Drakon, the Chant, the Dales and the legacy of Shartan

I am starting a new post for this rather than fill up another related one because I dare say it will arouse a bit of controversy. I will be breaking my ideas up into bits because when I spend too long over a post, I seem to go off line and lose it.

As far back as DAO I felt that the Chantry didn't really represent the true faith of Andraste.   This was mostly a gut feeling based off the fact that they had misrepresented her teaching about mages.   Gregoire and others described magic as a curse, yet Andraste quite clearly said it was a gift of the Maker, given for the benefit of others.   So unless those weren't Andraste's words, something was wrong there.   It is hard to benefit the community with your magic when you are locked up in the Circle.  Also there was the revelation about the Divine removing the Canticle of Shartan for political reasons.   That seemed strange to me.   How can you sing the Chant if it isn't all there?  If the Divine took that out, what else might have been omitted  or changed down the years?

DAI threw up a whole lot of new issues, many of which were confirmed in the lore books.   The story of Andraste's march and betrayal given in the Chant and the historical record were totally different on key points such as the location of the Valarian Fields and the site of Andraste's betrayal.   Then we discovered that the elven gods were real, not some fanciful made up story, even if they were mortals elevated to godhood.     Fen'Harel and not the Maker was responsible for shutting away these gods at least.   He also formed the Veil.   All the history that the elves claimed had been around before humans was actually true.    So there was a huge chunk missing from the information given to Andraste by the Maker if that was the case.   Playing an elf, my character was left at the end of the game wondering if they could believe in anything.      I felt inconsistencies in the Chant probably had their origins in the founding of the Chantry but initially I was still struggling with why that would be.

Then only last week end I was re-reading the passage on Kordillus Drakon and we struck by something I hadn't noticed before.    Drakon's family was from Tevinter.   His father was Septimus Drakon, the youngest son of Lord Vanderin Drakon.   The family symbol is a dragon, which not only shrieks Tevinter but also Altus.   Septimus was married to the daughter of a southern chieftan, Castana.   The modern scholars suggested this was his family's way of ridding themselves of an unwanted non-mage child, overlooking the fact that at this time, roughly mid way through the last century before the new era, Soporati had a lot more power and influence in Tevinter, both in their priesthood of Andraste and the Magisterium.   However, Drakon's family was said to be declining in importance.    No doubt they thought to expand their influence elsewhere and revive the family fortunes.   So Castana was a highly political match.   At that time the fledgling nation of Orlais was ruled by a gothi, or queen.   When it came to electing a new one, it could involve a fair amount of infighting and bloodshed between the clans.   Septimus had plenty of experience with the cut throat politics of Tevinter, so he was the ideal partner to assist his wife's rise to power.   Sure enough  she was named gothi in -36 Ancient and Kordillus was born shortly after.  

Prince Drakon ensured that his family remained in control of Orlais thereafter.   No doubt his father had warned him about the mages starting to take back control in Tevinter and this is why he felt he needed to keep them carefully monitored.   However, he would also be aware from Tevinter how to successfully hold together an empire you need not only a powerful ruler but also something to unify the different warring groups and this had been accomplished in the past by having a state religion, first under the Old Gods, then Hessarian's brand of Andrastrianism.   Those who would not conform to the state religion were dealt with ruthlessly.      No doubt it was these ideas that started to influence  young Prince Drakon when planning his rise to power.  

Drakon would have been aware of something else from his Tevinter history.   When Thalsian rose to power, it was as a result of receiving a personal endorsement by the god he promoted.   Hessarian had stated his conversion to the Maker had actually taken place through hearing his voice, which had prompted him to spare Andraste any further suffering.   Later, when he started his bloodbath in establishing the religion, Altus families started to support him having claimed meeting Andraste personally in the Fade.     Of course Andraste herself had received a personal commission from the Maker.    It may be that Drakon's prophetic "vision" from the Maker/Andraste was as a result of his subconscious wanting such a revelation but it does seem awfully convenient that he received this at about the same age as Andraste and was charged with redeeming the world in the eyes of the Maker, just as she was.     Thus everything that followed he could justify by his commission from the Maker/Andraste.

At the tender age of 16, he embarked upon his holy quest, unifying the separate tribes and their faith into one, by the sword.    We are told that across southern Thedas the various Cirianne and Alamaari clans were united only in their devotion to Andraste.   They had their own versions of the Chant, their own traditions, their own rituals.   By the time Drakon had finished there was only one, his own.    This was not an Exalted March like Andraste's where she was trying to free people from slavery and put down the cruelties of the priesthood of the Old Gods.   This was attacking people of his own faith, just because their ideas did not match his own.     I very much doubt that the Maker/Andraste authorised this.   Only one general in his army was female but she was apparently very devout.    She had been gathering together bits of the Chant and transcribing oral traditions from back when Drakon was a boy.   Now she became important in establishing his canonical Chant and ultimately his first  Divine.   She helped decide what went in and what was left out.      Meanwhile, every time Drakon had a set back, rather than considering he might have displeased the Maker, he was convinced he was not being zealous enough.   So he made plans to built the Grand Cathedral "where the true song of Andraste shall forever be heard".   Yeh, right, the true song!     

Clearly some things carried over from the Imperial Chantry.   The Canticle of Silence was adopted as part of the Chant.   However, having male priests was not.   Drakon had clearly seen how he could appease those people who would not recognise a male "gothi" by instead making the Divine female, justifying this by pointing out that she was the icon of Andraste and women were more pure in spiritual roles, while he happily took the more masculine role of converting by the sword.   If Andraste had made any mention of elves or an elven empire, these would have been dismissed because Drakon, following the traditions of Tevinter, would have believed that civilisation began with Tevinter.   It wouldn't do at all to admit that another great civilisation had gone before them, much less that they had copied it.  

Emperor Drakon continued his progress across the south and into modern day Ferelden, doing the same as in Orlais.   It didn't matter to him that the faith was already existing or seemed okay with operating in tandem with some of their old animist beliefs.      Only one faith would do.    However, he never found the cult of Haven, because they had already withdrawn  over a hundred years previously.    The Guardian would have rebuked his claim to a "vision" for as he told Leliana, only Andraste was so favoured.   He would have questioned Drakon believing himself her equal.    He would have repudiated Hessarian's claim to have heard the Maker's voice and that of those Altus.   The spirit in the gauntlet would have confirmed that Hessarian acted out of mercy, a laudable thing in itself.       He would also have seen Shartan.

It is amusing to think that not only did a Divine take out the Canticle of Shartan for political reasons but it was also likely put in for the same reason.    I think Ameridan's belief in a combined pantheon of Creator gods, both elven and the Maker, reflected what many elves likely believed in the Dales.   No doubt they were appalled to see what Drakon was doing to their neighbours but so long as he left them alone, they did not interfere.   When Drakon began his crusade against the other human tribes, he dare not go up against the Dales, for the elves were united and had the Emerald Knights to protect them.    Orlais was not nearly as strong as it later became and even then the Dalish nearly sacked Val Royeaux, only failing because their best general was killed.    Drakon could not attack the Dales so instead he went for an alliance.   Ameridan mentions this.    The 2nd Blight began in 1:5 and then in 1:8 Divine Justinia asked for a translation of the elves' oral tradition by her clerics.   Why not before?   Surely Shartan had played an important role in supporting Andraste?   He is mentioned in one of the earlier works by the title "the Liberator", who rushed with his people to save Andraste from the flames.  May be this was to hide the fact even then he was an elf.   Plus the traditions that Septimus brought with him from Tevinter would likely not include reference to Shartan.   The Magisters of Tevinter would not want to advertise the fact in the liturgy that an elven slave had once led an uprising against them.    No doubt Drakon wanted assistance with the Blight, or to at least ensure the elves would not move against him in his absence.    So he made friendly overtures towards them and showed an interest in their great elven leader, so their leaders would be more likely to accept him.   (I'm very cynical, I know).  

Among their number was a prominent member of the Fade Hunters, the specialist division of the Emerald Knight charged with protecting the Dales from demons, abominations and maleficarum.   I suspect it was at this time that Drakon started to cultivate his friendship.   Then later, when Drakon needed someone to ease the Inquisition into the Chantry fold, he asked Ameridan to be their leader.   Ameridan mentions how he was not actually a Seeker but at that time mages did form part of their number.   Drakon said they needed a leader who inspired loyalty, not fear, and Ameridan was the man for the job.    Ameridan was a good person and a loyal friend.   I also think Drakon hid his darker side from him and managed to persuade him that his previous actions in making a bloodbath of Orlais had been necessary.   Ameridan truly believed that Drakon would hold to his word but he was also concerned that by 1:20-1:22 his own countrymen were no longer so keen on aiding Drakon.    They thought he was no better than the Imperium.    This seemed logical considering what he had done to expand his empire but even more so when you consider that as the child of a Tevinter Altus, technically he was the Imperium.  

There is an odd aspect to the Ameridan story.   He claims that his actions were protecting Orlais.   Yet if the Avaar had poured down the west side of the Frostbacks, surely the first area to suffer would have been the Dales?   However, historically the Avaar have always attacked on the east side of the mountains, into the Ferelden valley.   Of course at this time, the Ferelden Valley was occupied by Orlais.    Not only that but the Avaar were angry that more action wasn't been taken against the Blight that threatened them.     This is why they summoned the dragon in the first place.      I wonder what exactly what was going on.     Ameridan was surprised that  Drakon didn't send someone to look for him.   The companions says this was because of the darkspawn pouring out of the Anderfels, which were otherwise engaging Drakon.   Yet Drakon didn't take his army north until 1:33.    So even if he was engaged fighting darkspawn, wouldn't he be concerned to discover what exactly had become of his old friend, considering the threat he had gone to counter and sent some people to find out that the threat had in fact gone?   

Then in 1:25 came the sack of Montsimmard.    I still maintain that if an elven army could be seen watching, then they likely had marched there to help but realised they had arrived too late, so they simply held the line.    It  is possible that the elves failed to honour their alliance with Drakon but is it not equally possible that Drakon himself was coming to regret making it and so was happy to lose the "old friend" who might have encouraged them to maintain it, plus put the worst possible interpretation on the alleged inaction of the elves?   Thus it could be argued that in breaking the alliance with the "Chosen of Andraste", they had effectively nullified any debt of honour for Shartan's part in Andraste's crusade or the right to the land that she had gifted them?    I had always wondered why the Orlesians felt that were entitled not just to remove the priesthood of the elven gods from the Dales after their victory but the elves themselves.   Surely the gift of their prophet would be sacrosanct.   Not of course if the founder of the Chantry had considered himself her equal.  Whilst Drakon was caught up in the Blight for the rest of his life, his son would likely remember and argue the same way.   Having lost a grip on other parts of the empire, claimed for the Maker by his father, what better way to redeem himself than back a war against the elves?   He was lucky not to lose that one as well.

There is one final thing to consider that likely would have enraged the elves and, when they thought about it, proved to them that Drakon was not the Maker's chosen if they had taken the trouble to read the prophesy and commission he claimed to have received from her.    It lies in the meaning of the name, Glandivalis.   In the elven version of the poem "Where the Willows Wail" there is a line that says: "Ir tela'ena glandival".   This translates as "When we could no longer believe".   So Glandival means "believe".   So whether Andraste named the sword or Shartan did, the name was elven and would have been significant to them both, meaning either "Sword of the Believer" or alternatively "Blade of Faith".    When Andraste gave it to Shartan she said "Take this my Champion and free our people forever".    The "Blade of Faith" is intended for the champion of freedom.   It was a charge she laid on Shartan, given in perpetuity.   After his death it is likely that other elves took up this commission, resulting in the numerous "Shartans" that scholars mention starting uprisings across Tevinter, no doubt putting pressure on Hessarian to adopt the faith, free the elves and allow them to embark on their Long March to their new homeland that Andraste had gifted to her Champion.  Of course if Hessarian had truly adopted the faith, he should have abolished slavery altogether.    Glandivalis may have been lost, either on Shartan's death or later, but the words of Andraste remain attached to his name and that of the sword.   Glandivalis, the Blade of Faith, is intended to ensure the freedom of both elves and humans or in fact any race.   Anyone who takes up that role, becomes the Shartan, Champion of Andraste.

In his prophesy Drakon claims that Andraste named him "Blade of Faith".   If she had done so, then what he should have done is continued her quest for freedom for the slaves.   Instead when he started his crusade he started a bloodbath among the faithful of Andraste herself.    Little wonder the elves of the Dales saw him as no better than the Imperium.   Glandivalis had been lost and until it was found, no one had the right to the title.