63 pages • 2-hour read
Oathbound
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying, racism, gender discrimination, mental illness, child abuse, graphic violence, sexual content, cursing, illness, death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.
The Shadow King’s Crown
The Shadow King’s lost crown is a major symbol within Oathbound that highlights how power can corrupt. Arthur took the crown from Erebus centuries ago, and the Morgaines enchanted it so that no demon could sense where it was or possess it. Erebus’s lack of a crown has prevented him from ruling or returning to his demon plane, while the Morgaines that have hidden the crown away have used its shards to keep the magic of the original Morgaine alive. Erebus needs his crown to regain the power he once had, and he is willing to put the lives of others at risk for it. Yet the Morgaines want to keep the crown for themselves, using it as a token of power that the Order and the demons do not possess. Similarly, the former members of the Shadow Court who have information about the crown use it for their own purposes and trade the information in their demonic bartering system. When Mikael auctions the crown, the collectors know nothing of its magical powers, yet they still bid for the prestige that is associated with it. All of these people want the crown to possess some sort of power over others, yet Bree and her friends at Penumbra want to get the crown so that Erebus can return to his realm and stop feeding on Rootcrafters. While many are willing to do corrupt things to get the crown, only Bree’s intentions for getting it are noble. However, the crown doesn’t really hold value in and of itself, especially when it is enchanted. This is evidenced by the way that Erebus leaves it unguarded in the prison where he keeps Bree and her friends. While enchanted, as it is the whole of the novel, the crown is merely a hollow representation of power. As a whole, the Shadow King’s crown does not symbolize power, but the illusion of it.
Root
Unlike the Shadow King’s crown, root is a symbol that represents true power, stripped of all its pretenses. Throughout the Legendborn Cycle, Bree tries to keep her root and her powers connected to Rootcrafting a secret from outside sources, particularly the Order, for fear that they will try to exploit it. For this same reason, the Rootcrafters have kept mostly to themselves, not wanting to face subjugation by powers like the Order if they were to find out the true worth of their power. To all kinds of demons, root is more powerful than aether or human emotions, their other sources of life. This is why Erebus trains Bree to keep her root sealed away so demons cannot sense it and try to consume her powers. However, Erebus takes care not to mention that Bree uses root while around the twins, not only fearing their hunger for her power but also her reputation as a Rootcrafter. While people like the Order dismiss root as folk magic, they also try to exploit it for their own uses, as evidenced by their interest in the missing Rootcrafter girls. Bree observes that “The Regents didn’t think Rootcrafters were a threat valuable enough to capture alive, much less study in a lab somewhere. Erebus didn’t know why the Regents would turn their attention to Rootcrafters now, after dismissing them for so long. But I do […] They want them because of me” (574). The Order wants supreme power and is more than willing to subjugate others for it. Yet the most powerful member of the Legendborn draws her power from root, so they must try to discover how this sacred power can be exploited.
Masks
Both literal and metaphorical masks are recurring symbols throughout the novel, particularly during the collectors’ gala at Penumbra. The gala is a masquerade, and the collectors are all sworn to secrecy regarding their identities for fear of how their reputation may be tainted by association with Mikael. This secrecy is reinforced by the secret identities many of the guests take in order to complete their mission to steal the crown. The demons also wear many masks, as evidenced by the penultimate scene of the novel in which Bree shows Erebus the ghosts of all those he has killed and impersonated. Yet the character most associated with masks in the novel is Nick, as Bree frequently mentions how he pretends to be different people to hide what he is feeling. Bree describes this when Nick is at his communion, saying, “Nick’s masks are up—all of them. The nonchalant heir. The unflappable thief. The impervious liar. The boy without fear” (504). Nick also mentions his masks when he tells Bree that Selwyn has been the only one who has always been able to see through them. Similarly, Nick sees how Bree is wearing metaphorical masks, in part because she has lost part of her soul, and he tells her, “This is not how I want you. I don’t want masks and artifice” (495). Whether the masks are literal or metaphorical, they represent the concealment of truth, and only those who can see beyond the masks can discern the wearer’s true identity.
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