Themes and Characters
Because The White Stag deals with epic themes, Seredy's characters are larger than life and her narrative resembles an Old Testament account of the lives of the patriarchs. The account begins with the original progenitor, Cush the Great Leader, father of Old Nimrod, Mighty Hunter before the Lord. Cush and Nimrod, of course, appear in Genesis as the descendants of Noah. Nimrod is the founder of the kingdom of Babel in Shinar and Ninevah in Assyria. Seredy mixes her biblical and pagan elements, however, so it remains uncertain whether the tribe is worshipping the Judeo-Christian Lord or the pagan Hadur the Powerful God, or both.
The story opens with old Nimrod leaning against the sacrificial altar, recalling the years of struggle, suffering, and wandering after the destruction of the tower of Babel. As his people move westward, searching for the promised land, they find themselves in a cold, rocky, barren land, sustained only by the promise of Hadur, who spoke to them through the wind and thunder.
His legs were slim as the branches of white birch and he ran swifter than
the wind.
Seven months before, Nimrod's two sons, Hunor and Magyar, rode in pursuit of
The White Stag, and Nimrod is awaiting their return. Now he understands
that he must sacrifice his favorite horse, Taltos, to Hadur. The god appears
out of a storm in the form of an eagle and tells Nimrod that his sons will lead
their people until the birth of another great warrior, Attila, who will finally
lead the Huns to their promised land.
After turning over the leadership of the tribe to his sons, Hunor and Magyar, Old Nimrod dies, and the people erect a great stone cairn over his grave before they set out again westward. They find a new home near a lake and remain there in the wilderness of Altain-Ula, until one day The White Stag appears again and leads them to a spot where the moon maidens dance. Hunor and Magyar return to camp with two of the maidens, Tunde and Cilia, as brides, symbolizing the union of men and goddesses in the founding of the two tribes that would become the Hungarian nation. A year later, Hunor and Tunde have a son, Bendeguz, the White Eagle, a wild and fearless boy, born to be a warrior. These sacred events are foretold by the blind boy, Damos, gifted with prophetic vision, who dreams of the union of two white herons and two eagles and of their offspring, a white eagle that becomes blood-red.
After fifteen years, when the time comes for the tribe to move again, a rift has grown between the more adventurous, who choose to follow Hunor, and the quieter and more peaceful, who look to Magyar for leadership. The tribe slowly pushes westward, fighting and displacing other tribes, until it finally settles in the delta region between the Don and Volga Rivers. Here, rich with the plunder of its many conquests, the tribe encamps. The young Bendeguz, however, longs for more battles and adventures.
One night, while Bendeguz wanders about the encampment, he hears the song of a captive slave girl, Alleeta. Enchanted by her song, he introduces himself and discovers that her people, the Cimmerians, await the coming of a leader, the White Eagle, who will lead them to a promised land. Bendeguz, of course, is that leader, and he immediately proposes marriage and a union of their two tribes. Alleeta bears a son, Attila, by their union, and he is the Red Eagle, foretold by Hadur, who will finally lead his people to...
(This entire section contains 777 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
the promised land.
Unfortunately, Alleeta dies in childbirth, and Bendeguz loses faith in his mission. Revived by the aged prophet, Damos, Bendeguz leads his people out of their comfortable sanctuary, as they begin a sweep across Europe in A.D. 408. The remorseless Bendeguz leads his troops into battle, his small son Attila strapped to his father's saddle. Learning from his father to shun fear and weaktoteness, Attila becomes a fearsome warrior, known to his own troops as "The Red Eagle," and to the Romans as "The Scourge of God."
For twenty years father and son lead their armies westward, until they find themselves in eastern Dacia, their advance blocked by the Carpathian Mountains. They are frustrated by their inability to find a pass through the mountains until The White Stag reappears and leads them through the rocky gorges into the plains of Hungary. Springtime greets them, as the tribe recalls the ancient prophecy of Hadur and builds an altar of thanksgiving. Attila stands before his people and dedicates his sword, The Sword of Hadur, to their promised land.