The language of dragons

"It is no secret. All power is one in source and end, I think. Years and distances, stars and candles, water and wind and wizardry, the craft in a man's hand and the wisdom in a tree's root: they all arise together. My name, and yours, and the true name of the sun, or a spring of water, or an unborn child, all are syllables of the great word that is very slowly spoken by the shining of the stars. There is no other power. No other name." 
― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea

Across all the years and many, many books, this is one of my favorite quotes. I first wrote it down by hand in a cloth-bound journal almost 30 years ago, and since then I've shared it in more than a few conversations about fantasy novels and writing. I went hunting for it tonight because I've been playing Skyrim and just completed the 7000 step climb through wind-driven snow to begin learning the language of dragons. Besides being just plain fun, the game deftly plays on archetypal themes and this one rang like a bell. In Earthsea too, the primal language of Making was the language spoken by dragons. What struck the harmonious chord for me is the notion that dragons invest words with power, lift them out of the ordinary and make them resonate with meaning.

Well, when they aren't burning you to a crisp, that is…..