Tombs of Atuan

The Tombs of Atuan are the most ancient and sacred site in the Kargad Empire, a desolate hilltop enclosure on the island of Atuan containing nine standing stones that predate human civilization and are the tombs of the Nameless Ones, the Old Powers of Earth. The site is served by a single priestess, the Eaten One, who is taken from her family as a child, stripped of her name, and dedicated to a life of ritual service within a strictly segregated, self-sufficient community of priestesses, eunuch wardens, and slaves. The Tombs are the central location of the second book of the Earthsea Cycle, The Tombs of Atuan, and are the setting where Ged, now a young wizard, seeks the lost half of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe.

Location and Physical Description

The Tombs of Atuan are located on the island of Atuan, one of the four great lands of the Kargad Empire, which also include Karego-At, Hur-at-Hur, and Atnini. The Kargs are described as a savage, white-skinned, yellow-haired people who speak a tongue unlike any in the Archipelago. The Tombs themselves are a cluster of nine black stones, each eighteen to twenty feet high, standing like huge fingers within a massive, half-fallen rock wall on the crest of a hill. One stone stands straight, others lean, and two have fallen. They are crusted with grey and orange lichen, except for one that is smooth, naked, and black with a dull gloss. Vague carvings and signs can be felt under the lichen on the others. These stones are said to have been planted when the lands were raised from the ocean's depths, older than the Godkings, older than the Twin Gods, older than light itself. They are the tombs of those who ruled before the world of men came to be, the ones not named. The site is also known as the Place of the Tombs, and the hill is called the Hill of the Tombs. The entire precinct is a self-contained community of about two hundred people, including three temples: the huge, low, ruinous Hall of the Throne, the Temple of the Godking with its high portico and white columns, and the Temple of the Twin Gods, a windowless white cube. Other buildings include the Big House (the dormitory and refectory), the Small House (the private residence of the One Priestess), quarters for the eunuch wardens, and outside the wall, guards' barracks, slaves' huts, storehouses, and pens for sheep and goats.

Sacred and Social Order

The Tombs are governed by a strict hierarchy of priestesses, with the One Priestess, the Eaten One, at its apex. She is chosen as a girl-child born on the night of the previous priestess's death, and must be sound of body and mind until the age of five. She is then taken from her family, given the name Arha (the Eaten One), and trained for a year before being formally dedicated to the Nameless Ones in a ritual where she is symbolically "eaten." She lives alone in the Small House, and no one may enter without her permission, though the two High Priestesses, Kossil and Thar, take this permission for granted. The Eaten One performs the blood sacrifice twice a year, at the full moon nearest the equinoxes, pouring goat's blood at the foot of the standing black stone and over one of the fallen stones. The inner ground of the Place, including the area within the Tomb Wall, is forbidden to men. The Godking himself could not enter among the Tombstones. The guards, who are men, cannot enter the temples. The eunuch wardens, like Manan, serve as guardians and servants but are also barred from the most sacred spaces. The daily life of the priestesses and novices involves classes in sacred songs, dances, and histories, as well as practical work like spinning, weaving, farming, and fishing. The Eaten One is taught the rites of the Nameless Ones by the High Priestess Thar.

Narrative Significance

The Tombs of Atuan are the central location of the second book of the Earthsea Cycle, The Tombs of Atuan. The site is where Ged, now a young wizard, ventures to find the lost half of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe, a powerful artifact that can bring peace to the Archipelago. The Tombs represent a place of immense, ancient, and dark power, a stark contrast to the wizardly schools of Roke. The Eaten One, Arha, is the guardian of the Tombs and the Nameless Ones, and her encounter with Ged forces her to question her faith and her identity. The Tombs are also the place where the Kargish Empire's most sacred and secret rituals are performed, and where the Old Powers of Earth are most directly accessible. The site's isolation, its rigid social order, and its connection to the pre-human past make it a powerful symbol of the dangers of power without wisdom and the importance of balance. The Tombs are also the place where Ged's quest for the Ring of Erreth-Akbe begins, a quest that will ultimately lead him to become Archmage of Earthsea.