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Chapter 22
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Poppy War, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dehumanization and the Horrors of War
Identity, Cultural Trauma, and Coming of Age
The Purpose of Education
Addiction, Drugs, and Control
History
Summary
Analysis
The chapter begins with an expert on the Chuluu Korikh from The Seejin Classification of Deities. It describes how, long before the Red Emperor’s time, the people could barely figure out how to survive in Nikan. The gods in the Pantheon were reticent to help. Erlang Shen insisted that humans weren’t worthy of help, while his twin sister, Sanshengmu, insisted they needed to help. Erlang Shen forbade anyone from helping—but Sanshengmu escaped to Earth, barely escaping her brother. She “landed badly on Earth” in the form of a beautiful woman. After a man raped her and another stole her clothing, a third man—a hunter—rescued Sanshengmu. Sanshengmu fell in love with and married the hunter, and she taught his tribe how to ask the gods for help. People began to worship Sanshengmu herself, and Erlang Shen was angry.
Erlang Shen and Sanshengmu represent two opposing theories of how to be a person in the world. Erlang Shen proposes that everyone should look out for themselves, while Sanshengmu insists people have a responsibility to help others. This story also implies that Nikara society became great because of the connection it developed to the gods during this time. It’s thus somewhat concerning that in the novel’s present, people are mostly disconnected from the gods.
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Sanshengmu and the hunter had a son, and on the boy’s first birthday, Erlang Shen burnt tents, killed the hunter and the boy, and decided to imprison his sister on earth as punishment for loving a mortal. A mountain appeared, and Erlang Shen threw his sister under it. There, she can’t use her powers, and it’s torturous. Now, stories abound about Sanshengmu and her son, who was supposedly the first shaman. Stories began to circulate about the Chuluu Korikh, including about the monkey king who was imprisoned there. Stories began in this time period, when shamans themselves came to be. The only thing anyone knows for certain about the Chuluu Korikh is that it’s the only place on Earth that “may contain a god.”
In a more practical sense, this excerpt helps readers understand exactly what the Chuluu Korikh is and what Rin is going to find when she and Altan travel there. They’re going to find imprisoned gods, some of whom have spent more than a thousand years unable to use their powers. Sanshengmu’s fall to earth and her imprisonment may have given this world shamans and the ability to commune with the gods. But this passage also implies that this has also turned the Chuluu Korikh into a ticking time bomb.
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Back in the main storyline, Rin packs her things and avoids meeting Kitay’s eyes. Altan has forbidden Rin from speaking of their journey to anyone, but Rin wants Kitay to know what to expect in case they’re successful, so he can escape if needed. Finally, after trying to sidestep telling Kitay the truth, Rin finally tells him—and shockingly, he believes her and begins poking holes in Altan’s plan. He notes sarcastically that gods who have been buried alive will be absolutely thrilled to fight for Nikan—Altan must’ve been high when he came up with this idea. Rin and Altan figure that it’s better to try, as the alternative is the Federation murdering every Nikara they encounter.
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Altan calls the Cike together for a final briefing. He tells them to wait for Qara’s messenger bird and to listen to Chaghan while he’s gone, though he won’t say where Chaghan is. If he and Rin aren’t back in seven days, they’re probably dead. Rin hasn’t seen Altan so self-assured in years, and she figures that he finally has purpose and nobody to stop him. Hopefully, the country will survive. As Rin and Altan ride their horse south, Altan explains that Chaghan has already been to the Chuluu Korikh, as they believe the Gatekeeper might have immured himself after seeing “disturbances” on the “spirit horizon.” Rin also asks about what Chaghan said about Altan being “trained like a dog” at Sinegard. Altan says the masters “did their job.” Rin believes she should be bothered by Altan’s ruthlessness, but she isn’t.
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Altan and Rin stop when it gets dark. Next to Altan by the fire, Rin suddenly feels “vindictive joy” that she has Altan, and Chaghan no longer does. She asks Altan about Chuluu Korikh and about Feylen. Altan explains, “They all go crazy, in the end”: Cike who don’t die in battle get immured. You can’t kill a possessed shaman, as they’re just “vessels of the divine.” So, you just try and keep them contained until you get to the mountain. He snaps that he doesn’t think this is okay, but this is how the Empire deals with the threat rogue shamans might pose. The only reason the Cike still exists, he suggests, is because they “can subdue” and “cull” themselves. Altan says he’s going to be different. He’s certain there’s a way to “tam[e] the gods” and talk sense into Feylen.
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The following afternoon, Rin and Altan reach the Chuluu Korikh. They hike up the mountain, picking their way through the ice. Finally, Altan finds the door. Rin creates torches as Altan shoves on the rock. The door finally slides open to reveal a black tunnel. Rin nearly falls off the narrow path, and she realizes that the path spirals around the edge for miles. Rin notices an oil lamp and lights it, causing lamps to light all down the prison, illuminating a spiral path downward. The prison is arranged like the Pantheon, but in reverse. Next, Rin discovers huge cylinders and spins one. They’re records of the thousands of people and gods here, some who were immured before the Red Emperor’s reign. Altan acknowledges that no one could stop all these spirits, if they were to free them.
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On the first record wheel, Rin reads the first entry: Jiang Ziya, the Gatekeeper. Rin runs down the path, looking for Jiang. She finds a plinth carved like a gatekeeper, and Altan slams his trident into it. Jiang is inside, meditating. She says they’re here to rescue him, but Jiang says it’s dangerous for Rin to be here. Altan, excited that the Gatekeeper is here and (he believes) is capable of commanding everyone in the mountain, is thrilled—but Jiang snaps that they must let Nikan fall. “This path leads only to more darkness.” He admits that it was a mistake to open the void, but he says that one must learn when to give up. Sternly, he says that releasing the gods in here will rip the universe apart. The Pantheon is balanced, but the gods would throw the the world out of balance if they were released from the Pantheon.
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Altan sounds unsure as he insists he can control them. Jiang takes Altan’s shoulder, and Altan says he wants to save Nikan. When Jiang notes that Altan wants to “raze Mugen,” Altan argues that that’s the same thing. Jiang insists that Mugen won’t be the only people and land to pay if Altan opens the Chuluu Korikh. “Chaos does not discriminate,” he warns. He insists that Altan doesn’t care about anything and is “broken.” Rin doesn’t understand what’s happening when Jiang asks if “Irjah knew,” but Altan looks terrified. Jiang continues that “Daji would have made sure Irjah knew how to keep you tame.” He apologizes for not trying harder to help Altan, but he says that Rin can still be saved. But Rin feels like Jiang has abandoned her. Altan has been cruel, but at least he’s trying to help her. Rin chooses Altan, so Jiang re-seals himself in his plinth.
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Altan is trembling, either from fear or anger. He asks Rin for her loyalty, and then he begins bashing the next plinth, Feylen’s. When Altan reveals Feylen’s face and Feylen wakes, his body is clearly dead and petrified. But his eyes glow bright blue. Referring to himself as “we,” Feylen says we remember Altan—and we remember Altan trapping them (Feylen) here. Feylen remembers that they’re the wind, and he laughs when Altan asks for help fighting a war. Feylen points out that Altan helped Tyr immure him here after promising to help. Stepping out of the tomb, Feylen says they’re divine now—so they don’t care about “mortals.” Then, Feylen says that Altan is overestimating his power, and the “world would be infinitely more interesting if someone smashed it up for a bit.”
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Rin realizes that Jiang and Chaghan were right: they can’t utilize gods like this, and they can’t let Feylen leave the mountain. Feylen, though, notices the open door above. Altan begs Feylen to let him help—and Feylen refers to himself as “me.” Altan puts down his trident, and he reaches his hand to Feylen. Feylen is suddenly himself, and he whispers that it’s awful here. He can’t die, and people shouldn’t share their minds with gods. Again, Rin realizes how right Jiang was. Altan, however, is unafraid, and he embraces Feylen, asking for help. But Feylen’s eyes glow, and he tells Altan to kill himself while he can. Then, he throws Altan over the edge and hurries for the door. Rin throws herself toward Altan and grabs his hand, slowly pulling him up onto the path. Feylen is gone.
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Rin and Altan try to follow Feylen, but Federation soldiers are outside the mountain to catch them. Rin fights without wondering how or why the Federation knew to come here. The Federation soldiers keep Rin and Altan just inside the mountain so they can’t call the Phoenix. Soon, the Federation soldiers overpower them, and Rin loses consciousness.
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