Stephen King's the Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance Revised and Updated

by Robin Furth

  Roland’s mother read him this book when he was a small boy. The line he remembers best of all is “Hile Sir Throcken.” It was in the pages of this book that Roland first discovered the term throcken, which was the ancient word for a billy-bumbler. W:7

  2. MAGIC TALES OF THE ELD (“The Wind Through the Keyhole”)

  When Roland was a child and his mother read him to sleep in his tower bedroom, his favorite book was Magic Tales of the Eld. The book contained a dozen hand-colored woodcut illustrations, but Roland’s favorite was of six bumblers, their snouts raised, sitting on a fallen tree in the forest beneath a crescent moon. This illustration belonged to the story “The Wind Through the Keyhole,” from which the Dark Tower novel, The Wind Through the Keyhole takes its name. The original story tells the early adventures of Tim Ross, a woodcutter’s son, who identifies his father’s murderer and then goes on a quest into the Endless Forest so that he can find the magician Maerlyn. (He wants the magician to restore his mother’s sight.) Later in life, Tim became a gunslinger. According to some tales, he even made it to the Dark Tower. W:14

  V: PRAYERS/RITUALS

  1. DEATH PRAYER

  Roland translates this prayer for us and recites it over Jake’s grave. (VII:474)

  Time flies, knells call, life passes, so hear my prayer.

  Birth is nothing but death begun, so hear my prayer.

  Death is speechless, so hear my speech.

  This is Jake, who served his ka and his tet. Say true.

  May the forgiving glance of S’mana heal his heart. Say please.

  May the arms of Gan raise him from the darkness of the earth. Say please.

  Surround him, Gan, with light.

  Fill him, Chloe, with strength.

  If he is thirsty, give him water in the clearing.

  If he is hungry, give him food in the clearing.

  May his life on this earth and the pain of his passing become

  as a dream to his waking soul, and let his eyes fall upon

  every lovely sight; let him find the friends that were lost to him,

  and let every one whose name he calls call his in return.

  This is Jake, who lived well, loved his own, and died as ka would have it.

  Each man owes a death. This is Jake. Give him peace.

  2. GUNSLINGER LITANY

  Every gunslinger must learn to recite the following litany. (V:155–56)

  I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I aim with my eye. I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind. I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart.

  3. MANNI PRAYER (I)

  This is the praise-prayer Henchick gives when the Unfound Door opens. We are not given a translation. (VI:42)

  Over-sam kammen!

  Can-tah, can-kavar kammen!

  Over-can-tah!

  4. MANNI PRAYER (II)

  The Manni repeat this short prayer after Henchick prays to the Over in front of the Unfound Door. Henchick’s prayer to the Over is for safe passage and success of endeavor with no loss of life or sanity. He also begs the Over to enliven their mags and bobs, and for kaven, or the persistence of magic. We are not given Henchick’s words, nor are we given a translation of the short prayer, listed below. (VI:26)

  Over-sam,

  Over-kra,

  Over-can-tah.

  5. PRAYER AFTER A SUCCESSFUL HUNT

  Roland recites this prayer after he and Susannah successfully hunt down deer. The prayer is addressed to the head of a dead deer. (VII:636–37)

  We thank you for what we are about to receive.

  (Father, we thank thee.)

  Guide our hands and guide our hearts as we take life from death.

  6. A SHORT PRAYER SAID OVER THE BODIES OF THE DEAD

  “Give you peace,” or “I give you the peace of the clearing.” This prayer is accompanied by a benedictory gesture—pronging two fingers of the right hand and drawing them downward in front of the dead person’s face. VII:51

  7. A SHORT PRAYER FOR THE ROSE

  This short prayer is written on a plaque by the garden of the Rose, located in the lobby of the Tet Corporation’s headquarters:

  Cam-a-cam-mal

  Pria-Toi,

  Gan Delah

  The translation is “White over Red, Thus God Wills Ever,” or “Good over evil, this is the will of God.” VII:504

  8. WHEN YOU MUST BID SOMEONE A FINAL FAREWELL

  “May we meet in the clearing at the end of the path when all worlds end.” VII:801

  9. RITUAL TO PREPARE THE DEAD TO ENTER THE CLEARING (NORTH’RD BARONY)

  This ritual comes from the village of Tree, located in North’rd Barony. Although most of the folk in Tree preferred to see to their own dead (interring them on their own land with a wooden cross, if they followed the Man Jesus, or a slab of roughly carved stone), the town still had a burying parlor.

  The newly dead person was washed and anointed with oils. A piece of birch bark inscribed with the names of the dead man’s family was placed in his right hand. A blue spot was put on his forehead and he was wrapped in a fine linen shroud. Finally, he would be placed in a coffin of ironwood, which would keep his mortal remains very well for a thousand years or more. The body was placed in a little room with forest scenes painted on the walls. The ironwood bier in the center—that open space that represented the clearing at the end of life’s path—was where the coffin was placed. (This was where a person’s ka traveled after death.) In Tree, it was customary to wear white for the dead.

  W:176–77, W:179

  10. RITUAL FOR THE DEATH OF A WELL-BORN PERSON IN GILEAD

  After the death of Roland’s mother, Gabrielle Deschain, every man in Gilead wore a black collar of mourning or a black band around his shirtsleeve. Women wore black nets on their hair. This went on until Gabrielle had been six months in her tomb. W:35

  11. RITUAL FOR A PERSON WHO HAS COMMITTED SUICIDE

  When someone of high blood committed suicide in Gilead, the publishment of her death declared that she had died while possessed of a demon which troubled her spirit. W:37

  V: PROPHECIES

  1. PROPHECY ABOUT THE CRIMSON KING

  When Roland was a boy, he heard a bit of doggerel which predicted the death of the Crimson King. According to this prophecy, the Red King would kill himself with a spoon. The second part of the prophecy stated that Los the Red could be killed by Roland’s guns, since their barrels were made from Arthur Eld’s great sword, Excalibur. However, by swallowing the sharpened spoon, the Crimson King made himself Undead, and so safe from even Roland’s guns. It’s a shame we never get to hear the actual prophecy. (VII:607–8)

  2. PROPHECY FOR THE LINE OF ELD

  Mordred Deschain’s birth fulfills an ancient prophecy which foretells the destruction of the last gunslinger—Roland Deschain. As we know from the Dark Tower series, Roland was tricked into conceiving a child with his ka-tet mate Susannah Dean. Roland’s sperm was taken by a Demon Elemental (posing as the Oracle of the Mountains), which then turned itself into a male and impregnated Susannah in the Speaking Ring where she, Roland, and Eddie drew Jake Chambers into Mid-World. Although Roland is not actually Susannah’s father, he is her dinh, or leader, and so is the father of their ka-tet. (VI:252). The prophecy reads as follows:

  He who ends the line of Eld shall conceive a child of incest with his sister or his daughter, and the child will be marked, by his red heel shall you know him. It is he who shall stop the breath of the last warrior.

  APPENDIX IV MID-WORLD MISCELLANY

  MID-WORLD DANCES

  **Commala (Sowing Night Cotillion or Sowing Night Cotil’): This was the name of Gilead’s Spring Dance. The geometric steps of this dance were meant to mimic a courting ritual. We learn about it in the 2003 version of The Gunslinger.

  Pol-kam: This dance was po
pular in Gilead. It was lighter and faster than a waltz. I:137

  Quesa: A simple sort of reel danced in Hambry. IV:209

  Waltz: Waltzing was popular in Gilead. I:137

  MID-WORLD DISEASES

  Blood-sickness: This one sounds a bit like blood-poisoning, but it could also be another blood-related illness. III:248

  Mandrus: A venereal disease found in Lud. It’s also called Whore’s Blossoms. III:297

  Mutation: Mid-World’s many mutations were caused by the Great Poisoning. See MUTANTS, in CHARACTERS. See also MID-WORLD ARGOT: THE GREAT POISONING, in APPENDIX I.

  Rabies: We have this one in our world too. III:296

  Rot: This disease affects the Border Dwellers of the Mohaine Desert. It is a lot like leprosy. I:15, I:18

  Superflu: This one actually affects the alternative Topeka, not Mid-World. It is also known as Captain Trips and Tube-Neck. IV:73

  Wasting Disease: IV:307

  MID-WORLD DRUGS

  Alder-bark: Helps bad breath. II:363

  Graf: Strong apple beer.

  Mescaline: A hallucinogen that helps gunslingers see and communicate with demons. I:125, I:127

  Pettibone: An alcoholic drink. IV:251

  Sugar: Good for energy bursts. II:103–4

  MID-WORLD GAMES

  Castles: A game very much like Chess. IV:191

  **Croquet and Points: These games were popular among Gilead’s ladies. In the 2003 version of The Gunslinger, we find out that Points is played with ninepins. It sounds a bit like bowling. I:88, I:96

  Faro: This is probably a betting card game, since Sylvia Pittston makes her followers repent playing it. I:50

  **Gran-Points: In this game you hold a bat and wait for a rawhide bird to be pitched. It sounds a bit like baseball.

  Jacks Pop Up: A card game for children. W:105

  **Mother Says: This children’s game is similar to Simon Says.

  Watch Me: This is one of Mid-World’s card games. People tend to bet, and the games can get rather dangerous. I:26–27

  MID-WORLD HOLIDAYS AND CARNIVALS

  All-Saints Eve: I:32

  Baron’s Year-End parties: III:50

  Dance of Easterling: This great party marked the end of the Wide Earth and the advent of Sowing. IV:194

  **Easter Night: In the 2003 version of The Gunslinger, the Easter Night Dance is replaced by the Sowing Night Cotillion. I:150, I:156

  Fair-Day Riddling: Riddling was an extremely important game in Mid-World-that-was. Riddling was believed to hold incredible power. A good Fair-Day Riddling contest would ensure that the crops grew well. III:281

  Fair-Days: Here is a list of Mid-World’s seasonal Fair-Days. III:416

  Winter

  Wide Earth

  Sowing (New Earth or Fresh Commala)

  Mid-Summer

  Full Earth

  Reaping

  Year’s End

  **Feast of Joseph fairtime: In the 2003 version of The Gunslinger, this holiday is renamed the Feast of Reaptide Fair. I:186

  Glowing Day: Cuthbert liked this holiday because of the fireworks and the ice. IV:185

  MID-WORLD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

  Fiddles: I:145

  Guitars: IV:194

  Way-Gog Music: This instrument, which is a bit like a bagpipe, isn’t actually from Mid-World. It is played on the upper levels of the Tower. III:409

  MID-WORLD RELIGIONS

  In The Little Sisters of Eluria, we’re told that in Mid-World, faith—like everything else—had moved on. As far as Roland was concerned, the God o’ the Cross was just another religion which taught that love and murder were inextricably bound together. In the end, all gods drank blood. E:147

  For a list of Mid-World gods, see GODS OF MID-WORLD and GUARDIANS OF THE BEAM, both listed in the CHARACTERS section. Also see MID-WORLD FOLKLORE.

  Christian (general): In Mid-World, Christians are called “followers of the Jesus-man” or of the God o’ the Cross. E:147

  Methodism: I:34

  Guardian Totems: IV:222

  Pagan Religions: See GODS OF MID-WORLD in CHARACTERS

  MID-WORLD SIGULS

  Christian Medallions: A Christian medallion saves Roland from the Little Sisters of Eluria. E:182

  Coffins and Blue Coffin Tattoos: These tattoos adorn the hands of the Big Coffin Hunters. Tick-Tock of the Grays wears a coffin-shaped clock around his neck. In Wolves of the Calla, we find out that the low men also bear coffin–shaped tattoos. IV:155

  The Dark Bells: The Dark Bells are the sigul of the Little Sisters of Eluria. E:184

  The Eye: This is the sigul of John Farson, but it is also the sigul of the Crimson King. IV:91

  Fist and Thunderbolt: This is a lot like Mid-World’s version of the swastika. III:275

  Jesus-ManSigul: A crucifix. E:153

  Rose: The Little Sisters of Eluria wear an embroidered rose on their habits. It is the sigul of the Dark Tower. E:165

  APPENDIX V THE TOWER, THE QUEST, AND THE EYES OF THE DRAGON

  A question recently arose on the Stephen King Web-site message board concerning the relationship between the Dark Tower books and The Eyes of the Dragon. The Constant Reader who posted the query wanted others to share their thoughts about where The Eyes of the Dragon should be placed on the Dark Tower timeline. Does Eyes take place before or after the rule of Roland’s illustrious ancestor Arthur Eld? Is our Roland a descendant of King Roland? And, by extension, is the house of Delain related to the house of Deschain? Having just completed a Dark Tower timeline (it should be posted on-site soon), I found this question really interesting, so I thought I’d throw in my own two cents’ worth of commentary.

  My first job was to reread Eyes. I too had always assumed that The Eyes of the Dragon took place in Roland’s world, albeit in the distant past. However, once I took a good long look at my timeline, at Volume I of my Concordance, and at the many, many notes and maps spread about my workroom, I realized that I had a very big problem. Namely, The Eyes of the Dragon doesn’t fit into the history of Roland’s world. Before you reach for your six-gun to shoot me, hear me out. Then decide what you think. As you read, keep in mind that familiar phrase, the essence of which I will return to at the end of my entry: There are other worlds than these. As Jake Chambers so eloquently stated before his free fall into the abyss below the Cyclopean Mountains, no world stands alone. A universe consists of many worlds, and the Dark Tower contains all of them. Some levels of the Dark Tower may be unique, some may be dangerous or downright deadly, but the majority of them seem like slightly distorted echoes of each other.

  As we’ve seen over and over in the Dark Tower series, the multiverse is almost like a rabbit warren, with many secret entrances and byways leading from one “Earth” or “Mid-World” to another. As the Manni know so well, unwary travelers must beware. If you dare to click the heels of your ruby slippers together (or in the case of the Manni, set your plumb bob swinging), there is no guarantee that you will be able to return to the world that you left. There may only be one Keystone Earth, but there are many variants of that Earth. Eddie Dean may think that he comes from the same New York City as Calvin Tower, but in Eddie’s world, Co-Op City is in Brooklyn. In Calvin’s, it’s in the Bronx.

  As Callahan discovered during his five years traveling along the highways in hiding, and as our ka-tet found out in the alternative Kansas, the worlds-next-door may look the same as ours, but upon close scrutiny they prove to be subtly, but significantly, different. Though their landscapes are almost identical, and though they seem to share our history and culture, at some point in time those worlds, and ours, diverged. In Wolves of the Calla, Pere Callahan recounts his travels through the multiple Americas, which he calls the vertical geographies of chance (V:298). In Callahan’s version of Earth, as in ours, Fort Lee sits on the far side of the George Washington Bridge, yet during his travels through the alternative Americas, he leaves New York City via the G.W. only to find himself in a town called Leabrook, where the fac
e of someone named Chadborne decorates the ten-dollar bill and a politician named Earnest “Fritz” Hollings is elected president (V:300, V:305). Similarly, Susannah, Eddie, and Jake disembark from Blaine the Insane Mono into what they think is our world’s Kansas, only to find that the Takuro Spirit–driving and Nozz-A-La-cola-drinking inhabitants have all been killed off by a disease called superflu.

  Certainly, what holds true for our world also holds true for Roland’s. We live on Keystone Earth, the template for all of the alternative Earths, but Roland comes from Tower Keystone, the template for all of the multiple Mid-Worlds. If there are many worlds similar to ours spinning about the central needle of the Dark Tower, then surely there are alternative versions of Roland’s world to be found there as well. However, even by stating this obvious fact, I leave out a very important point. Related worlds can have differences that are as arresting as their similarities. After all, as Eddie Dean states in The Dark Tower, Roland’s world and our world are also twins. Despite their divergent histories and apparent differences, they are protected by the same divine forces and are attacked by the same enemies.

  As we all know, there are many striking similarities between the world depicted in The Eyes of the Dragon and the one we travel in during the Dark Tower series. In both tales, Roland is a royal name. The halls of the rich and powerful are adorned with Kashamin rugs, and the weapons of kings are made of sandalwood. In Delain, as in Gilead, Old Star shines in the night sky. People wonder about the semimythical Grand Featherex, and magicians (both good and evil) have the power to make themselves dim. Those born to aristocratic families are said to be of High Blood, and records are written, and read, using the Great Letters. Gunpowder is rare, and extremely valuable.

  In both Delain and Gilead, the distant (and somewhat sinister) land of Garlan is well known for its poisons. Both the Dragon Sand used to kill King Roland of Delain and the poisoned knife meant to murder Steven Deschain of Gilead originated in Garlan. John Norman, whom we met in the Dark Tower novella “The Little Sisters of Eluria,” was born in Delain (a land also known as Dragon’s Lair and Liar’s Heaven), which also seems to imply that The Eyes of the Dragon and the Dark Tower series both take place on the same level of the Tower.