Moon of Three Rings by Andre Norton
"Moon of Three Rings" is a science fiction narrative set on the planet Yiktor, which is orbited by a unique moon that occasionally displays three rings. The story is told from the perspectives of two main characters: Vorlund, a young human Free Trader, and Maelen, a Moonsinger from the Thassa, an ancient nomadic race with profound abilities to connect with animals. The Thassa live in isolation and are governed by powerful telepaths known as the Old Ones. As the plot unfolds, Vorlund becomes embroiled in an illegal scheme involving an interplanetary corporation, which ultimately leads to a dangerous manhunt.
Maelen uses her Moonsinger powers to help Vorlund evade capture, placing his mind into an animal's body, which results in a struggle for his identity and sense of self. This act of defiance against Thassa laws leads to severe consequences for Maelen, forcing her to confront her new reality and the loss of her Moonsinger status. As both characters grapple with their transformed existences and the implications of their choices, they share a journey marked by the complexities of culture, power, and survival, ultimately leaving Yiktor in search of a new beginning. The interplay between the human and Thassa perspectives enriches the narrative, highlighting themes of understanding and connection across vastly different cultures.
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Subject Terms
Moon of Three Rings
First published: 1966
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—alien civilization
Time of work: An indeterminate time in the future
Locale: The planet Yiktor and outer space
The Plot
Krip Vorlund, one of two narrators, is a young human who is a Free Trader, or entrepreneur, on a starship. The crew lands on the planet Yiktor, which is circled by a moon that periodically shows three rings. Yiktor is home to humans and Thassa, an ancient nomadic race with amazing powers over animals. The Thassa live in isolation from humans. They are governed by powerful telepaths called the Old Ones.
Maelen, the second narrator, is a Moonsinger of the Thassa, a kind of alien shaman. When the three rings are in conjunction, she gains special powers through singing, exchanging bodies with animals, and sharing minds with other Thassa. Comrades-in-fur, the animals who speak with the Thassa, perform for audiences and exchange bodies with the Thassa. The two narrators present their differing perspectives on the action and plot, and the reader sees that Maelen and Vorlund do not fully understand each other.
Gauk Slafid works for an interplanetary corporation called the Combine. The corporation is banned from trading weapons with primitive planets such as Yiktor, but Slafid illegally plots with Oskold, a local lord, to use off-world weapons. They are desperate to hide their nefarious actions from both the Combine and the humans on Yiktor. Vorlund is a pawn in this plot involving interplanetary politics, money, power, and an unknown culture.
Maelen uses her Moonsinger’s skills to help Vorlund survive a manhunt by placing his mind in an animal. Vorlund runs wild and frightened as an animal and struggles to keep his sense of being human. Maelen has broken the highest laws of the Thassa to help Vorlund, and her disobedience results in loss of her Moonsinger status. She must live, moreover, in an animal body, without any immediate hope of returning to the Thassa. Although she thinks the Old Ones are punishing her too harshly, she accepts their judgment.
Vorlund also suffers. His apparent corpse has been consigned to outer space, so he is placed in a Thassa body and permanently separated from his real physical body. Vorlund and Maelen leave Yiktor together and hope for a better future.