Belgariad series - Revision history

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Characterization: more

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	* Liselle, "the Huntress" aka "Velvet" the spy		* Liselle, "the Huntress" aka "Velvet" the spy
	* Zandramas - the evil opposition of the Malloreon, who kidnaps the infant Geran		* Zandramas - the evil opposition of the Malloreon, who kidnaps the infant Geran
			* Adara (Garion's cousin)
			* Porenn, Queen of Drasnia

	===cultures and species===		===cultures and species===

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characters: chars

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	==Gender issues==		==Gender issues==

	===~~characters~~===		===Characterization===

	The "Eddings formula" almost always focused on a male "hero", with a female love interest subplot. Most supporting and peripheral characters are also male. ~~[[Polgara]] is the strongest female character in the series~~.		The characters of the novels are significantly stereotyped, and with little diversity in terms of viewpoint characters: The "Eddings formula" almost always focused on a male "hero", with a female love interest subplot. Most supporting and peripheral characters are also male. A pantheon of gods are all apparently male.

	~~A pantheon~~ of ~~gods are all~~ apparently ~~male~~.		Women's powers are usually less than men's; they are often given [[female stereotypes]] as nags, shrews, sneaky & evil, maternal & protective, etc. Male characters are similarly given masculine stereotypes.

			The "races" within the novel are generally given personality characteristics, such as honesty, thrift, warlike tendencies, etc.

			[[Polgara]] is the strongest female character in the series, and although she is shown to have significant powers, she spends her time nurturing the male heirs of her dead sister's line, and chastising her roguish father (who is of course more powerful than she is). She is willing to give up her powers in order to marry but is able to keep them because her husband gained a similar level of powers.
			* Further reading: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polgara_the_Sorceress wikipedia]

			Other significant female characters include
			* Ce'Nedra, a spoiled princess who is the [[destined young love]] of the male protagonist ("Garath" or "Belgarath"); her "maternal instincts" overset her when her child is kidnapped in the Malloreon. Prophecy specified that she and Belgarion would have one son, but said nothing about daughters -- apparently not worth prophesying.
			* Salmissra, a wicked snakey seductress ruler of a debauched people
			* Taiba, the last Marag, called the "Mother of the Race that Died" in the Mrin Codex, who married Relg. Although the Marag were matrilineal, and Taiba had two daughters before marrying Relg, nevertheless her first son is designated to be the new "Gorim" of her race.
			* Islena, Queen of Cherek
			* Poledra, mother of [[Polgara]] and wife of Belgarath; special emissary of the God
			* Cyradis - the Seeress of Kell; she eventually loses her power of Second Sight
			* Liselle, "the Huntress" aka "Velvet" the spy
			* Zandramas - the evil opposition of the Malloreon, who kidnaps the infant Geran

	===cultures and species===		===cultures and species===

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Gender issues: stub

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	==Gender issues==		==Gender issues==
	~~The "Eddings formula" almost always focused on a male "hero", with a female love interest subplot.~~

			===characters===

			The "Eddings formula" almost always focused on a male "hero", with a female love interest subplot. Most supporting and peripheral characters are also male. [[Polgara]] is the strongest female character in the series.

			A pantheon of gods are all apparently male.

			===cultures and species===
	A couple of the various "races" / nations in the series had specific gender-issues angles; otherwise they were mostly the standard patriarchal semi-medieval fantasy worlds of much high fantasy.		A couple of the various "races" / nations in the series had specific gender-issues angles; otherwise they were mostly the standard patriarchal semi-medieval fantasy worlds of much high fantasy.

	===the Marags of Mara===		====the Marags of Mara====

	The Marags, the people of Mara, were a matriarchal race, thought at the beginning of the Belgariad to be destroyed. Female births outnumbered male births eight or nine to one; marriage was uncommon; and sexual freedom was common.		The Marags, the people of Mara, were a matriarchal race, thought at the beginning of the Belgariad to be destroyed. Female births outnumbered male births eight or nine to one; marriage was uncommon; and sexual freedom was common.

	===Godless Ones===		====Godless Ones====
	The Godless Ones were cursed by Ulgo so that all female Godless Ones were infertile.		The Godless Ones were cursed by Ulgo so that all female Godless Ones were infertile.

	===Dryads===		====Dryads====
	A species of all-female promiscuous tree nymphs, who breed with human males to produce offspring.		A species of all-female promiscuous tree nymphs, who breed with human males to produce offspring.

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Pregnancy & Fertility: subhead

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	A species of all-female promiscuous tree nymphs, who breed with human males to produce offspring.		A species of all-female promiscuous tree nymphs, who breed with human males to produce offspring.

	==Pregnancy & Fertility==		===Pregnancy & Fertility===
	Pregnancy and fertility play repeated roles in the series.		Pregnancy and fertility play repeated roles in the series.
	* The Malloreon begins with Belgarion and Ce'Nedra failing to conceive for many years before finally having a child.		* The Malloreon begins with Belgarion and Ce'Nedra failing to conceive for many years before finally having a child.
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	* dryads conceive only through seducing human males		* dryads conceive only through seducing human males
	* in ''Demon Lord of Karanda'' (Malloreon #3) human females are repeatedly [[rape]]d by demons; they typically die from any resulting pregnancies		* in ''Demon Lord of Karanda'' (Malloreon #3) human females are repeatedly [[rape]]d by demons; they typically die from any resulting pregnancies


	==Further reading==		==Further reading==

Lquilter: stub

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stub

New page

'''The Belgariad series''' is a series of [[high fantasy]] works, written by David Eddings (credited) and [[Leigh Eddings]] (uncredited).

==Works in the series==

The Belgariad series includes several subseries:

; The Belgariad
# Pawn of Prophecy (1982)
# Queen of Sorcery (1982)
# Magician's Gambit (1983)
# Castle of Wizardry (1984)
# Enchanters' End Game (1984)

; The Malloreon
# Guardians of the West
# King of the Murgos
# Demon Lord of Karanda
# Sorceress of Darshiva
# The Seeress of Kell

; Related works
* Belgarath the Sorcerer
* Polgara the Sorceress
* The Rivan Codex

==Gender issues==
The "Eddings formula" almost always focused on a male "hero", with a female love interest subplot.

A couple of the various "races" / nations in the series had specific gender-issues angles; otherwise they were mostly the standard patriarchal semi-medieval fantasy worlds of much high fantasy.

===the Marags of Mara===

The Marags, the people of Mara, were a matriarchal race, thought at the beginning of the Belgariad to be destroyed. Female births outnumbered male births eight or nine to one; marriage was uncommon; and sexual freedom was common.

===Godless Ones===
The Godless Ones were cursed by Ulgo so that all female Godless Ones were infertile.

===Dryads===
A species of all-female promiscuous tree nymphs, who breed with human males to produce offspring.

==Pregnancy & Fertility==
Pregnancy and fertility play repeated roles in the series.
* The Malloreon begins with Belgarion and Ce'Nedra failing to conceive for many years before finally having a child.
* Marags are defined in large part by their female/male birth ratio
* female infertility is punishment for the Godless Ones
* dryads conceive only through seducing human males
* in ''Demon Lord of Karanda'' (Malloreon #3) human females are repeatedly [[rape]]d by demons; they typically die from any resulting pregnancies

==Further reading==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belgariad The Belgariad] (wikipedia)
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Malloreon The Malloreon] (wikipedia)

[[Category:Series]]
[[Category:Works of fantasy]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:59, 8 May 2008
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	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belgariad The Belgariad] (wikipedia)		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belgariad The Belgariad] (wikipedia)
	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Malloreon The Malloreon] (wikipedia)		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Malloreon The Malloreon] (wikipedia)
			*[http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/10192-david-eddings-major-female-characters.html David Eddings' major female characters], SFF Chronicles, 2006 (discusses other series as well)

	[[Category:Series]]		[[Category:Series]]
	[[Category:Works of fantasy]]		[[Category:Works of fantasy]]