The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

The Lighthouse

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Bad Alias:
So is the tower on Demonreach a lighthouse at all? Dresden calls the tower a lighthouse, but I'm not convinced it was a lighthouse, at least originally.

It's first described as a tower. Then shortly later a lighthouse. The word tower is repeatedly used. It makes sense that Dresden's first impression is that it is a lighthouse. It's a tall structure at the top of an island surrounded by rocky reefs. And "{b}eacon towers dotted the shorelines and islands of all the Great Lakes." It's only natural to assume that the dilapidated structure on the island is just another dilapidated structure with a modern use.

The reason I'm not so sure that it's a lighthouse is that it's got all those wards that we first see in Turn Coat and learn more about in Cold Days. We learn that the wards are "impossible" and that Merlin was the one who made them. It makes sense to conclude that Merlin built the tower. I don't see any reason for concluding otherwise, so until someone gives me one, that's going to be my assumption. This leads to the question, why would Merlin build a lighthouse on his secret prison island? Especially if he built it during his lifetime when shipping wasn't a thing in the Great Lakes.

Here's my theory: It isn't a lighthouse; it's a wizard's tower. We know from Harry that "some guys in Europe still operate out of stone towers." Grave Peril, Ch. 14. So the wizard's tower is a thing in the Dresden Files. Jim repeatedly emphasizes that it's a tower, even referring to lighthouses as beacon towers, which I find to be a bit of an odd phrase. It was likely built by Merlin at a time when a lighthouse wouldn't make any sense. It was likely built for another purpose. I'm not sure why a lighthouse would be so heavily warded unless it was used for something else.

Now, I don't know where the wizard's tower trope comes from, what it's supposed to mean, or what the in story reason is for why wizards would have a tower. I guess I'm left with those general questions and the specific question of why would Merlin need a tower on Demonreach.

Mira:

--- Quote ---So is the tower on Demonreach a lighthouse at all? Dresden calls the tower a lighthouse, but I'm not convinced it was a lighthouse, at least originally.

It's first described as a tower. Then shortly later a lighthouse. The word tower is repeatedly used. It makes sense that Dresden's first impression is that it is a lighthouse. It's a tall structure at the top of an island surrounded by rocky reefs. And "{b}eacon towers dotted the shorelines and islands of all the Great Lakes." It's only natural to assume that the dilapidated structure on the island is just another dilapidated structure with a modern use.


--- End quote ---

 You could be right, however lighthouses are not modern inventions, the Great Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. 

morriswalters:
Or maybe when the prison was built in five different times one of those times was after the tower was built. If you wanted to go tin hat, maybe Sir Stuart had something to do with it since he is from the era.

Bad Alias:

--- Quote from: Mira on March 01, 2020, 12:05:52 PM --- You could be right, however lighthouses are not modern inventions, the Great Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

--- End quote ---
While lighthouses are ancient, they are not ancient in the U.S. The first lighthouse built in the U.S. was in 1716 according to the top Google results. Yes, Merlin could have built a lighthouse because they existed throughout his life, but why would he build one on Demonreach? The wizard's tower trope is confirmed as a thing by Harry, so while we don't know the reasons why wizards have towers, we know that they do have them.

@Morris: I'd say it's possible that's a possibility. Meaning, I'm not sure it would be a possibility under the time travel etc. rules in the Dresden Files. But why take special care with that one building even if it was possible?

The only reason we think of it as a lighthouse is that Harry just assumed it was a lighthouse when he didn't know anything about the island. I think we have more reason to assume it isn't a lighthouse, or at least not originally. I've also always wondered what happened to it and who built the cottage out of the fallen stones. Maybe that's why Rashid isn't "allowed" on the island?

A lot of people on various message boards have suggested various sources for the wizard's tower trope. One reason was that various astrologers, astronomers, alchemists, and a few other "wise men" used towers for practical reasons, and these wise men were associated with wizards. Another reason is that many wizards were in castles with many early castles just being a tower with a wall around it. The final common reason is basically that Tolkien did it and DnD ran with it.

The more Watsonian reasons that a wizard would have a tower included the reasons anyone would have a tower as well as magical reasons: they demonstrate power (it was a difficult feat physically and intellectually), defense, observation (of approaching threats and the stars), wizard's usually weren't associated with enough people to need a full castle, a tower is tied to both the elements of the earth and air, some suggested that magic gets grounded out near the Earth's surface, solitude, and finally that it was a good way of protecting the peasants from any spectacular failures by the wizard.

The metaphorical reasons included bringing the power of the heavens to the earthly realm, arrogance and hubris, and isolation or separation from normal people.

morriswalters:
Wherever towers were built for wizards it's always glossed over how they moved the tons of stone required to build them.  Castle builders in the real world had labor, something in short supply in the Chicago area prior to the European incursion, and quarried stone.

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