The Destiny of A King

In a kingdom in the snowy mountains there lives a strong, good-hearted group of people named the Gyrfallen who have always had very wise and young Kings. The Gyrfallen have occupied this mountain valley as long as anyone can remember. Unlike most kingdoms this one does not choose the successor of the King based on lineage or wealth but instead the new King is chosen by the god Gyr, unbeknownst to the people. Gyr is believed to take the shape of white falcon which encompasses all the qualities of those he favors: speed, cunning, wisdom, and beauty . He guides the King and accompanies him on hunting trips, fetching the kills of the hunting party. The white falcon seeks out and hunts for the next King once the current King passes on. This is a tale of truth behind the god Gyr and how their Kings acquire such vast amounts of wisdom at such young ages. We enter the story where King Agnarr has been separated from his hunting party for a long time since he had chased after a kill. He is quite famished and thirsty as it has been at least a day since he has fallen away from the group...

"I've trekked around this forest for hours, or has it been days?" King Agnarr wondered as he trudged along, stumbling over thick brush. He was near his limits and desperate for something to satiate his thirst. He had only his falcon aide for company as he made his way through the thicket.

The King tripped and fell hard, rolling down the hill a ways till he came to rest in a shallow valley. As he looked up, he noticed that there was purple-hued water trickling down the rock face before him. It wasn't the healthiest water he had see, but beggars can't be choosers. As he went to fill his cup from the trickling water, his cup would become nearly full and then the falcon would swoop by and knock it away! This happened three more times. Finally, as the King was delirious with thirst, he lost his patience and seized the falcon. He dashed it against the rocks in anger and turned his attention back towards the water and drank from the first cupful eagerly.

"Finally...something to drink," he thought to himself. "That damn bird had lost its mind, constantly knocking the cup from my hands! Couldn't he see I was dying of thirst, and that the cup took an awful long time to fill? Well... I suppose if I ever make it back it will be time to find a new bird to take as a hunting companion. Now where am I, I wonder?"

"Sire, is that you?!" yelled the captain, who was relieved to find his King after searching for two days.

"Sir, you don't look well! Please, don't tell me you drank from the spring. Villagers nearby told us that it was poisoned by the blood of a hydra that was slain upstream from here!"

Immediately upon hearing this the King doubled over, vomiting and crying all at once. He realized now that the white falcon had simply been trying to protect him from the fate he was now destined to pursue.

"What a fool I am! How could I have thrown away my hunting companion so quickly? Had he not served me well for years, and hunted well and taught me the ways of the forest and kingdom? Though I am a King, in the end I now realize that I've become the lowest and most homely kind of man, the kind that doesn't trust the wisdom of his friend."

With that the disease overcame the body of the King, and his eyes rolled back. He awoke shortly in what he believed to be the next life, curious to see what lay ahead. It is here that he meets the spirit of the white falcon that he had thrown away in his rage.

"Wake up, King Agnarr. It is time for you to fulfill your duty just as I and all of the other Kings of the past have done. It is time for you to learn about the duty of the King in death. Your leadership and responsibility does not end simply because the light of your life has been snuffed out. In our brief time together before you continue your work, you will learn the history of our people and of our world," said the white falcon.

"Gyr, is that you? I'm sorry, old friend. For a brief moment I forsook all the wisdom and trust you had shared with me and, in a fit of rage, dashed you upon the rocks so I could drink the water. I know now that you only tried to protect me."

"Now, young King, is not the time for apologies..Nor am I Gyr. I was once a King like you. I was known as King Elgr and was the ruler prior to your reign. The god Gyr has blessed our people with the ability to be guided by previous Kings so that our knowledge may forever grow and that we may never make the same mistakes twice. So, when you die you must take the form of a white falcon and do as I did: search out the next King for our people, and teach him to be wise."

And so began the quest of King Agnarr to find a suitable lad to become the next King and carry on the tradition of leading the Gyrfallen. As he took flight, he knew exactly where he would find the next ruler. He set course for the Lost Woods to find a young man named Link.

Author's Note

This story gains inspiration from all of the Tales of Bidpai that I had read but is especially influenced by the story of The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking-Cup. Here I have added on to the original story and attempted to include more of a spiritual element. In the original story the king does not drink any of the water from the spring because his falcon knocks the cup from his hands and after he kills it his guards show up. The King's guards warn him that the water was poisonous and had been tainted by the blood of a dragon. He realizes that his friend, the falcon, had only been trying to save him the entire time and became very distraught. That is where the original story ends. I wanted to follow the King further and show his reaction to finding out the truth about the actions of his bird companion. This way the readers could see what kind of a man the King was and could better empathize. I've always liked the belief that some cultures have regarding the concept that our ancestors watch over and guide us once they pass on. I also am fascinated by the idea that people take on a certain spirit animal that guides the living. Here I have added that element to the original story and left room for elaboration in future revisions.

Bibliography

Fables of Bidpai unit on canvas

The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking-Cup

The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Dutton

Image Info:

Banner - One of many doorways to the spirit world.

A Gyrfalcon staring off into the distance.

Land of the Gyrfallen- Snowy Tundra.