The Deed of Morred

The Deed of Morred is one of the great heroic lays of Earthsea, a song that tells of the mage Morred the White, his love for the Princess Elfarran, and the war that laid waste to Enlad and sank the island of Soléa beneath the sea. It is a foundational narrative of the Archipelago, learned by every wizard as part of his training, and its tragic themes of love, loss, and the cost of power resonate through the events of Ged's own life. The song is not merely a tale of the past; it is a living part of the culture, sung by chanters in villages and studied by students at the School for Wizards on Roke, and its imagery and lessons are woven into the fabric of the story itself.

Content and Themes

The Deed of Morred recounts the story of Morred the White, a great mage of Enlad, who left Havnor in his oarless longship and came to the island of Soléa, where he saw Elfarran in the orchards in the spring. Their love, however, led to a devastating war that destroyed Enlad and caused Soléa to sink beneath the sea. The song is a tragedy, a cautionary tale about the destructive power of love and the terrible consequences that can follow from even the most beautiful of passions. It is a story of loss and ruin, and its ending is sorrowful, with Morred's death and the whelming of Soléa's orchards by the sea-waves. The song is also a source of wisdom, containing the hero's words, "O may I see the earth's bright hearth once more, the white towers of Havnor," a line that Ged himself quotes when he laments his own lost chances to see the cities of the Archipelago.

Role in Ged's Education and Life

The Deed of Morred is part of the curriculum at the School for Wizards on Roke. Ged, as a student, learns it from the Master Chanter, along with other Deeds and Lays. Later, when he is a wizard in Low Torning, he teaches the Deed of Morred to the young chanter of a village on the West Hand, ensuring that the great songs are known on a new isle. The song's themes of love and loss are directly relevant to Ged's own experiences. When Vetch sings part of the Deed of Enlad, which tells of Morred and Elfarran, Ged is moved, and the song's tragic ending foreshadows the sorrow and loss that Ged himself will face. The song also provides a model for heroism and sacrifice, and its words are a comfort and a source of strength for Ged as he faces his own trials.

Thematic Significance and Connection to the Shadow

The Deed of Morred is not just a story of the past; it is a living part of the moral and magical fabric of Earthsea. The song's central tragedy—the destruction wrought by love and the failure to maintain balance—mirrors Ged's own story. Ged's pride and desire for power lead him to summon a shadow that nearly destroys him, just as Morred's love for Elfarran led to the ruin of Enlad. The song serves as a warning about the dangers of unchecked emotion and the importance of understanding the consequences of one's actions. It also reinforces the theme of Equilibrium, the balance of light and dark, life and death, that is central to the magic of Earthsea. The song's final line, "Only in silence the word, only in dark the light, only in dying life: bright the hawk's flight on the empty sky," is a direct echo of the epigraph of the book and a key to understanding Ged's final confrontation with the shadow, where he must embrace his own darkness to become whole.