The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K Le Guin

The Tombs of Atuan is the second book in the Earthsea series by Ursula K Le Guin. It was first published in 1970 in the winter issue of Worlds of Fantasy and published as a book by Atheneum in 1971. As A Wizard of Earthsea told the first part of the story of Ged as he became a wizard, Atuan tells the story of a young girl called Tenar and how she became the priestess of The Nameless Ones in the Tombs of Atuan.

The book contrasts her early free-spirited life with her family with that of her life after she is taken away at six years old to be a priestess in the gloomy tombs. This is played out in the dark symbolism of the ritual she has to go through as the chosen one, the reincarnation of the first priestess. Her name is changed to Arha, “the eaten one” as she is consecrated into the service of the “Nameless Ones”.

This also contrasts with the first book which set in the expansive world of Earthsea in which Ged travels overseas all round the archipelago. Tenar is trapped in this dark underworld, fighting oppressive forces. This is an important contrast between the world of Ged and Tenar. As a man he has been allowed the privileges of travel and education whilst Tenar has had to put up with barriers, physical and mental, placed in her way. It would’ve been an easy move for Le Guin to continue in a similar vein to the first book and just give us another flowing adventure, but I think this marks her out as a great writer. We start to understand that this is not a world of equality.

Le Guin gives us much to think about, although, like all the Earthsea books, they are exciting to read for the adventure and the great characters she creates.