The Primal of Blood and Bone

Blood and bone function as a key symbol in the novel, illustrating the dualistic aspect of creation. While blood represents the life-force, bone stands for death. While the two appear contradictory images, the text presents a far more complex symbolism around blood and bone. Blood is vital and life-giving, its red the color of poppies and vibrancy. The act of partaking blood to renew eather shows the centrality and sacredness of blood in Atlantian culture. However, blood is also associated with violence, gore, and cruelty. The Ascended revel in shedding the blood of mortals and store their blood in vast containers. Kolis and his acolytes are often associated with the color of blood. The ambiguous portrayal shows that blood can be both life-giving and life-sapping, depending on the individual. Similarly, great power can turn destructive and corrupt.

Bone, bare and cold, traditionally has a negative association, like death itself. Bones are also seen as dangerous and powerful, since the bones of the Ancients have the power to absorb the life force of other gods, and can thus be used to harm them. As Cas’s destructive powers take over, he increasingly shows his Primal form as a skeletal being wreathed in smoke. However, bone also stands for liberation from the cycle of rebirth and great change. The new order rises only when the old grows skeletal and dies. This shows neither bone, nor death, are inherently negative. In fact, blood and bone together represent the balance that is crucial for creation, acting in tandem to power the realms, as indicated by Poppy’s Primal sign of the circle of life with a cross within.