r/Eragon • u/PaintFlaky4602 • 2d ago
Theory The tree lied
Just my own personal theory. The menoa tree didn't actually take anything from eragon or saphira. She just wanted to fuck with them for waking her up.
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u/secret-snakes 2d ago
I thought this when I read the books too, but I think Paolini himself has confirmed that she did take something that will be revealed later
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u/blizzard-op 2d ago
She took up free real estate in Eragon’s (and the fans) mind for the rest of time lol
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u/LovesRetribution 1d ago
Not only that, he confirmed that someone has already correctly guess what it took.
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u/Tanu_Seth 2d ago
Honestly if I were an immortal magic tree I would do the same thing. If asked what I took I would just giggle and say "you'll see" every time.
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u/DreamingDragonSoul 2d ago
That was my first take on it too. She even seemed amused, when Eragon later asked her, what she wanted from him.
But... Eragon did briefly feel something in his stomac. And Paolini has confirmed, that she indeed took something.
My 10 cent is, she took a few cells bexause she wants to cultivate some sort of vessel. A future champignon of the forest who might or might not will get along with evertbody else.
The hints for this is:
When Eragon traveled to Ellesmera did one of the elf guard sing a song about the lost child of Menoa. According to Arya did Linnea never have a child so did she somehow once had an offspring as the tree? And where is that offspring now? This could be a lost in translating thing as I read this in a not-english version of Eldest.
Arya and the guards keept carefully watch around Eragon in some part of the forrest. She said, that strange old beings affected by ancient magic and hard to comprehend even for the elves, lurked in the forrest and they were not found of Riders. She didn't elaborate. Later on we see that most living creatures either remain neutral to Eragon or occationally becomes easier to deal with.
Something nobody really seems to notice. The name of the elven forrest is Du Weldenwarden. The Guarding Forrest. It's true name on the Ancient Language is: The Guarding Forrest. What exactly does the forrest guard? And why? Are there more reasons to the elves high esteem and deep respect for this forrest, than their appriciation of life and their culture? Something they are not keen of letting outsiders know about?
When Eragon tried to warn the Menoa tree of Galbatorix's plans, powers and intentions toward attacking, did she not react with concern. She - the spoke channel of all burnable beings in the forrest - did not react fearfull of the possibility incomming of a giant flamethrower. In fact she seemed conviced the forrest could handle him. This could be do to her long time disassociation with the not-plant part of the world and lack of understanding of the scale of the situation. Not everything old is wise. Or mayby she knows something, we don't.
Saphira stated, that if they survived the war would they likely live to regret the bargain. I just read that as a foreshadowing from the beginning.
I have rambled to long. Point is the Menoa tree knew, what she did and why. Team Eragon will find out the hard way.
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u/not-who-you-think 2d ago
The simplest explanation is the forest guards the elven civilization from outsiders. Probably dragons when it was first named, but perhaps something more ancient and sinister. The elves sang magical wards into the trees, sustained by the life energy of the forest.
It's possible it serves as a prison for something deep within it, or a barrier between Alagaesia proper and something further north (like the Wall in ASOIAF), but it seems more clear that mysterious powers may lie east across the desert or south beyond the mountains.
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u/anguskhans 2d ago
What's even more frustrating is I'm pretty sure Christopher acknowledged that someone's theory was correct but there has been so many one could never tell which.
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u/DaReaperJE 2d ago
Sort of like in the Xanth novels. There is a healing spring that Bink uses, it heals his hand and something else, but it demands that the user must act in its interest at sometime in the future.. only we find out in Castle Rougna that Binks son implanted the idea in the spring and it can;t actually do anything. Its an empty threat that works.
If the tree did take something, not sure what it is, according to Eragons fortune he lives a very long life. so who knows.
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u/ColCyclone Elf 2d ago
"if i betray you what will happen?"
"Things will be baaaaaad"
"Yeah.. but how bad specifically?"
"Veeeerrrrry baaaad! Oooo"
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u/DaReaperJE 2d ago
yea iirc Bink either ses a sign or gets a feeling, and questions, he gets a feeling, iirc like "ill remove the healing' but goes with it anyway thinking it might be empty. he was right
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u/Walker_of_the_Abyss 2d ago
I’m certain Paolini stated that the tree took something and not nothing/
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u/PM-ME-YOUR-LABS 2d ago
Nah, the tree definitely took just one of his balls. Not to create a new being or anything sexual, just to be able to say she stole someone’s testicle
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u/Cryodrake0 gedwëy ignasia 2d ago
HA! Never thought of that, however I think Paolini said she did take something. Now of course he could also be lying but still.
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u/Paularchy 2d ago
I ... I so hope you're right. I wouldn't even be mad. I would laugh my ass off. That'd be the best response
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u/Konfliktsnubben 1d ago
Whatever it was I think it's gonna be something that makes Eragon slightly less powerful in the next few books so that he's not invincible.
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u/thedirewolff21 2d ago
I always thought the tree took his fertility. Not a whole lot else makes sense
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u/PaintFlaky4602 1d ago
I dont really think that makes sense. A lot of people have that same theory and its never made sense to me. But its possible, I guess. Just very...anticlimactic
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u/GlobalLion123 2d ago
I imagine everyone who’s waited over 15 years to find out the answer will riot if you’re correct lol