The Dark Crystal Wiki
Advertisement
The Dark Crystal Wiki
1,234
pages

It's easier to have nothing when no one depends on you for anything.

Mayrin[2]

Mayrin was the penultimate Maudra of the Vapra Clan and All-Maudra of the entire Gelfling race, who lived during the late Age of Division.

Born under the shadow of her domineering mother Seladon, Mayrin's reign was tested at its outset by the Age of Sifans crisis, which had secretly been orchestrated by the Skeksis to thwart Mayrin's plan to continue her predecessor's project to bring about further unity among the Gelfling Clans. Mayrin averted the crisis and broke with tradition by marrying the Sifan Kam'lu, with whom she had a daughter, Seladon, and possibly also her younger daughters Tavra and Brea.

In her declining years, Mayrin continued supporting the Skeksis Empire, but was eventually killed for joining the Gelfling resistance and dissolving the millennium-old Alliance of the Crystal after discovering that the Skeksis were covertly harvesting her people for their essence. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter Seladon, who declared her predecessor a traitor and unsuccessfully attempted to reestablish peaceful relations with the Lords of the Crystal.

Biography[]

Child Mayrin

Mayrin as a child

Early life and ascension[]

Mayrin was groomed from childhood to become both Maudra of her clan and All-Maudra of her entire race.[3] Her youth was marked by the pressure put on her by her mother Seladon, who frequently neglected and mocked her.[4]

Upon being crowned All-Maudra, Mayrin found herself struggling to maintain the unity of her people in light of the Age of Sifans movement. With the assistance of her advisor, Dot'leth, she arranged to be ferried to skekSa's Dreadnought, where she would have negotiated with the Sifan separatist leader Fenth. Upon boarding the Scalene Anchor, she took an immediate dislike of the skiff's captain, Kam'lu, himself a supporter of Fenth, for addressing her as "Maudra" rather than "All-Maudra". During the journey, the skiff was attacked by the Mondo Levidian, and Mayrin rescued Kam'lu from drowning, but found her mission imperiled by the loss of her advisor and the destruction of her transport.[4]

Mayrin & Kam'lu

Mayrin and Kam'lu during their wedding

She and Kam'lu were subsequently swallowed by the Mondo Levidian and encountered the Boblings and their king in its intestinal tract. There, Mayrin discovered that her mother had previously visited the Boblings and left them gifts. Under the protection of Gunda, Mayrin and Kam'lu headed to the Mondo Levidian's porticol, the key to their escape.[5] During the journey, Mayrin started to consider Kam'lu a friend, and their relationship deepened after the latter saved her during a Zoa attack. They reached the wreckage of the Hope of Thra, where Mayrin had spent some of her childhood, and encountered the Necrizoa. In the ensuing commotion, Mayrin flew out of the Mondo Levidian's porticol, carrying Kam'lu whilst pursued by the Zoa swarm.[6] Upon exiting the porticol, the pair boarded skekSa's Dreadnought and joined forces with Dot'leth and skekSa in repelling the Zoa attack. As Mayrin faced the Necrizoa in single combat, Fenth attempted to kill her, but was stopped by Kam'lu. Mayrin subsequently addressed the Necrizoa as a fellow queen, pleading with it to put an end to the hostilities.[7]

After the Necrizoa retreated with its swarm, Mayrin's courage and determination to keep the Gelfling Clans united brought unanimous acclaim from the Sifan delegates, who pledged their loyalty to her. She married Kam'lu at Raunip's Pass, but surprised all attendees by refusing to fly through it, stating her intention to follow her own path rather than retreading her mother's. At that point already pregnant, she announced that her first-born daughter would be named Seladon in honor of her mother.[7]

Joining the resistance[]

Mayrin on the throne

Mayrin in her later trine

In later trine, Mayrin remained a willing vassal of the Skeksis Empire, enjoying the rewards her station afforded her from her lords. Her servility, however, caused tension between her and her youngest daughter Brea, who opposed the tithing ceremonies the Skeksis imposed on them and perpetually questioned established dogma.[2] When Mayrin discovered Brea had stolen a tithe and returned it to its original owners, she took the opportunity presented by Brea wiping Elder Cadia's memory to punish her, sending her to the Order of Lesser Service.[8]

Mayrin later sent her middle daughter Tavra to hunt down Rian, who had allegedly killed a Vapran. Tavra's departure, combined with Brea's absence and reports of a blight which she considered dubious, began to weigh on Mayrin to the point where she briefly considered forgoing her duties in court.[9] Upon investigating the blight, she found 80 of her Landstriders had gone insane and escaped, and heard further corroboration of crop failures. Her inquiry was interrupted by the arrival of skekVar and skekZok, who denied the existence of the blight and requested seven volunteers from her order of Paladins, ostensibly in order to fight in an upcoming war with the Arathim.

Mayrin's death

Mayrin's death

After complying with their request, she was confronted by Brea, who showed her a secret passage beneath the Citadel's throne room containing Lore. Mother and daughter dreamfasted together only to find themselves in the Dream Space, together with Aughra, Seladon and other Gelfling. Aughra asked for their help in fighting the Skeksis, prompting Seladon to denounce the act as treason and urged Mayrin to remember whom she served, to which she responded that she served Thra. After learning from Rian that the Skeksis intended to harvest Gelfling for their essence, Mayrin offered her support for the burgeoning Gelfling resistance.

Upon leaving the Dream Space, Mayrin confronted skekVar and skekZok, demanding that they release her paladins and proclaiming the dissolution of the Alliance of the Crystal. SkekVar responded by slashing her with his sword, leaving her to die surrounded by her daughters.[10] After her death, Seladon declared Mayrin a traitor and refused to give her the proper burial ceremonies, instead cremating her body so that she would never rejoin Thra.[11]

Personality and traits[]

Mayrin & Kam'lu attack

Mayrin in battle with her future husband Kam'lu

In her youth, Mayrin was plagued by self doubt, instilled in her by her mother. Upon ascending the throne, she immediately distinguished herself from her despotic predecessor by actually caring about the concerns of other Gelfling Clans who feared that unity under the Vapra was eroding their distinctive cultures.[4]

In the final trine of her reign, she became conscious that her position depended largely on the patronage of the Skeksis, and suspected that their favoritism of the Vapra Clan was a ploy to divide her people. Nevertheless, she grudgingly grew accustomed to her situation and freely accepted her overlords' gifts,[3] justifying her servility as necessary for maintaining order and believing that insurrection would have put her and her daughters' privileges at risk. This could sometimes manifest in acts of callousness on her part, such as going along with the Skeksis' tithing ceremonies which, while not noticeably affecting her own standard of living, could be economically crippling to her poorer constituents.[2] Her primary concern, however, was the safety of her clan and race as a whole,[3] and was quickly roused from her apathy when she learned of the Skeksis' plan to harvest the Gelfling for their essence.[10]

She was a fluent speaker of Podling[5] and was skilled with a blade, being able to swiftly kill multiple Zoa[6] and fight the mighty Necrizoa single handedly to a standstill.[7]

Personal relationships[]

Brea[]

It's time you started to act like a princess.

Mayrin[2]

Relations between Mayrin and Brea were sometimes strained. Mayrin believed that Brea read too many stories, and dismissed her thirst for social justice and opposition to the tithing ceremonies as childish political naïvety.[2] She was further aggravated by Brea's constant tardiness at court[2] and her disobedience,[10] for which she punished her as she would have done to any other subject, declaring that princesses were not above the law.[8]

Nevertheless, Brea was believed to have been Mayrin's favourite daughter, leading to allegations by Seladon that she was in fact spoiled by her.[9] She would defend Brea from Seladon's bullying[8] and, according to Brea herself, was never shy about sincerely declaring her love for her, sometimes to motivate her into doing tedious chores.[11]

Dot'leth[]

During Mayrin's early reign, Dot'leth acted as her advisor confidante, just as she had with the previous All-Maudra. Mayrin treated Dot'leth much more informally than she did her other courtiers, allowing herself some unguarded moments of self doubt in front of her. Dot'leth herself was not afraid to criticize the new All-Maudra when necessary, even in front of non-Vapran constituents.[4]

Seladon (mother)[]

Age of Resistance 11 1

Mayrin cradling a bust of her mother Seladon

No one really knows my true nature. But I will defeat those who doubt my determination. Who call me reckless. Who see my courage as a weakness. I'll prove them all wrong. Including you, Mother.

Mayrin[4]

Mayrin's relationship with her mother was complex, having been groomed by her to be All-Maudra since childhood,[3] while simultaneously being a victim of her coldness and mockery. After her coronation, Mayrin paradoxically sought to rid her throne room of all evidence of her mother's preferred aesthetic, while simultaneously trying to prove herself a worthy successor by flying through Raunip's Pass with the same ease her predecessor could, hearing her mother's mocking words in the wind.[4] She also named her first daughter after her mother.[7]

Seladon (daughter)[]

I loved you with all I had. I'm sorry it wasn't enough.

Seladon[11]

Mayrin's treatment of Seladon mirrored the way she herself had been raised by her mother, being especially tough on her to prepare Seladon in her role as future All-Maudra. Among the lessons she imparted to Seladon was her duty to be an All-Maudra first and foremost, and to avoid being swayed by matters of the heart, lest she fail in her duties to Thra and the Skeksis. She had genuine faith in her daughter, opining that she would have one day made a great ruler.[9] Seladon herself resented Mayrin's coldness, believing that she preferred Brea over her,[9] and was quick to denounce her as a traitor once she defied her Skeksis overlords, to the point of denying her a proper burial.[11]

Background information[]

Behind the scenes[]

Mayrin's appearance was largely based on the designs of the aged Kira from the abandoned Power of the Dark Crystal sequel film.[12]

In performing as Mayrin, Louise Gold sought to confer on the character a sense of regality by minimizing her movements.[12]

Appearances[]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Dc Encylo logo All-Maudra Mayrin in The Dark Crystal - Encyclopedia
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Age of resistance logo Age of Resistance – "End. Begin. All the Same.". Netflix. August 30, 2019
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lee, J.M (2019), Heroes of the Resistance, Penguin Young Readers Licences, pp. 40-41, ISBN 978-0.593-09539-3
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Age of resistance logo – Erman, Matthew., Age of Resistance – The Journey into the Mondo Levidian, #9, Archaia, USA, July 2020
  5. 5.0 5.1 Age of resistance logo – Erman, Matthew., Age of Resistance – The Journey into the Mondo Levidian, #10, Archaia, USA, August 2020
  6. 6.0 6.1 Age of resistance logo – Erman, Matthew., Age of Resistance – The Journey into the Mondo Levidian, #11, Archaia, USA, September 2020
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Age of resistance logo – Erman, Matthew., Age of Resistance – The Journey into the Mondo Levidian, #12, Archaia, USA, October 2020
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Age of resistance logo Age of Resistance – "Nothing Is Simple Anymore". Netflix. August 30, 2019
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Age of resistance logo Age of Resistance – "What Was Sundered and Undone". Netflix. August 30, 2019
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Age of resistance logo Age of Resistance – "She Knows All the Secrets". Netflix. August 30, 2019
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Age of resistance logo Age of Resistance – "By Gelfling Hand...". Netflix. August 30, 2019
  12. 12.0 12.1 Wallace, D. (2019), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - Inside the Epic Return to Thra, Titan Books, p. 40, ISBN 978-1-78909-387-2.
Maudras of the Seven Gelfling Clans
Vapra Clan SeladonMayrinSeladon
Grottan Clan ErmetArgot
Sifa Clan AffinaEthri
Stonewood Clan YnidValaFara
Drenchen Clan ElaiaLaesid
Spriton Clan CarnMera
Dousan Clan IoSeethi

External links[]

Advertisement