Chapter summaries The Devils Joe Abercrombie

Chapter 62: So Much to Live up To – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Vigga endures a long, tedious coronation ceremony for Alex, finding the Christian rituals baffling compared to the more relatable pagan gods. She watches as Alex is robed, given a spear and wheat, anointed with oil, and crowned. The moment the crown is placed, Vigga and her companions feel a pull toward the sea—the same restless tug that brought them to Troy. After the crowning, the Chapel of the Holy Expediency exits the basilica. Vigga relieves herself in the bushes while the others brood over their next mission: a return to the Holy City, which they view as a return to captivity, resentment, and contempt.

Key Events

  • Vigga becomes increasingly bored during the lengthy coronation service, complaining about the speeches and rituals.
  • Alex is crowned after being robed, given a sheaf of wheat and a gilded spear, anointed with oil, and seated on a golden shield lifted by noblemen.
  • The coronation triggers a physical and emotional pull in Vigga, Balthazar, and Rikard—a familiar tug back toward the sea.
  • The Chapel of the Holy Expediency quietly exits the basilica after the ceremony, aware of their expendable role.
  • Outside, Vigga urinates in the bushes while the rest grimly contemplate their return to the Holy City.

Character Development

  • Vigga: Her boredom reveals a restless, impulsive nature and a preference for pagan straightforwardness over Christian complexity. She finds the Saviour's virtues impossible to live up to, highlighting her self-awareness and moral pragmatism.
  • Jakob: Remains stoic and forbearing, a contrast to Vigga's overt frustration.
  • Baron Rikard: Maintains his cynical smirk but appears less smug at the end, suggesting the gravity of their upcoming mission.
  • Balthazar and Baptiste: Both express resentment about returning to captivity; Balthazar is openly bitter.
  • Alex: Teeters under the weight of the crown, uncertain and young, but the ceremony succeeds in rallying the crowd.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Boredom vs. Duty: Vigga's boredom underscores the gap between raw human impulse and the rigid demands of ritual. Her inability to "forbear" highlights the theme of self-control versus instinct.
  • The Weight of Ritual: The coronation's pomp and solemnity transform a political act into something sacred, demonstrating how hard-to-break traditions sustain power.
  • The Restless Tug: The physical pull felt by the Chapel members symbolizes their cursed, itinerant nature—they are bound to the sea and to violence, never able to settle into a saved life.
  • The Chapel as Corpse Cart: The metaphor of the Chapel being welcomed only in disaster and shunned afterward encapsulates their status as necessary outcasts.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter bridges the ceremonial climax of Alex's coronation with the immediate, grim future of the Chapel. It deepens Vigga's perspective on faith and belonging, showing her torn between the comfort of ritual and the raw honesty of paganism. The collective dread of returning to the Holy City sets up the next phase of conflict, while the coronation itself solidifies Alex's new role and the political landscape.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Vigga find Christian rituals more difficult to endure than pagan ones?
    Vigga dislikes the lengthy, abstract sermons and sees the Christian god as too virtuous to relate to. Pagan gods, with their petty and lustful traits, feel more human and understandable to her.

  2. What does the "restless tug" felt by Vigga, Balthazar, and Rikard signify?
    It represents their vampiric or cursed nature—a pull back toward the sea and toward violence. It indicates that despite the ceremony, they remain outsiders bound to a life of movement and conflict.

  3. How does the metaphor of "hard to make is hard to break" relate to the coronation?
    Vigga observes that the elaborate pomp and ritual make the act of crowning a young girl seem like a great, solemn notion, thus making the resulting political structure difficult to challenge or dismantle.

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