The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Faeries tithe to Hell

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Yuillegan:
In Tam Lin there is a bit which Tam Lin tells his lover that every seven years Faerie must pay a teind (tithe) to Hell, and he fears it might be him.

We know Tam Lin was real in the Dresden Files. So I think it is reasonable to assume that the Tithe is as well. The Tithe is due on Halloween night.

So we have several unanswered questions then.

1. What is the Tithe?
They must give a Faerie, possibly a Changeling. All the more likely considering Tam Lin sires Changelings. But I wonder what Jim's spin on it will be. Curiously the original word (tiend) is an old scots word meaning tithe "a tenth part". So perhaps she has to give 10 per cent of her forces to Hell? 

2. Why do the Faeries pay a Tithe to Hell?
Is there some old agreement, or some debt that Faerie is in? Perhaps it is due to the changeover at the Outer Gates. Almost certainly, in fact.

3. What has Halloween to do with it?
No idea. But I bet it is significant, and likely to do with the reason Immortals are mortal on Earth that day.

4. Does Summer also pay the Tithe?
I don't think so, myself. Mostly because I think it is to do with the Outer Gates.

5. This story is the only piece of information on how to rid oneself of being in debt to the Fae, and being the Winter Knight.
Dresden should probably find out more about Tam Lin. As he does manage to escape his service. I suspect the "well" Tam Lin is thrown into is none other than the Winter Wellspring, returning his power back to Winter. I suspect Harry will have to dive into that Well in order to free himself.

Con:
Could be part of Winters purpose is to guard the borders of Hell as well as the Outer Gates.

In some mythologies The Wild Hunt is referred to as the Hounds of Hell. The purpose of the Wild Hunt was to hunt escaped demons and souls from hell. Some of the leaders of the Wild Hunt are said to be notorious figures sent to hell. There was atleast One dodgy Scottish lawyer. Might be some sort of exchange is necessary. At the very least etiquette on whose jurisdiction it is.

Halloween as we know is a confluence, when the barrier is thinner. Traditionally people are more easy to contact spirits and souls from the other side. This would probably include those from Hell, if the amount of serial killer ghosts in pop culture are true.

Arjan:
Just a Christian slur obviously not true. According to Christian writers everything magical that is not from heaven comes directly from below. It is the reason why you have to burn your Harry Potter/Dresden books.

This is not just a modern fundamentalist aberration, it has deep roots in early Christianity so when Christian writers wrote the old stuff down they added some things. Message has always been more important than factual truth for them anyway and if they were magical they had to serve the devil in some way.

After that later writers sanitised the stuff for children. We do not have the original tales.

According to that kind of thinking the white council is a satanic cult and we should start the witch hunts now. Maybe the witch hunts were organised by the white court using the church.

Yuillegan:
I don't know Arjan, Con might be on to something.

In the Dresden Files, the hounds in the Wild Hunt are called Hell Hounds. Leah's favorite pets as well.

Consider also that Kincaid is often called the Hound of Hell or Hellhound. It would not surprise me to learn that he has some connection to the Wild Hunt, and by extension, the Faerie/Hell connection. Something to do with missing his heart. He is a scion too.

And as for the Inquisition, I highly suspect that there was supernatural involvement. Indeed, Heinrich Kramer (whom the character Heinrich Kemmler is based upon) was a notorious witch hunter and priest who pushed for the deaths of many people accused of witch craft.

I'd highly suspect the White Court, they did top the Black Court in a similar fashion. Very much there MO. But just as likely were other supernatural nasties who have wished to bring down the White Council. They do have many enemies, after all.

Con - As I said above, I think you're onto something. Not sure about the Scottish lawyer (other than he may have led the Hunt for a night, just like Dresden). But I do think there is a connection. Which means that Odin and the Erlking also likely have a connection...which is both sad and spooky.

My guess is that Jim tends to base the underlying power of any supernatural being or beings on their image in the minds of humanity, collectively. This is extremely similar to the Warhammer universe in which emotions and thoughts and beliefs bring Gods to life and shape the spirit world. Considering Jim was a big fan of Warhammer (and quite probably still is, at least of the earlier material) I would say odds are that it works the same way. Which probably means, Arjan, that if people did begin to believe that Faeries had demonic connections...then they probably do. In fact we sort of have confirmation of this concept. TWG is how we see the Creator of the Dresdenverse, because that appears to be the dominant belief. But we might have seen the Creator differently, in Ancient Greece for instance. Harry implies that the sheer number of Star Wars fans may have contributed to Uriel liking Star Wars. And the entire premise of the Oblivion War works on the fact that the collective memory of Mankind is strong enough to anchor (or banish, should they forget) beings from the spirit realm (up to and including the Creator and the Devil).

I bring that up because I suspect the Wild Hunt represents the hunting spirit within mankind. They may also have a purpose of hunting down wicked souls, but I think the main purpose is simply to hunt. Anything and everything that stands in their way. Join, hide or die is the motto I believe. But I wonder if Mab took some power from Hell in order to maintain her position, and this is the cost.

Avernite:
To me, the Tam Lin angle might also be a warping of Winter's purpose.

Winter pays a tithe in blood to hold the Outer Gates against hellish beings who would destroy reality. Not much of a stretch from there to 'Winter pays a tithe in blood against hell', and one step further to 'Winter pays a tithe in blood to hell' (because 'obviously' Faeries can't be the ones holding Satan at bay, that must be TWG/Angels).

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