The Problem With Andraste

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I’ve decided on being a little more jolly on this video, and discuss the woman who closely relates to the persona of Jesus Christ (and yes, she does, admit it). Yep! I’m talking about Andraste! Now if you don’t know I spilt a little bit of lore in my Mythal Series regarding her relations towards Flemeth, if you haven’t checked that out, I recommend it highly!

But regarding Andraste, she is definitely the most talked about in Thedas lore. No really, the Chantry has highlighted her so much in these Dragon Age games that I would be shocked if I don’t hear a character yelling throughout my playthrough cursing “Andrastes ass”.

Andraste is mentioned a lot, but not much of her is truly recorded to be correct. For instance, the Chant of Light in Orlais and the Imperium have very destinct differences about a disagreement regarding Andraste.

According to Dorian,

“It’s not my field of expertise, but the Imperium believes Andraste was a mortal woman. A mage. Down South they say, 'No, she's the Bride of the Maker! Ascended to His side, Divine Providence..."

So already, we get a false perspective due to subjective beliefs surrounding her own existence as a whole.

In this case, Andraste is portrayed completely wrong within the South, claiming that she was never a 'mage' and resembling her to be no longer 'mortal' when she ascended her relationship further with the Maker.

So why is this a big deal? It just shows how much of the lore is ultimately portrayed by 'characters', so lore is hugely subjective depending on what subject resonates on their personality; such as Leliana and Alistair. The Chant of Light is a largely followed religion, but the problem is, people tend to flock to a person/figure who is rallying up a huge cause, and later on, be remembered as equal to a God. Not unlike the Inquisitor I suppose...

Bioware themselves have described Andraste as Jesus + Joan of Arc, she led armies and established rules of life, which was needed to stop the Imperium's false belief system. So I will be looking into these two figures just to show you what is represented, rather than what's biased from Thedas' cultures.

Andraste's Truth:

Family

Her mother, Brona, was a Ciriane, known as one of the human tribes belonging to the land now known as Orlais. Her father, Elderath, was the chieftain of one of the largest Alamarri tribes in what is now northern Ferelden.

Andraste was born in -203 Ancient, the same year the Old God Dumat was slain. (World of Thedas Vol. 1)

Andraste did have a sibling;

"Halliserre, but her mother was not Brona. Rather, she was the product of a union with an unnamed advisor on matters of alchemy. This was frowned upon but not unheard of, and Halliserre was welcome in the family line, if not the family home. But the fate of her mother is uncertain. She was likely exiled, if not killed by Brona. Halliserre would die in young events not properly recorded." -World of Thedas Vol. 2

Now regarding men siring children within other women, it isn't uncommon, but the reality is that this family was a powerful Alamarri tribe, who look to 'shamans' or 'mages' in high regard, but this alchemist was exiled, which is strange....

Halliserre on the other hand, died mysteriously, and what we can believe is from this text:

"Andraste, still a youth, awakened, unquiet, to a storm. She glimpsed her sibling following lights into a wood. Our Lady pursued, and an event of some violence occured, followed by fires throughout the forest. Andraste was found pale and uncertain to what she had seen. The remains of Halliserre were lying in a burned clearing, her body having suffered wounds beyond weapons. The Ciriane blamed it animist spirits or a blighted beast." -Kordillius Drakon

Now first off, that is morbid for a child to even bear witness at, the death of her half-sister due to unwelcome events. Not to mention, Andraste has many withdrawals of her sister's death:

"Andraste was scarred in many ways by this event. The storm's cold left her with a sickness in the lungs that persisted for years...it would be a decade before she recovered enough to bear children. As a young woman, she would become still for long moments, unable to be moved or roused. After, she would report voice, as though from a lost memory, and talk of strange auras or sounds of bells." -World of Thedas Vol. 2

Now it's not surprising to see that Andraste dealt with abnormal anomalies during her childhood. But the death of her sister is way too vague, now the Cirane tribes thought it to a blighted beast, and the Alamarri, enemies of their tribe. Later on, Andraste explains that it was something to do with her mom whispering to the Old Gods....

Maferath

Andraste married Maferath young, and it seems to be an arranged marriage. Their marriage was proof the Avvar and the Alamarri could unite together once again.

As we know, Maferath is from the Avvar tribe, friend of Hafter, whom sent the Sacred Ashes of Andraste to a Temple we all know too well.

Maferath is mostly known for his betrayal, but in all honesty, he has been portrayed for greed of gaining power, and land. For he, was known as a 'tactician, not a philosopher'. We credit little of Maferath in history, which might be the ultimate downfall of his jealousy with Andraste's relations tied to crediting the Maker in their victories.

Slavery

Andraste's slavery is depicted in the Chant's beliefs completely wrong:

In the codex, Andraste: Bride of the Maker,

There was once a tiny fishing village on the Waking Sea (known as Denerim) that was set upon by the Tevinter Imperium, which enslaved the villagers to be sold in the markets of Minrathous, leaving behind only the old and the infirm. One of the captives was the child Andraste. She was raised in slavery in a foreign land. She escaped, then made the long and treacherous journey back to her homeland alone. She rose from nothing to be the wife of an Alamarri warlord.

According to the Chant, Andraste lived her on-growing childhood as a slave. from what this codex leads us to believe, she 'escapes', and becomes the wife of a commander. Although this story sounds very victorious, this isn't the real story.

In truth, Maferath, already wedlock with Andraste, was the one who freed her from slavery,

"Andraste's father, Elderath, was killed when soldiers and mages seized an Alamarri settlement to the ground.."

Andraste and Maferath were bestowed the land after her father's death. But the Tevinters took over the area, martying those who would not withstand their threats. They kidnapped Andraste into slavery and razed the settlement to the ground. But since the land was mostly composed of those loyal to Elderath, most held on the side of Andraste, rather than Maferath. He would be in command of battle if only he would negotiate Andraste's freedom with the Tevinter slavers who held her. So, he freed her in return, and this was the time where Andraste was seeking Faith, who we all know founded her reign.

The Maker

Andraste was part of the Alamarri, which we know that they have a lot of ties of contacting spirits to act as their savior, and revered them as "Gods" in their greatest time of need. In the harsh reality of the Blight's epidemic, I speculate she wanted hope that would destory the greatest of all threats for her people in all the lands. Because Maferath's and Andraste's marriage was known as the most powerful alliance in Alamarri history, covering most of the lands of Thedas. So if the Maker was coming to her in her time of need, He would have to be regarded as very powerful.

"Physically weak in her early life, she spent a great deal of time searching for more meaning in what she had seen, [with family tragedies] and this slowly became a search for the Maker Himself. She sought and found His influence in everything." -Drakon

The Maker as a whole could literally be anything. I have read so many posts about Him being an 'Old God', a 'Titan', one of the 'Evanuris', or a 'Forgotten One'. Now don't get me wrong, these theories have a lot of evidence to completely prove His existence is something else. But since Bioware do consider this as a religion, and they took measures to not mention His existence in upcoming games. Which is hair-pulling to even think about. The possibilities are endless.

As for Joan of Arc, she receives a vision from Archangel Michel, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. Archangel Michel, which if you don't know, is mentioned quite a lot in the Bible, such as the Book of Daniel, and in Revelations. If we compare the Archangel Michel to the Maker, overall, this would be good news. This would mean the Maker does care a lot about his 'creations', and He will see an end to their corruption. (If we think certain types of things in Thedas are Sin)

So yes, the Maker would accordingly 'care', but then again, the Maker is what exalted Andraste to her position. Of causing a rebellion against the Tevinter Imperium, and ultimately martyred for it.... How much influence did the Maker really do in her fate, to prove His existence to mankind, why now if that's the case?

Throughout Andraste's life, she truly tried to understand the Maker. To understand why certain events happened the way they do, she blamed Tevinter. Her mission was to end their sacrificial religion, and evangelize the true faith of the Maker.

Rebellion

The people of Thedas needed a hero, a reason to keep going. Andraste rallied the armies of the Alamarri to claim land against Tevinter. This was the result of a 'divine' mission, and seeing Tevinter paying for their own mistakes. The Maker was creating earthquakes, droughts, and wildfires. Spreading them across Thedas to rec-havoc upon the Imperium for their Sin. They were found weary and isolated. During her rebellion, many know of Shartan, the elven companion of Andraste, who fought to have their freedom brought in the Dales, as promised.

The problem with her rebellion shone brightly in the Battle of Valarian Fields, where they won by Maferath's masterful seige, and Andraste's inspiration that drove her people on. Despite their advantages, they had many losses, many Alamarri leaders died in battle who supported Andraste, and this led to the wrong outcome of Andraste's tragedy. She shouldn't have been bringing the wrath of the Maker upon all of the land owned by Tevinter, she needed to just kill main 'heretical monster' that were controlling Tevinter's chaos. Evidentally Andraste's rebellion was a failure, it wasn't meant to win at all...

Which is her downfall...

Crucifixion

As we all know, Maferath's betrayal was the main cause of Andraste's death. Teaming up with the enemy, Hessarian, to conspire and kill this heretic who believes in this 'Maker'.

Taken to Minrathous, she is burnt on a pyre, the Alamarri armies cried for her martyr, but she did not weep. Hessarian took pity, ending the final blow to his blade, taking her pain out of misery. If the Maker truly exists, His actions were of wind and storm after her death on that pyre. Guilt was felt throughout the Imperium's walls.

The Chant blaimed Maferarth, but in retrospect,

"By [his] hidden actions, we can only assume Maferath predicted what would come. This is the often-overlooked element of self-sacrifice to the story: we must grant the Betrayer humanity and forethought. His actions are in fact, both that he was instrumental in her death and that he acted to preserve her legacy." -World of Thedas Vol. 2

Maferath knew this event was coming, and as he seems the scape-goat of her death, it doesn't withdraw his actions from the situation of this 'Prophet' at all. I really believe he knew the events of the Maker's miracles that helped them conquer most of the land. But due to her blind faithfullness, she was killing thousands, eventually threatening all of the Alamarri and elven who fought by her side. Andraste was trying to wipe out all of Tevinter. But Tevinter's armies were forced to be reckoned with, and they would ultimately win. Maferath knew of war, and he saw through that, and knew Andraste went too far. Ashamed by this betrayal, he loyally gave his land to his offspring, to lead some sort of 'preservation' in his wife's death, and due to Maferath's actions, it results to what makes Thedas today...

Legacy

Andraste's Ashes:

Havard, Aegis of Maferath/Maferath's oldest friend, sacrificed himself to protect Andraste being chained and taken in for execution in Minrathous. He recovered scarsly, and hurrying to the gates of the Imperium, only to see her remaining ashes from the pyre. A vision came to him from Andraste herself, that he would be the 'Aegis of Faith' and lead her destiny of the Maker's will. He led her ashes back to the Frostback Mountains belonging to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, which, are eventually taken away after the Fifth Blight ends.

Andraste's Offspring:

Andraste according to religion consisted of having five children, but she only bore 2 daughters.

Ebris and Vivial

Ebris and her daughter died young, ending her side of the bloodline, but Vivial's offspring lives on, bearing only daughters, but their names are lost due to the Blights, because her daughters married into other families. I claimed her lineage to come down to Flemeth.

The 3 sons belonged to Maferath's consort.

Isorath, eldest of the sons, united Ciriane tribes that could stand as one. Unifying them to what is now known as Orlais.

Evrion was leader to the nomadic group now known as the Free Marches.

Verald, youngest of Maferath, claimed his father's name in Nevarra, but after the betrayal, Verald and his court were killed, and Verald fled to his brother Isorath. Due to lineage, they exchanged in a lengthy power struggle. Eventually Verald conspires with Isorath's wife, Jeshavis to kill his own brother, and marries him. Jeshavis eventually killed Verald becoming the first Ciriane leader of Orlais. Which would be known as the Game in Orlais.

Finally, this raises the statement that religion of historic events leads us to believe different events that happened. Andraste's legacy lives on, and many significant people in the world of Thedas believe in her existence. If the Inquisitor is led by the Maker, let us hope he will help us in the future in the upcoming Dragon Age. I delved into many misconceptions surrounding this 'Bride of the Maker', truth be told we don't know what or whether His existence will ever be revealed. So the problem with Andraste, are just as much a problem regarding this 'Maker', and His religion.

Have any questions or comments, leave them below, and we can discuss them together, like and subscribe for more Dragon Age content like this, and see you in the next year!