- "Be gone!"
- ―Mount Sorrow
Mount Sorrow was a mountain on the Forest Moon of Endor. The tip of the mountain was in fact sentient, and had the power to both blow people off the summit, or cry tears of healing. Sorrow was a figure of legend in Ewok lore, albeit an obscure one, known only to the shamans and witch doctors of Endor. Sometime during the Imperial era, Mount Sorrow was able to cure budding poet Teebo of the perilous laughing spell, inherited from a loonee bird in the Endor woods.
Despite being a mountain, Sorrow was in a constant state of depression, be it either stern or sad. It had excessively high standards, granting the benefit of its healing powers only to those it deemed "worthy." It also had no qualms about sending children to their death, which it demonstrated by attempting to murder Wicket Wystri Warrick and Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka.
Biography[]
Ewok legend[]
- "…named by the first person to climb it. He was sorry he did!"
- ―Teebo
The sentient mountain being known as Mount Sorrow resided on the Forest Moon of Endor. Although the mountain was vast and could be seen from some distance, little was known about it among the native Ewoks who resided in Bright Tree Village.[1]
Although Ewok shamans told the legend of a being who resided at the top of the mountain whose tears had a powerful effect and could even reverse the effects of the perilous laughing spell, an ailment caused by contact with the loonee bird which caused sufferers to have uncontrollable bouts of laughter, the Ewoks were unaware that it was the mountain itself that possessed this power. During the Imperial era, the Ewok Teebo joked that Mount Sorrow was discovered by a native of Endor, who named the place for his disappointment at what lay at the summit.[1]
The curing of Teebo[]
- "I've never seen anyone more worthy of my tears! You are a true hero, young Teebo. Take all the tears you want!"
- ―Mount Sorrow
Sometime during the Imperial era, a young Ewok named Teebo contracted the perilous laughing spell from a loonee bird. The illness caused Teebo to play pranks on his fellow Ewoks, who summoned Logray, the shaman of Bright Tree Village, to treat Teebo's condition. Unable to cure Teebo, Logray recalled the Endorian legend of the being who lived atop Mount Sorrow, and felt that this presented Teebo's best chance. Uncertain of their chances, the Ewoks Wicket Wystri Warrick and Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka set off with Teebo to seek the being's help.[1]
After a long trek, the Ewoks reached the base of Mount Sorrow and ascended to the summit, carrying Teebo along on a leash. However, instead of the entity which Logray had told of, they were met by a stony mound that featured a face. The face began to move, and then started to converse with the astonished trio.[1]
Mount Sorrow demanded to know the reason why the Ewoks wanted its tears. When it was told of Teebo's ailment, Sorrow agreed to help only if he proved his worth. Although Teebo's callous indifference both depressed and angered the mighty mountain, the contagious nature of the laughing spell caused it to shake with merriment. Due to its brittle and stiff nature, the uncontrollable laughter caused Mount Sorrow to begin to fall apart, and both it and Teebo's companions tried to make the young Ewok move further away so that Sorrow might return to normal.[1]
Mount Sorrow's apparent failure to cure him led Teebo to question its abilities, but this insult only angered the mountain further, and it declared Teebo unworthy of its help. Warrick apologized for his friend's behavior but refused to leave until Sorrow had helped Teebo. Losing patience with the Ewoks, the mountain let forth a mighty gust of wind, with a view to blowing the Princess and Warrick off the side of the summit. Teebo intervened, using the rope that had been his leash during their ascent to save his two friends.[1]
Warrick attempted to make Teebo try again to seek Sorrow's help, but Teebo refused, saying that he would rather live with the laughing ailment than see his friends' lives put at risk again. Sorrow was moved by this, and deemed Teebo worthy. The sentient mountain doused Teebo with its tears, curing the young Ewok of his ailment, and then offered a continuous supply of surplus tears that it had in stock. Teebo graciously declined and the Ewoks left Mount Sorrow in peace.[1]
Personality and traits[]
- "If he is worthy, I shall weep for him!"
- ―Mount Sorrow
Mount Sorrow was aptly named: it resembled a massive, conical mountain made of gray rock, and it was in a constant state of depression. Sorrow was willing to offer the healing powers of its tears to those who needed it, but insisted that they meet its high standards by proving themselves worthy. The mountain being had little patience with others and was quick to anger when derided. When insulted by Teebo, it was willing to let the Ewok children Wicket W. Warrick and Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka fall to their deaths. However, upon seeing Teebo's willingness to suffer in order to protect the lives of his friends, Mount Sorrow was satisfied with the Ewok's worth, offering its healing powers and weeping openly at the display of gallantry.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Mount Sorrow was created by Dave Manak for the May 1986 comic book Ewoks 7, the seventh issue of Marvel Comics' Ewoks series, in which the character was drawn by Warren Kremer. The issue is divided into three parts with Sorrow first mentioned in the second part, "A Near Riot," and appearing throughout the third part, "Moving the Mountain." Sorrow's tears were used as a "MacGuffin" in the comic as the main characters seek a cure for Teebo's condition.[1]
Sorrow's appearance on the cover of The Perilous Laughing Spell, which shows the mountain being blowing the young Ewoks from the summit, differs from that in the comic. The cover illustration depicts the character with yellow eyes with a black pupil rather than the less distinct gray eyes shown throughout the issue. The cover also refers to Sorrow as a "Mountain Spirit."[1]
In his eNovella SkyeWalkers: A Clone Wars Story, Abel G. Peña included an oblique reference to Mount Sorrow.[2] In the story, while gazing upon Canaitith Mountain, Anakin Skywalker speculated that "there may have been mountains in the galaxy more splendid or treacherous, […] even mountains more sorrowful."[3]
Appearances[]
- Ewoks 7 (First appearance)
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Ewoks 7
- ↑ Abel G. Peña's "Skyewalkers" Hits the Internet! on the Jedi Council Forums (Literature board; posted by Halagad_Ventor on 3/13/15 4:04pm; accessed April 10, 2015) (backup link)
- ↑ SkyeWalkers: A Clone Wars Story