The Savage Ages refers to a period of time in the history of the Boiling Isles which immediately preceded the ascent of Belos and the implementation of his coven system. The Savage Ages were named retroactively and concluded around fifty years prior to the beginning of the series. This era is first referenced by Kikimora in "Agony of a Witch".
Taking place before the standardization of magical practice, the Savage Ages were permeated with "wild magic". The Savage Ages are a controversial point in the Isles' history: on one hand, polite society derides the Ages as a period of chaos and disunity, hence the epoch's accepted name; on the other hand, dissidents under the coven system consider the end of the Savage Ages to be the beginnings of a tyrannical institution.
The latter eventually proved true, as the Savage Ages were in reality a peaceful time of harmony. Belos' claims about "the danger of wild magic" were all lies he used as a pretext for introducing the coven system. This would pave the way for Belos' plan of genocide against the folk of the Boiling Isles, fueled by his delusion to protect humanity from "evil".
Background[]
According to Lilith, as part of the Deadwardian Era in the 1600s, the old ways of living were harmonious before Belos prohibited the use of wild magic; it bore little to no resemblance to the depictions by modern Boiling Isles historians.[1] However, the future Emperor used fearmongering to demonize wild magic and scare witches in order to amass a sizeable following, orchestrating the destruction of cities to further his point. The Savage Ages would end on Scabuary 40th, at least fifty years before the start of the series, when Belos officially declared the Boiling Isles an empire.
In the Boiling Isles' current imperial age, it is agreed that the Ages were marked with strife resultant from disharmony. As such, the teachings of Belos were quick to gain popularity for their emphasis on unity. Even one "unauthorized" source, which notably speaks somewhat favorably on the Savage Ages, posits that much of Belos' support comes from those who fear returning to the old ways.[2] The officials of the Emperor's Coven regard the Savage Ages with disgust and encourage this attitude among the masses. Kikimora calls the magical practices of the time "corrupt" and dishonorable to the Titan. Artistic representations of the period, and Belos' triumph over them, are displayed in the Emperor's Castle.[3]
Even dissidents like Eda are unknowledgeable of the nature of the magic which permeated it. At one point, she mentions that the "earliest witches" performed magic differently and based their understanding of it in their personal connection with nature. She concedes, however, that she herself doesn't know the specifics of these lost arts.[4][5] At another point, Hunter compares the effects of Luz's glyph-based magic to the "elemental magic" of the Savage Ages. Whatever its exact nature, Belos derides this magic as wild and, thus, forbidden. It is known that, by current standards, the magic of the Savage Ages mixed the specific disciplines set forth by the coven system, something which the ordinance concretely prohibits.[6]
Sightings[]
| Season 1 | ||||||||||||
| The Owl House Main Theme: | Absent | |||||||||||
| The Owl House Credits Theme: | Absent | |||||||||||
| 1. "A Lying Witch and a Warden": | Absent | 10. "Escape of the Palisman": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Witches Before Wizards": | Absent | 11. "Sense and Insensitivity": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. "I Was a Teenage Abomination": | Absent | 12. "Adventures in the Elements": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "The Intruder": | Absent | 13. "The First Day": | Absent | |||||||||
| 5. "Covention": | Absent | 14. "Really Small Problems": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "Hooty's Moving Hassle": | Absent | 15. "Understanding Willow": | Absent | |||||||||
| 7. "Lost in Language": | Absent | 16. "Enchanting Grom Fright": | Absent | |||||||||
| 8. "Once Upon a Swap": | Absent | 17. "Wing It Like Witches": | Absent | |||||||||
| 9. "Something Ventured, Someone Framed": | Absent | 18. "Agony of a Witch": | Mentioned | |||||||||
| 19. "Young Blood, Old Souls": | Mentioned | |||||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||||
| The Owl House Main Theme: | Absent | |||||||||||
| The Owl House Credits Theme: | Absent | |||||||||||
| 1. "Separate Tides": | Absent | 11. "Follies at the Coven Day Parade": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Escaping Expulsion": | Absent | 12. "Elsewhere and Elsewhen": | Debut | |||||||||
| 3. "Echoes of the Past": | Absent | 13. "Any Sport in a Storm": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "Keeping up A-fear-ances": | Absent | 14. "Reaching Out": | Absent | |||||||||
| 5. "Through the Looking Glass Ruins": | Absent | 15. "Them's the Breaks, Kid": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "Hunting Palismen": | Mentioned | 16. "Hollow Mind": | Absent | |||||||||
| 7. "Eda's Requiem": | Absent | 17. "Edge of the World": | Absent | |||||||||
| 8. "Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Hooty's Door": | Absent | 18. "Labyrinth Runners": | Absent | |||||||||
| 9. "Eclipse Lake": | Absent | 19. "O Titan, Where Art Thou": | Absent | |||||||||
| 10. "Yesterday's Lie": | Absent | 20. "Clouds on the Horizon": | Absent | |||||||||
| 21. "King's Tide": | Absent | |||||||||||
Trivia[]
- The depiction of the Savage Ages in the Emperor's Castle (pictured above) is highly reminiscent of real-life depictions of the "Witches' Sabbath", a largely-pejorative icon which depicted witches (usually female) and demons with joined hands in a ritual circle. Such illustrations were prominent in the early modern period and remain associated with witchcraft in the present era.
References[]
- ↑ Zach Marcus (writer) and Bridget Underwood (director) (March 26, 2022). "Elsewhere and Elsewhen". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 12. Disney Channel.
- ↑ Dana Terrace, Rachel Vine (writers) and Stephen Sandoval (director) (August 29, 2020). "Young Blood, Old Souls". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 19. Disney Channel.
- ↑ John Bailey Owen (writer) and Aminder Dhaliwal (director) (August 22, 2020). "Agony of a Witch". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 18. Disney Channel.
- ↑ Dana Terrace, Rachel Vine, Manuel Jesse Nieto Jr. (writers) and Stu Livingston (director) (January 31, 2020). "The Intruder". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 4. Disney Channel.
- ↑ Dana Terrace, John Bailey Owen (writers) and Sage Cotugno (director) (July 18, 2020). "Adventures in the Elements". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 12. Disney Channel.
- ↑ Dana Terrace (writer) and Bridget Underwood (director) (July 17, 2021). "Hunting Palismen". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 6. Disney Channel.