Legend is a story about a boy (Malial) who sets out to fight evil with faith, hope and a big stick. Along the way, he encounters many different people who give him hints about the future often in the form of a prophecy. This is an index of those “hints”.
This section contains unmarked spoilers. If you don’t want to see spoilers go back to the Legend Reading Guide.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Legend: Fate and the future
Prediction: The dark and malevolent being
The very first paragraph of chapter one points to a conflict in the future. While not 100% a prophecy as such it is still a prediction made to you the reader and will work in exactly the same way. Later, Malial will encounter this information as a prophecy. I did warn you there would be spoilers.
In a far off land, many years ago, there was a dark and malevolent being whose name was secret from all. Legend has it that he had inestimable power so that no one could hope to stop him. This dark being entered into a conflict with a boy from which he suffered a great loss.
We’ve not yet met many truly malevolent beings although the four old ladies were not exactly full of goodness. The question I am going to refuse to answer is this – have we met the person in question yet? You may not know for sure until the story is finished.
Fulfilment: Pending
Curse: Fear will be your undoing
In chapter two (Mushrooms) the urisk says:
Then I place a curse upon your fate. Your fear will be your undoing.
Is this a prophecy or a curse or both? That question will be important later so I am not going to tell you.
In chapter four (The Dive), Malial is startled and (spoiler) swallows the corrupted hope stone.This creates all sorts of problems for Malial. Is this the fulfilment of the curse or is there worse to come?
Fulfilment: Uncertain
Prophecy: Do not swallow the stone
The old man says in chapter three (Mermaid’s Purse):
Whatever you do, do not swallow the stone or the change will instantly become permanent.
Technically this is not exactly a prophecy, in a mystical seeing-the-future way, but it was a firm prediction from someone who knew what he was talking about.
In chapter four (The Dive), guess what Malial does? Yes, he swallows the darn thing. That’s why he is still under the sea in chapter five (Mermaid). Malial must find a way around this problem if his quest is to continue.
Fulfilment: Complete
Prediction: A dark, dark path
This is a prediction that is made by the narrator at the end of chapter 5. Chapter 6 seems to contradict this but I promise it is deadly accurate.
She led him away but, although she was helping, their destination was a dark, dark path.
Fulfilment: Pending
More prophecy to come
Legend has more than its fair share of insights about the future. It will become something of a running theme. After all, folk stories often deal with fate, destiny, and heroism and Legend was written with the intention of being in the style of a folk story. It is fair to say that Disney will not be making an animated movie of this fairytale.
I will try not to add new prophecies here before they are in the published story. No promises though.