moses being unable to look on God's face without dying.

We get a fascinating insight about the King when Bardia says that he is always at his worst with women, priests, and politic men, "because he is half-afraid of them." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

That is a fascinating take on the King. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but women, priests, and political men all seem to be harder for him to deal with.

When Bardia says that the wars cured his numb depression, what did he mean? Do you think he is right?

I suppose he meant that while he was fighting he was no longer depressed. Wars probably brought him out of depression because they gave him an outlet, a way to deal with his locked up emotions. I don't think wars solved his problems, but they certainly helped him deal with them.

Bardia calls Psyche "the Blessed," but she used to be "the Accursed." What has changed her title in the mouths of the people?

Psyche was the Accursed while the land was in trouble. Now that the crops are growing, there's meat to hunt, and no wars to fight, she is considered Blessed because they think her sacrifice brought about the good changes.

What appears to be the definition of holiness in this book thus far? Is it like the holiness of the God of the Bible? Why or why not?

Holiness in Glome is associated with dark places and ugly things. I don't think it's very much like God in the Bible, although, as Lady Haleth pointed out, in the Old Testament the people were not allowed near the mountain and Moses was not allowed to see God's face. But even so, God wasn't (and isn't) associated with darkness and ugliness.

The ugliness sounds more like some of the idols of pagan cultures.

1: I don't think the king is afraid of these various groups; I just don't think he understands them. He is obsessed with a male heir, and only uses women to get him to that end, he's desperately trying to get an allegiance with a foreign land making all situations delving into politics a bit uncomfortable, and he doesn't believe (or at least doesn't trust) the gods, making him nervous of the priest. Whenever the king doesn't understand something he gets violent, which is what leads Bardia to assume that "he at his worst" around them.

2: I originally interpreted it as a sort of post-tramautic stress disorder. I don't think Bardia is capable of turning off the "military side of his brain" or at least turning it off for very long. He's very practical. . .very "no-nonsense."

3: I don't think that the minds of the people have changed. I don't think that they even remember Psyche now that things have cleared up for them. Things are better now, and that's all they care about. I think that Bardia uses this term because he has always thought about Psyche as "blessed," and never joined the rabble calling for her death.

4: One thing that strikes me so much about this is what Orual is getting further from, and what she is getting closer to. She is getting closer to the gods, and further away from all of the negative influences of Glome. It's almost as if she's able to leave some of the negativity behind her, simply because of where's she's heading. I'm not saying that she's "converting" or anything, but for the first time, I think she's realising that there's more to life than Glome, beatings, and philosophy.

5: In a way the holiness of Glome does describe the holiness of God. To somebody who doesn't understand the Bible, reading the old testament law (about various sacrifices, and vestments, etc. . . . ) can seem very "holy." Very "barbaric." I think the word "somber" would be very appropriately used in circumstances like these. Where even the untrained eye/nose/ears can tell that something is different about this area. . . they just can't tell what.

Question 1: We get a fascinating insight about the King when Bardia says that he is always at his worst with women, priests, and politic men, "because he is half-afraid of them." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

It is very interesting idea. It might very well be true. The first part of the quote is “For all his hard words he is no bad master to soldiers, shepherds, huntsmen and the like. He understands them and they him.” People are often afraid of what they do not understand, if he does not understand women, priests, and politic men, as Bardia suggests that he does not, then I could easily see him being afraid of them. Fear can manifest itself by anger so it makes sense that he is the most brutal to those he half-fears.

Question 2: When Bardia says that the wars cured his numb depression, what did he mean? Do you think he is right?

I think he means it got him out of his rut, his cloud of despair. It seems to work for him although I’m not sure it would work for everybody. Sometimes what a person who is depressed needs is some kind of a shock to get him/her out of it. If he/she is fighting for his/her life that might just do it. Studies have shown that physical activity does help to relieve depression. I don’t think this will work in all cases. If I’m remembering the story right, Pippin

Question 3: Bardia calls Psyche "the Blessed," but she used to be "the Accursed." What has changed her title in the mouths of the people?

All of the plagues left when she left so she was Blessed because she took the plagues away. It is easier to think well of someone when things are going well. They are distanced from their troubles now so they don’t need to find an “Accursed.” It could also be sort of talking well of the dead or go to the Accursed but Perfect idea. Also, they thought of her as Accursed before the saw her reaction to her fate. I think it might have helped them change their opinion of her by seeing how willingly and calmly she went.

Question 4: Upon seeing the world outside of Glome for the first time, Orual says, "I had misjudged the world; it seemed kind and forgiving, as if its heart also danced." What does she mean by this? Has she taken joy in her sorrow-filled mission?

I’m not sure if it makes much of a difference but she says, “The freshness and wetness all about me … made me feel that I had misjudged the world …” she doesn’t seem to completely believe that she has misjudged the world. She has seen that there is more than just the ugliness of Glome. I’m not sure that she has really taken joy in her mission but maybe more like at brief break from being completely sadden. She seems to be fighting it hard. I almost wonder if the gods (if they do exist which has yet to be completely shown) where trying to show her what Psyche saw and longed for before she was tied to the tree.

Question 5: As they pass Ungit's house, Orual describes "holiness" as a a smell or something polluting the air. Later in the chapter Bardia calls a certain part of the Mountain "bad," but then corrects himself to say "holy." What appears to be the definition of holiness in this book thus far? Is it like the holiness of the God of the Bible? Why or why not?

In the book, holiness seems to be stifling; something that is oppressive. I think Bardia calls it bad because it is very likely harmful for a person to trespass on holy ground. I don’t get the idea that this type of holiness cause people to feel awe but only fear. I think it is kind of like the holiness of the Bible and kind of not. Before Jesus died for our sins, there were holy places that were “bad” to go. Only priests were allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and there were strict rules about who or what could go on the mountain while God was talking with Moses. Now however, we are no longer under such rules as in then. The Holiness now seems more of awe and joy then it did in the Old Testament. I don’t really think that the holiness of God of the Bible is oppressive or stifling. (I hope this answer makes sense.)

1. Frankly, I think the King is too stupid and too stubborn to try to understand women, priests, and politicians. I don't necessarily think he's afraid of them, but he's uncomfortable around them at the least.

2. You sit around wallowing in self-pity and self-indulgence on the battlefield, you die. It's that simple. In war, you have no choice but to set aside depression or you will die. I suppose some people can't, but obviously Bardia is one of the ones who can.

3. I think it's just typical fickleness. When things were going bad for the people, Psyche was Accursed and hated. The instant things go good for them, suddenly she's Blessed. Not that I think Bardia is this way; he clearly didn't share in the ridiculous witch hunt mentality of the common people in regards to Psyche.

4. Orual was taken out of her sadness and misery for just a little while by the unexpected beauty of the world. But Orual was holding too tightly to her grief to be diverted from it for long.

5. Holiness in Glome seems to be linked closer to fear than to awe. The things that are holy to the people of Glome are things that make them uneasy, that aren't beautiful. It's kind of a dangerous holiness.