Tailchaser's Song

Infobox Book |
name = Tailchaser's Song
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
author = Tad Williams
illustrator =
cover_artist = Braldt Bralds
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Fantasy
publisher = DAW Books
release_date = November 21, 1985
media_type = Print (Hardback and Paperback)
pages = 333 (Hardback) & 400 (Paperback)
isbn = ISBN 0-8099-0002-5 (Hardback) & ISBN 0-88677-953-7 (Paperback)

"Tailchaser's Song" is a fantasy novel by Tad Williams about a personified cat named Fritti Tailchaser.

Plot introduction

The novel is set in the world as cats see it, with Man being a mysterious and distrusted creature in the eyes of feral cats. Contrary to their own opinion, the cats, or the Folk, as they call themselves, are not the dominant lifeform on the planet. The novel takes the approach that all creatures consider their kind to be the dominant species of the planet. With this premise, Williams tells his tale of fantasy adventure and heroic bravery.

Plot summary

Fritti Tailchaser, a young ginger tom cat sets out to stray from his home and clan, the Meeting Wall Clan, in search of his catfriend Hushpad after strange disappearances of the Folk have been reported. The kitten Pouncequick follows him, and eventually catches up. Together, they set out on a long journey to visit the Court of Harar with the intention of finding out the mystery of the disappearances. They meet a rather crazy cat named Eatbugs, who travels with them for parts of the journey to the court. Soon they run into some Firstwalkers, cats who live in the wild of a direct bloodline from Goldeneye and Skydancer. Their Thane (leader) Quiverclaw fights with Tailchaser, but it is more a ceremonial fight and there are no disagreements. Soon they must part ways. They make their way to Firsthome and the Court, but are treated there with relative indifference. They pick up a new friend, Roofshadow, and go northwest. They are taken to Vastnir, an enormous mound far to the north, where the evil Grizraz Hearteater enslaves cats to take over the world.Tailchaser needs to alert Prince Fencewalker and Thane Quiverclaw about his evil doings.Soon, Roofshadow creates a hole from above ground, and Tailchaser manages to escape, and races to Ratwood, where he asks the Rikchikchik(squirrels) to alert them for him.He feels guilty with Pouncequick, Eatbugs, and Roofshadow trapped in Vastnir because of him.He returns to the dreadful mound,where,thankfully, the Thane and Fencewalker come to the rescue.Lord Hearteater(they call him the Fat One)unleashes the Fikos, a monster of terrible power.Tailchaser takes advantage of the chaos to rescue Pouncequick, Eatbugs, and Roofshadow.They go through the havoc of Vastnir, and lose Eatbugs, the mad cat, on the way.Rofshadow and Pouncequick escape while Tailchaser goes back to find Eatbugs.He goes into a crevice and sees Lord Tangaloor Firefoot,and feels dazed and confused. He runs out of Vastnir(which means he didn't retrieve Eatbugs)and meets Roofshadow. After healing, Pouncequick decides to return to Firsthome and stay there. Roofshadow wants to accompany him, thus, Tailchaser is left on his quest.He goes East to Bigwater(Qu'cef) and sneaks into a large nut husk(boat) A M'an approaches and rows across, taking him to Villa-on-Mar.There he meets Huff-so-Gruff, a Growler, and sneaks in an open window. There, in the room, he finds none other than...Hushpad herself.Hushpad wishes to stay, though, so Tailchaser, too, stays.But he vows to go back, to see his Meeting Wall friends, to hunt, to see Pouncequick and Roofshadow once more...

Folk and Folklore

The cats of "Tailchaser's Song" have a well established system of songs, poems, and godly figures, such as Meerclar the Allmother and her Two, Harar Goldeneye and Fela Skydancer, and the three Firstborn cats. The cats, as one brethren, call themselves 'the Folk'. The novel contains a developed system of cat speech and style as well, to go with their customs.

Firstborn

(Quote from the novel):

:"In the Hour before time began, Meerclar Allmother came out of the darkness to the cold earth. She was black, and as furry as all the world come together to be fur. Meerclar banished the eternal night, and brought forth the Two.

:Harar Goldeneye had eyes as hot and bright as the sun at the Hour of Smaller Shadows; he was the color of daytime, and courage, and dancing.

:Fela Skydancer, his mate, was beautiful, like freedom, and clouds, and the song of travelers returned.

:Goldeneye and Skydancer bore many children and raised them in the forest that covered the world at the beginnings of the Elder Days. Climbfast, Wolf-friend, Treesinger, and Brightnail, their young, were strong of tooth, sharp of eye, light of foot and straight and brave to their tail-ends.

:But most strange and beautiful of the countless children of Harar and Fela were the three Firstborn.

:The eldest of the Firstborn was Viror Whitewind; he was the color of sunlight on snow, and of swiftness....

:The middle child was Grizraz Hearteater, as grey as shadows and full of strangeness....

:Third-born was Tangaloor Firefoot. He was as black as Meerclar Allmother, but his paws were red like flame. He walked alone, and sang to himself."

Viror Whitewind was strong and fast, whereas Tangaloor Firefoot was very clever. Grizraz Hearteater, having no special talent became jealous and raised up a demon-hound, Ptomalkum, the last spawn of Venris. It destroyed many Folk before Whitewind slew it. Whitewind received mortal wounds and soon died. Hearteater fled underground, and Firefoot refused to accept the Mantle of the King of Cats.

Influences

It has been noted that Tad Williams may have been influenced by poetry and literature written about cats, such as Rudyard Kipling's "The Cat That Walked By Himself" and T. S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats". For example, cats have three names, much as described in "The Naming of Cats" from Eliot's book. It is also worth noting the development of language for the animals is reminiscent of Richard Adams' "Watership Down".

Language and Pronunciation

Tad Williams has come up with a very large variety of terms, called the Higher Singing, used by the cats to express themselves and explain things. Included in the book is a complete glossary, as well as a character 'directory' and a map of Tailchaser's world. Also included are Williams' notes on pronunciation, which apply not only to spoken words but to first names as well (such as Fritti, Harar, or Meerclar):

Trivia

*In "Barlowe's Guide to Fantasy" by Wayne Barlowe, a Toothguard, one of the creatures which guards the dark in "Tailchaser's Song", is one of the featured illustrations.
*The name of the cat deity Meerclar is a nod to the work of Michael Moorcock, one of Williams' favourite authors: Meerclar of the Cats, a Beast-Lord, is a deity called upon by Moorcock's protagonist Elric in the short story "The Flamebringers" (aka "The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams").

External links

* [http://www.tadwilliams.com/book.aspx?id=49# Tad Williams discusses "Tailchaser's Song"]