''Many Waters'' is a 1986 novel by Madeleine L'Engle, part of the author's

Time Quintet The ''Time Quintet'' is a fantasy/science fiction series of five young adult novels written by Madeleine L'Engle. Publishing history The series originated with ''A Wrinkle in Time'', written from 1959 to 1960 and turned down by 26 publishers be ...

(also known as the Time Quartet). The title is taken from the Song of Solomon 8:7: "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned." The principal characters of the story are

Sandy and Dennys Murry Madeleine L'Engle, an American novelist, diarist and poet, produced over twenty novels, beginning with '' The Small Rain'' (1945), and continuing into the 1990s with ''A Live Coal in the Sea'' (1996). Many of her fictional characters appeared in ...

, twin brothers who are somewhat out of place in the context of the multifarious and eccentric Murry family from ''

A Wrinkle in Time ''A Wrinkle in Time'' is a young adult science fantasy novel written by American author Madeleine L'Engle. First published in 1962, the book won the Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for th ...

''. The action of the story follows that of '' A Wind in the Door'' but precedes the climactic, apocalyptic event in ''

A Swiftly Tilting Planet ''A Swiftly Tilting Planet'' is a science fiction novel by Madeleine L'Engle, the third book in the Time Quintet. It was first published in 1978 with cover art by Diane Dillon. The book's title is an allusion to the poem "Morning Song of Senlin" ...

''.

Plot summary

In the middle of a

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

winter, identical twin brothers Sandy and Dennys accidentally disturb an experiment in their parents' laboratory and are teleported to a sandy desert. There, they are acquired by water-prospector 'Japheth' and guided to an

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentLamech; there, Sandy is cured of heatstroke by a variety of improbable beings, including

seraph A seraph (, "burning one"; plural seraphim ) is a type of celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Chris ...

im. Dennys reappears in another tent and is thrown into a refuse heap. He later comes under the care of a friendly family in the center of the oasis, headed by a gruff but kindly patriarch called

Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5� ...

. It soon becomes apparent that the boys have been interpolated into the story of

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

, shortly before the Flood. Both Noah and Lamech receive mysterious instructions from God (known as El) concerning the building of the Ark. The twins come to understand that unicorns who can traverse space and time live in the oasis. Sinister supernatural beings known as the

nephilim The Nephilim (; ''Nəfīlīm'') are mysterious beings or people in the Hebrew Bible who are large and strong. The word ''Nephilim'' is loosely translated as ''giants'' in some translations of the Hebrew Bible, but left untranslated in others. ...

distrust the twins, and their human wives attempt to gather information about them. At several points, the wife of a nephil unsuccessfully attempts to seduce Sandy. Separated for much of the book, the twins become more independent of each other and gain maturity over the course of a year in the desert. Both are in love with Noah's beautiful and virtuous daughter Yalith (and she with them), but neither twin declares his affection until the very end of the novel. Dennys convinces Noah to reconcile with his father, Lamech, and both twins eventually care for Lamech's gardens while he lies ill. After Lamech's death, Sandy is kidnapped, but is eventually found by Japheth. Suspense arises when it becomes clear that there is no place on the Ark reserved for Sandy, Dennys, or Yalith. After both twins assist in the construction of the Ark, Yalith is taken by the seraphim to the presence of El. Sandy and Dennys are then returned to their own time and place by

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicor ...

s summoned by the seraphim.

Major themes

The story largely concerns the teenaged twins' emotional coming of age, but, like the other three novels about the Murry family, includes elements of

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...

and Christian

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

such as the

im, a heavenly race of angels and the

, a race of giants that were the result of the mating of mortal women and angels are the main antagonists of the story (see Genesis 6:1-4 ). Author Donald R. Hettinga notes that the world of Noah's oasis is especially difficult for "the empirically minded twins" to accept because in L'Engle's theology of "a gradual Fall", it is still populated by manticores and unicorns, "everyone can still see angels," and some people "can still converse intimately with God." Similarities to the fantasy-science fiction works of

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univer ...

, always present in L'Engle's oeuvre, are particularly notable here. The twins' difficulty in believing in things that exist outside their empiricist world is a trait they must overcome in the story, because it is only by believing in a "virtual unicorn" that they can obtain transportation back to their everyday world.

Biblical and other sources of immortal character names

Although previous books in the series touched on themes of Christian theology, ''Many Waters'' makes direct references to

Biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and Qabalistic mysticism, particularly in its supernatural characters. While '' A Wind in the Door'' featured a "singular

cherub A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...

im" with the fabricated name of Proginoskes, many of the seraphim and nephilim are named after obscure mystical entities:

Seraphim

The Seraphim are angels, although the text declines to explicitly name them as such even when asked directly. They serve as protectors, healers, and advisors, and form special friendships with pious people. They have wings colored in gold, silver or blue. Each has a preferred animal form, often mammals or birds, although some appear even as reptiles and insects. They regard the Nephilim as their brothers, in spite of the schism between them. * Adnarel, originally one of the leaders who follow the four leaders who divide the four parts of the year in the Book of Enoch 82:14. * Aariel, variant of Ariel, "lion of God". The name occurs with some frequency in the

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

and in

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

nical literature. (Note that Aariel frequently appears in the novel in the form of a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

.) * Abasdarhon, originally the angel who rules over the fifth hour of the night. The name also appears in the ''

Steganographia ''Steganographia'' is a book on steganography, written in c. 1499 by the German Benedictine abbot and polymath Johannes Trithemius. General Trithemius' most famous work, ''Steganographia'' (written c. 1499; published Frankfurt, 1606), was pl ...

'' of

Johannes Trithemius Johannes Trithemius (; 1 February 1462 – 13 December 1516), born Johann Heidenberg, was a German Benedictine abbot and a polymath who was active in the German Renaissance as a lexicographer, chronicler, cryptographer, and occultist. He is cons ...

. * Abdiel, a seraph in the '' Sepher Raziel'' and a character in Milton's ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674 ...

.'' * Akatriel, one of the Angels of Presence. *

Achsah Achsah (; Hebrew: עַכְסָה, also Acsah), was Caleb ben Yefune's only daughter. The meaning of her name is courageous. In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Achsah is: Adorned, bursting the veil. She was offered in marriage to the man ...

, wife of

Othniel Othniel (; he, עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז, ''ʿOṯnīʾēl ben Qenaz'') was the first of the biblical judges. The etymology of his name is uncertain, but may mean "God/He is my strength" or "God has helped me". Family The Hebr ...

in the Old Testament. Curiously, this seraph is named after a mortal character. * Admael, one of the seven angels set over the earth. * Adabiel is mentioned in the alt.magick Kabbalah FAQ as a member of the seven

archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other re ...

s according to ''The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels'', although the 1635 poetic work by

Thomas Heywood Thomas Heywood (early 1570s – 16 August 1641) was an English playwright, actor, and author. His main contributions were to late Elizabethan and early Jacobean theatre. He is best known for his masterpiece '' A Woman Killed with Kindness'', ...

uses the name Adahiel for this archangel associated with the planet Jupiter. * Adnachiel is associated by many astrology websites with the

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The p ...

sign

Sagittarius Sagittarius ( ) may refer to: *Sagittarius (constellation) *Sagittarius (astrology), a sign of the Zodiac Ships *''SuperStar Sagittarius'', a cruise ship * USS ''Sagittarius'' (AKN-2), a World War II US Navy cargo ship Music *Sagittarius (ban ...

Nephilim

The Nephilim seem to be fallen angels who cannot return to heaven, although they claim to have willingly chosen to leave paradise for the sake of material pleasures. They are lusty hedonists who seduce young women with their beauty and riches. They have wings and eyes colored in violets and reds. They often take the form of insects, reptiles, and desert scavengers. They have adversarial attitudes toward the Seraphim. * Ugiel, second of the unholy

sefirot Sefirot (; he, סְפִירוֹת, translit=Səfīrōt, Tiberian: '), meaning '' emanations'', are the 10 attributes/emanations in Kabbalah, through which Ein Sof ( The Infinite) reveals itself and continuously creates both the physical realm ...

according to

Moses de Burgos Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...

. * Rofocale, after Lucifuge Rofocale, governor of Hell in

The Sworn Book of Honorius ''The Sworn Book of Honorius'' ( la, Liber juratus Honorii, also ''Liber sacer'', ''sacratus'' or ''consecratus'') is a medieval grimoire purportedly written by Honorius of Thebes. The Latin word "juratus", which is typically translated to "swor ...

. * Eisheth, an angel of prostitution and the consort of the demon

Samael Samael ( he, סַמָּאֵל, ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom/Poison of God"; ar, سمسمائيل, ''Samsama'il'' or ar, سمائل, label=none, ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic ...

. * Eblis, variant of

Iblis Iblis ( ar, إِبْلِيس, translit=Iblīs), alternatively known as Eblīs, is the leader of the devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate himself before Adam. Regarding the o ...

, the primary devil in Islam. * Estael is named as an intelligence of

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandt ...

in ''The Secret Grimoire of Turiel'', purportedly a sixteenth-century

grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ho ...

. * Negarsanel, variant of Nasargiel, an angel of Hell according to ''The Legends of the Jews'' by Rabbi

Louis Ginzberg Louis Ginzberg ( he, לוי גינצבורג, ''Levy Gintzburg''; russian: Леви Гинцберг, ''Levy Ginzberg''; November 28, 1873 – November 11, 1953) was a Russian-born American rabbi and Talmudic scholar of Lithuanian-Jewish des ...

. * Rugziel, a

fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...

. * Rumael, twentieth of the twenty-one named fallen angels in 1 Enoch 69. *

Rumjal Ramiel ( arc, רַעַמְאֵל, he, רַעַמְאֵל ''Raʿamʾēl''; gr, ‘Ραμιήλ), not to be confused with the holy angel "Remiel", is a fallen Watcher (angel) while the other is an Archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Ramie ...

, sixth named of the fallen angels in 1 Enoch 69. * Ertrael, another fallen angel named in 1 Enoch. * Naamah, another consort of Samael.

Reception

'' Kirkus Reviews'' called the book "the kind of intricate tale with complex characters and relationships that L'Engle's readers have come to expect... A carefully wrought fable, entwining disparate elements from unicorns to particle physics, this will be enjoyed for its suspense and humor as well as its other levels of meaning." Writing for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...

-winning author

Susan Cooper Susan Mary Cooper (born 23 May 1935) is an English author of children's books. She is best known for '' The Dark Is Rising'', a contemporary fantasy series set in England and Wales, which incorporates British mythology such as the Arthurian ...

wrote, "Analogies between the Flood and the possibility of nuclear destruction are suggested from time to time, but no didactic conclusion is forced out of them... Miss L'Engle is above all a skillful storyteller, and every admirer of 'A Wrinkle in Time' will have fun with 'Many Waters.'"

Series notes

''Many Waters'' is an anomaly among the books of the

. Meg and

Charles Wallace Murry Madeleine L'Engle, an American novelist, diarist and poet, produced over twenty novels, beginning with '' The Small Rain'' (1945), and continuing into the 1990s with ''A Live Coal in the Sea'' (1996). Many of her fictional characters appeared in ...

, the protagonists of the other three books, only appear on the last two pages of this one, while Sandy and Dennys, usually minor characters, are fully developed. Written after ''A Swiftly Tilting Planet'', it nevertheless takes place about five years before that book, and about five years after ''A Wrinkle in Time''. If one reads the books in the order of internal chronology, ''Many Waters'' thus interrupts the saga of Meg and Charles Wallace for a side trip with the "ordinary" members of the Murry family. Since the story was not written before ''Planet'' was published, the latter book does not fully take into account the twins' expanded understanding of the world beyond the everyday, instead showing some continued skepticism on their part. However, this aspect of their character is less extreme than in earlier books. For the twins, being immersed in Noah's world "stretches their sense of reality". Sandy and Dennys appear to retain this change in attitude as adults, particularly in ''

A House Like a Lotus ''A House Like a Lotus'' () is a 1984 young adult novel by Madeleine L'Engle. Its protagonist is sixteen-year-old Polly O'Keefe, whose friend and mentor, Maximiliana Horne, has sent her on a trip to Greece and Cyprus. As she travels, Polly mus ...

'', in which Sandy acts as a mentor to his eldest niece, Polly O'Keefe. In the previous book in the series, ''A Wind in the Door'', Meg is informed that Sandy and Dennys will become "Teachers", a metaphoric role that they appear to play as adults because of their experiences in ''Many Waters''. However, ''

An Acceptable Time ''An Acceptable Time'' is a 1989 young adult science fiction novel by Madeleine L'Engle, the last of her books to feature Polyhymnia O'Keefe, better known as Poly (''The Arm of the Starfish'', '' Dragons in the Waters'') or Polly (''A House Like ...

'', the fifth book in the so-called ''Spacetime Quintet'' (the Time Quartet plus the fifth and final novel about Calvin and Meg's daughter Polly, who Meg is pregnant with in ''A Swiftly Tilting Planet''), does not include the Twins as either skeptics or teachers.

References

External links

*
L'Engle's Official Site

A Wrinkle In Time Quintet Excerpts - ''Many Waters''
{{Noah's Ark 1986 American novels Children's fantasy novels American young adult novels Novels by Madeleine L'Engle Time Quintet 1986 science fiction novels Novels about time travel 1986 fantasy novels Farrar, Straus and Giroux books Novels about Noah's Ark 1986 children's books