Blind Gallan

Blind Gallan [gah-LAN]Steven Erikson Interview and Discussion of The Kharkanas Trilogy - Books with Banks - As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 18:55 was a Tiste Andii poet said to be born in the 1078th year of Burn's Sleep.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 13, Chapter 18, Epigraphs
He lived in the city of Kharkanas. When deeming that he had seen too much, he blinded himself by tearing out his own eyes which he then ate. He was the namesake of the Road to Gallan.Dust of Dreams, Chapter 18
He was the author of The Conspiracy, Hail the Season of War,Dust of Dreams, Chapter 21, Epigraph Trophies of Youth,Forge of Darkness, Chapter 9, US HC p.261 and Incantation.The Crippled God, Chapter 16, Epigraph
He also wrote a play or poem about a fictional character called Varanaxa. It was meant to be a snipe at those fawning over him and he was vilified for the epic farce but did not care.Fall of Light, Chapter 24, UK HB p.748
==In Dust of Dreams==
(Information needed)
==In The Crippled God==
Sandalath Drukorlat thought of him as 'my brilliant, tortured court fool'.The Crippled God, Chapter 5, UK HB p.120
== In The Kharkanas Trilogy==
Galan appeared in the framing sequence of these prequel novels which recalled events that took place tens of thousands of years before the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. In Forge of Darkness, he sat with the bard, Fisher kel Tath, to tell the tale of Anomander Rake and the early history of Kurald Galain.Forge of Darkness, Prelude, UK HC p.xxi In Fall of Light the story continued. Presumably, Galan concluded the tale in the still to be published Walk in Shadow.
His works and sayings appeared to be well known by the people of Kurald Galain and were often quoted.Forge of Darkness, Chapter 3 and others This contradicted epigraphs in Gardens of the Moon which dated his birth to 1078 BS.
==Author comments==
Steven Erikson says the choice to tell the story of the Kharkanas Trilogy through Blind Gallan followed the precedent of the opening and closing poems of the Malazan Book of the Fallen which served as framing device for the story told within the novels. He says it is a signal to the reader to "pay attention to the framing because the framing is going to tell you a lot about the nature of the story being told. And in this case it is Blind Gallan, a poet, telling the story to another poet. The other poet we know as Fisher. And so there is a level of mutual awareness of the manipulative powers of narrative...and that's why Gallan tells you right at the start this is not a history, I'm going to drop things, I'm going to pay attention to some things, I'm going to ignore other things, I'm going to fit it to suit the theme that I'm going to discuss here. And Fisher, he's on board with that because he's also a poet. He's an artist. So there's that other level of intentionality going on in the narrative frame which, hopefully, helps guide the reader to an understanding that that which is presented here isn't just historical recount. That there is subtext to this stuff. And Gallan has reasons for what he does, and saying what he does. And even changing and manipulating the events to suit his purpose."Steven Erikson Interview and Discussion of The Kharkanas Trilogy - Books with Banks - See 17:55 Gallan "may pronounce that he doesn't pick sides, but he's definitely got a side going here. And the narration he creates is a self-conscious narration because he's looking across the table at Fisher and he knows he can't bullshit Fisher, alright, so there's a self-consciousness that both of them are aware of."Kharkanas (and more) with Steven Erikson - Smiley's Podcast - See 44:20
==Quotes==
==Notes and references==
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Category:Tiste Andii
de:Gallan der Blinde