So in Inheritance, Eragon has to figure out his true name to
enter the vault of souls
And that sounds like a ren from Egyptian mythology.
Is that where Paolini was inspired to create true names?
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Sign up to join this communitySo in Inheritance, Eragon has to figure out his true name to
enter the vault of souls
And that sounds like a ren from Egyptian mythology.
Is that where Paolini was inspired to create true names?
The true names were one of my favorite things to write about. Fair mention to Ursula K. Le Guin and all the folklore I read growing up that introduced me to the concept.
I think that, while it certainly shares similarities with a Ren, Paolini was probably more inspired by true names from other stories. The concept of true names having power crops up in many fantasy stories. In his authors note at the end of inheritance Paolini says he is a fan of fantasy works. I would suggest he picked up the true name concept from these works rather than Egyptian mythology.