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The Menoa Tree was a gigantic tree in the elven forest, Du Weldenvarden, where the elves celebrated the Agaetí Blödhren, or Blood-Oath Celebration. Its roots spanned an area of about 10 acres, while the trunk was thicker than a hundred of the smaller trees of the forest combined.

History[]

The story of the Menoa Tree began with Linnëa, an elderly elf maiden who grew up singing to the trees. She was content throughout her life to live without a mate, but one day she met a young man and fell in love with him. At first they had a very happy relationship, until the young man eventually started to desire for a younger lover. He found one and for a time, they were also happy. When Linnëa discovered the young man's treachery, she found him with the younger elf and stabbed both of them to death. The elf maiden became so overcome with grief and guilt that she found the oldest tree in Du Weldenvarden and sang herself into it and after three days and three nights, she had become one with the tree. She existed henceforth as the Menoa Tree, still capable of thought and movement, but remaining largely inactive as the ages passed.

Solembum's Advice[]

While in Angela's herb shop, the werecat, Solembum, told Eragon that when he was in need of a weapon, he should look under the roots of the Menoa Tree. When Eragon and Saphira returned to Ellesméra to complete their training, they visited the Menoa Tree to try to find the weapon.

Conversation with the Menoa Tree[]

Eragon attempted to ask the tree where the weapon was, but it ignored him. Finally Saphira lost her temper and attacked the Menoa Tree. The angry tree held them in place with its roots and asked their names first before she killed them. Eragon begged for their lives, telling the tree he was the last Rider and Saphira was the last female dragon in existence and lastly of Solembum's prophecy. The tree informed them of a large amount of brightsteel, the metal Rhunön used to forge all the Rider's swords, underneath its roots. Eragon and Saphira realized that that was what Solembum had been referring to in his prophecy. Eragon promised the tree whatever it wanted in return for the brightsteel. The tree agreed, then told them to leave, but did not specifically ask for an item in return. However, Eragon felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. After Eragon further inquired, the Menoa Tree asks Eragon to leave again. Rhunön used the brightsteel to craft a new sword through Eragon, since he had lost Zar'roc to Murtagh during The Battle of The Burning Plains. Eragon named his new sword Brisingr, which in the Ancient Language means fire.

Real-world connections[]

A similar tree, the Tanequil, was found in the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.

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