When you're living in a place full of primordial, magical forces, a system of control is crucial. In Sabriel, unchecked magic is not only dangerous—it can be downright deadly, as we see when Free Magic spirit Mogget is released from cat form.
The Old Kingdom is built on rules of the Charter, which impose order on the chaos of the supernatural. When the Charter Stones in the capital city are broken though, chaos ensues: Dead creatures escape from Death, and the kingdom is thrown into anarchy. Even in Death itself, there's a specific order to things, a progression of gates through which the Dead must pass. Sabriel needs to be familiar with this ancient system in order to carry out her job as Abhorsen—scratch that, this girl needs to know all the rules about everywhere in order to get her job done.
Questions About Rules and Order
- Kerrigor seeks power by causing chaos—he breaks Charter stones and murders members of the Royal family. In Sabriel, is rule-breaking always seen as the ultimate evil?
- There's a physical dividing line between Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom, and very strict rules about who gets to cross the line. Why is this division important? What would happen if these rules were not in place?
- Necromancy has its own set of specific rules, outlined in the Book of the Dead. At the book's opening, we see Sabriel step over the line and break one of these rules, reviving a pet rabbit for a young friend (1.21). Is she ever tempted to break a rule again?
- At the book's opening, Sabriel's father rescues her from Death, even though he later tells Sabriel she must never raise the dead. Is he breaking a rule to do so? What's behind his decision to save his infant child?
Chew on This
They should tear down the wall between Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom.
Sabriel did the right thing by bringing her friend's rabbit back to life.