nameless-ones
The Nameless Ones are powerful, feared deities whose domain includes the dark labyrinth beneath the Tombs, central to the priestess's authority.
2 chapters across 1 book
The Tombs of Atuan (1970)Ursula K. Le Guin
In this chapter, Arha, the One Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan, is informed by Kossil that it is time for her to take charge of her full duties, including overseeing the sacrifice of prisoners. Despite her high status, Arha feels confined and bored by the repetitive rituals, but she is eager to explore her true domain, the dark labyrinth beneath the Tombs, which has been kept from her. The chapter explores her growing awareness of her power and the fear others have of the Nameless Ones, as she prepares to enter the secret underground passages.
In this chapter, Arha (Tenar) finds the thief Sparrowhawk unconscious in the Great Treasury beneath the Tombs of Atuan and tends to him. They discuss the nature of the Nameless Ones, the false power of the dark gods, and the significance of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe, revealing Tenar's growing awareness of her freedom from the oppressive religious order and the deeper truths of the world beneath the surface.