Brisingr

In basic terms, Brisingr is defined as “fire” in the ancient language. Readers may recognize that this word was the first spell ever to be uttered by Eragon. Brom taught him how to harness the natural power of spellcasting through this word. In Brisingr, after recognizing that author Christopher Paolini has chosen to use this word as the title for his third novel in the Inheritance series, the first instance where the word appears is when Eragon, Saphira, and Roran are attempting to find an entrance into Helgrind. By invoking a modification on the spell, Eragon produces a red werelight which they are able to use as a guide and defense mechanism on the mountain.

Eragon goes on to use the ancient spell several more times within the first chapters to demonstrate its usefulness both as a weapon and as a guide for the travelling party. The second time Eragon invokes Brisingr, using the spell produces a fireball that is capable of distracting the Ra’zac and Lethrblaka in combat in Helgrind. He goes on to use the spell a third time in order to create a light so that he and Roran can find Katrina in her cell. Paolini has chosen to load these first chapters with the title word in order to showcase its multiple functions within the text as a spell. By revisiting a simple spell from Eragon’s past, Paolini is also tying the current narrative to its previous volumes.

By reminding the reader of the origin of the term, Paolini is setting up the possibility that a simple word or spell can be used in multiple ways. Brisingr by itself invokes fire, but the term Brisingr raudhr produces a red werelight. In this way, the reader gains a level of perspective into the world of spellcasting for Alagaësians. This is a technique utilized by many authors to show progress within a character’s development, in this case Eragon is growing in his power as a capable spellcaster and as the final Rider. It is a tangible way of showing growth through knowledge.

Of course, the reader anticipates that this early invocation of the term and its broad definition will lead to more uses within the text further on. After Eragon visits Rhunon and she crafts a blade for him, he is tasked with the job of naming this sword. Ultimately he decides to call it Brisingr because of the memory it invokes of the time with his first mentor Brom. At this point in the narrative, Eragon has recently been told that Brom was his father and is feeling peculiarly nostalgic. He decides to honor the memory of his father by naming his sword Brisingr; when he speaks its name for the first time, to his shock flames erupt from the blade itself. Rhunon is equally surprised but speculates this could be because Eragon sang some of his magic into the sword during its making. Eragon goes on to use his flaming sword in the siege of Feinster by invoking its name before slashing through an iron gate, allowing the Varden into the central keep and thus to victory. While this is the extent of its practical use in this volume, the reader assumes it will be a key tool toward the defeat of Murtagh and Thorn and ultimately Galbatorix in the final fourth volume of the Inheritance series.