Temple of the Twin Gods

The Temple of the Twin Gods, also called the Temple of Atwah and Wuluah, is the central religious institution of the Kargad Empire at the Place of the Tombs of Atuan, dedicated to the white-skinned, yellow-haired warrior deities whose names the Kargish invaders cried out during their raid on Ten Alders. It is the domain of the High Priestess Thar, who oversees the training and discipline of the priestesses, and it stands as a gleaming, gold-roofed cube of whitewashed stone, a showier and centuries-newer structure than the ancient, ruinous Hall of the Throne that looms above it on the hill.

Identity and Architecture

The Temple of the Twin Gods is a windowless cube of stone, plastered white, with a low porch and door. Its roof is newly gilt, flashing the day back in glory, and it sits on a little knoll across the way from the Hall of the Throne. The building is centuries newer than the Hall, and its bright gold roof and whitewashed walls make it a conspicuous landmark: from the eastern plains, looking up, one might see it wink and glitter beneath the mountains, like a speck of mica in a shelf of rock. The temple is dedicated to the Twin Brothers, Atwah and Wuluah, the White Godbrothers of Atuan, whose names the Kargish warriors shouted as their war-cry during the invasion of Gont. The temple's priestesses, like all those at the Place, wear black robes and hoods, and the girls who serve there learn the histories of the Kargad Lands and the mysteries of whichever god they are dedicated to, including the Twin Gods.

Authority and Discipline

The High Priestess of the Temple of the Twin Gods is Thar, a tall, thin, dry-voiced woman who lives by an iron law. She is one of the two High Priestesses at the Place, alongside Kossil, the High Priestess of the Godking. Thar is responsible for teaching the rites of the Nameless Ones to the One Priestess, Arha, and she conducts the daily discipline of the girls. When Arha and another girl, Penthe, were caught climbing the Men's Wall, it was Thar who stood beside Arha to watch Kossil whip Penthe with a bundle of reed canes, and who then told Arha, "It is not fitting that you be seen climbing and running with other girls. You are Arha." Thar's authority is absolute within her domain, and she confirms Arha's identity with the chilling words, "You are Arha. There is nothing left. It was all eaten."

Ritual and Practice

The Temple of the Twin Gods is the site of the Nine Chants, which the girls of the Place attend daily. The priestesses of the temple, like all those at the Place, spend their days in classes and disciplines, learning sacred songs and dances, and working at spinning, weaving, planting, and harvesting. The temple's rituals are part of the larger cycle of worship at the Place, which includes the twice-yearly blood sacrifice before the Throne, where Arha pours out goat's blood at the foot of the standing black stone and over one of the fallen stones. The Temple of the Twin Gods, with its gold roof and white columns, stands as a symbol of the Kargad Empire's religious power, a gleaming counterpart to the dark, ancient stones of the Tombs themselves.

Narrative Significance

The Temple of the Twin Gods, through its High Priestess Thar, represents the institutional authority that shapes Arha's life and identity. Thar's cold, iron law and her insistence on Arha's nameless, consumed status are central to the psychological and spiritual conflict of the Tombs of Atuan narrative. The temple's bright, showy architecture contrasts with the ancient, ruinous Hall of the Throne and the dark, primal Tombs, embodying the tension between the established state religion and the older, more terrifying powers that the One Priestess serves. The temple's gods, Atwah and Wuluah, are also the war-gods of the Kargish invaders, linking the religious institution to the empire's history of conquest and violence.