50 pages 1 hour read

Guy Gavriel Kay

Sailing to Sarantium

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1998

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Symbols & Motifs

The Zubir

The zubir is an avatar of the pagan gods. The bison’s presence and inherent power cannot be denied after the incident on the road and in the Aldwood. Its existence prompts a crisis of faith in Vargos due to his worship of Jad being seemingly at odds with the evidence of the pagan gods before his eyes. As such, the zubir also serves as a symbol of the greater powers at work in life which cannot be understood and may be at odds with one’s world view. 

The Sun

The sun is a symbol of the god, Jad, who lives behind the sun or in it (the matter is under debate by clerics). Out of love for his mortal children, he fights to return the sun each morning. According to some, he has a son, Heladikos, who died in his chariot while bringing fire back to earth from the sun for use by humans. Heladikos’ symbol is the sun disc.

Dolphins

In the pagan traditions, dolphins carried souls to the god of Death. After Jad and Heladikos became the hegemonic religious figures, dolphins were associated with Heladikos in that they were said to have carried his body to the