The River Has Roots

In Chapters 9 through 11, the narrative borrows from several variations of the “Two Sisters” murder ballad to craft a complex story. Only some versions of the tale include the detail of the murdered sister turning into a swan—for instance, Loreena McKennitt’s “The Bonny Swans,” lines of which El-Mohtar borrows for Esther’s song in Chapter 11. In some versions, the murdered sister’s body is found by a miller or miller’s daughter, a role that Agnes and her daughter, Rowan, now occupy. Likewise, some variations include the detail of a wandering harp maker coming across the body and carving a harp from the woman’s bones. In the novella, Rin takes on this role, using the river’s grammar to transform Esther.

The novella also incorporates original elements—most notably, Esther’s choice to live in Arcadia, die as a human, or become the harp to save Ysabel. In giving her the choice, Agnes and the narrative demonstrate Resistance to Patriarchal Oppression: Esther keeps her agency. In choosing to become the harp, she also keeps her voice and exacts revenge on her murderer, bringing the novella to its climax and denouement. By contrast, the magical harp of the traditional folktale ensures that justice is served but transforms the murdered woman’s body into a (quite literal) passive instrument for that justice. 

At the same time, Esther’s decision is less about claiming justice for herself and more about protecting Ysabel, reinforcing the theme of The Importance of Sisterhood and Familial Bonds. Again, in contrast to the traditionally jealous role of the elder sister, Esther proves that her love for her sister comes before all else. She explicitly states that, much as she loves Rin, Ysabel comes first, saying that she would gladly die for Ysabel if needed. The primacy of their sisterly love is key to the conflict’s resolution, as it is the song of love that the sisters crafted together that allows Esther to prove who she is and what Pollard has done. Moreover, Ysabel proves that she has matured enough to understand that Esther’s happiness with Rin is more important than Ysabel’s own loneliness. Additionally, that love is what gives Ysabel the courage to enter the Arcadian lands to visit Esther in the final scene. The two sisters thus demonstrate that their love is supportive, accepting, and unselfish. Each is willing to sacrifice some piece of herself for the other. 

As elsewhere, language and wordplay remain crucial to the plot and themes. This is especially true in Chapter 9, in which Agnes explains some of the rules and oddities of grammar and the transformational power of language. This power largely depends on wordplay, such as the pun on the words “signet” and “cygnet.” Esther’s signet ring, given to her by Rin, is an important symbol. In their betrothal scene, it symbolizes the promise between them. However, as Rin explains in Chapter 9, it also represents Esther’s connection to Arcadia and the choice that she must make about whether to stay there. It is this symbolic connection that allows the River Liss to save Esther and bring her into Arcadia at all. It is also because of the ring that the river turns Esther into a swan. In other parts of the narrative, the power of language is largely metaphorical; Esther’s song, for instance, brings Pollard to justice by revealing the truth, but it does not intervene directly in the course of events. Here, however, The Power of Language becomes literal, able to physically transform a woman into a swan and back again. 

Similarly, it is language, specifically the power of naming things, that allows Rin to transform Esther into a harp and back again once she returns to Arcadia. Lastly, language leads Ysabel to visit Esther in the conclusion: Rin whispers something to Ysabel that gives her the key to walking safely into Arcadia. In keeping with the style of folklore, the narrator demurs from explaining precisely what Rin whispers, instead offering several possibilities. One relates to the title, stating, “If the river has roots, it has branches too; learn to climb them, and find yourself” (98). This line plays with the image of willow roots protruding into the water, as well as the idea of family roots or lineage and the concept of root words in grammar. By learning to navigate these various meanings, Ysabel can find Esther again, giving the narrative a far more hopeful ending than traditional murder ballads usually allow.