Midwinterblood Language and Communication

Déjà vu: that strange feeling we sometimes get that what is happening now has already happened. Midwinterblood is big on déjà vu moments, and for good reason. Not only do we have the same characters in the same setting with the same symbols across stories, but we also run into the same dialogue. Eric and Merle say similar phrases over and over again in different lifetimes, but far from being boring, these little language hints weave their stories together. And, like déjà vu, they're even a little bit creepy when they pop up out of nowhere.

Questions About Language and Communication

1. Eric is the only one who ever says, "So it is," but several people utter variations on speak of the Devil. Why do you think this is? Doesn't Merle deserve a saying that's all her own?
2. How do Eric and Merle's little catchphrases fit with their characters?
3. Why does Eric tend to feel at a loss for words around Merle? Compare this to his feelings as King Eirikr when he's looking at the sorrowful Queen Melle?
4. Have you ever experienced déjà vu? Tell us all about it.

Chew on This

Queen Melle's verbal pledge to follow King Eirikr is what sets the entire story in motion. Without these words, neither of them could have lived on.

Tor and Eric are both referred to as "devils" and "beasts" throughout the story by Merle because they both have a supernatural and otherworldly presence in her life.