The Bog

The Bog is a symbol for the creation of life. One of the folktales in the Protectorate is about the Bog creating all life on the planet. They believe that, "All good things come from the Bog" (82) because it is responsible for creating all life. "It is from the Bog that the world was made" (83), the people say. And they believe that the Bog made life and that it still provides a good life today.

The Bog is not a desolate place in the novel. Here, the people of the Protectorate farm and make money from the Zirin that grows in the area. They are thankful for the Zirin the Bog produces because it gives them a good life. People believe that the Bog used to be the only thing in the world, noting that "In the beginning, there was only Bog, and Bog, and...