Dragaera

The Demon Goddess (was Re: Devera [was: protection])

Glenn Ellingson geewiz at mac.com
Sat Jun 15 09:32:25 PDT 2002

There has been a bit of discussion around the Verra, but I havn't seen 
anyone come out and address the "demon goddess" part....

When I read BDP long ago I assumed that Verra was called the Demon Goddess 
because of her capricious nature. But having read all the Vlad books 
perhaps this "title" derives from the fact that Verra was once enslaved by 
the Jenoine? After all, we're told that the difference betweeen a god and 
a demon is that a demon can be controlled (if you dare to try...). But 
having once been a demon (who successfully rebelled against the  Jenoine) 
she is now a god, sitting in the halls of judgement 'n all, no longer 
controlled and maybe not controllable?

I also, having just gone back and re-read almost everything, don't really 
understand the *point* of BDP. I guess Fenario's worship of Verra had 
become stifling, so she had to go to allow the country to move on? But 
that seems a little shallow. I mean, killing a god so that a tiny 
postage-stamp "kingdom" can change its politics? It has to be deeper; 
otherwise why would Bolk untervene this way? But I don't get it, and I 
wonder if it will tie in further with the books that take place in the 
Dragaeran Empire.

-- Glenn Ellingson