Outlander Book Club: The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 37 breakdown

With a death, it means a burial. This happens in The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 37, with Jamie somewhat paying penance for his actions in Quinn’s suicide.

Jamie spends a lot of time in his thoughts in this chapter. However, there is a connection back to the gods and the Wild Hunt poem. As Jamie is back in Ireland, it looks like there is a chance that more questions will be answered.

Breaking down The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 37

Jamie Fraser has taken Tobias Quinn’s body back to Inchcleraun. He needs to bury Quinn there, and Abbot Michael allows it. Michael offers Jamie some help by sending out men, but Jamie decides that he needs to bury Quinn himself.

There is a lot for Jamie think about, including the reason Quinn wrote TEIND on the wall. Was this in acknowledgement of himself or against Jamie?

As Jamie finishes up the grave and places Quinn’s coffin inside, he hears the sound of a horn. Then there’s the sound of wild geese, and Jamie sees a group of men and women materialized from the bog. Jamie looks at them all, seeing a tall man with a bare chest and a woman all in white. He realizes that there are the gods Esus, Teutates, and Taranis, and there is a ceremonial sacrifice going on.

Jamie decides to thrown the Cupan that he was going to place in Quinn’s grave at the group, causing them to vanish.

As the sun sets, Jamie is quickly finishing off the grave. He rushes down the causeway as he hears the sound of wild geese again. The group of people are back, and he’s sure he sees a flash of checkered pink cloth. This is clearly important, but it’s hard to understand why at this point. What does it have to do with the Wild Hunt poem (as it clearly does) and this new Jacobite rising attempt?

Could this chapter be used in a TV series adaptation?

While a lot of this chapter is in Jamie’s head, this chapter also brings up the ceremonial sacrifice. I’m sure we’d see it if The Scottish Prisoner was adapted, but there would be elements skipped over. Jamie would need to talk about his thoughts about Quinn’s last words with someone, probably Jamie.

We do need to see Jamie digging the grave, and we do need to see the ceremony part. This all connects to something much bigger, and it also brings a beautiful reminder of the pagan roots in Ireland.

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