The Pillars of the Earth

“At dusk the hunter took his prey, / The lark his freedom never. / All birds and men are sure to die/ But songs may live forever.” 

This is the song Jack’s father sings to Ellen before he is hanged. It foreshadows the events of the book and underscores the fact that cultural and civil monuments shared among people of goodwill outlast the fleeting predatory nature of humankind at its worst.

“This was the essence of a building, for it had a roof to keep the rain off and two walls to hold up the roof. A church was just a tunnel, with refinements.” 

This is Tom’s conception of a building, which is a sound and justifiable one. Though Jack’s precocious mind will expand this form to include large windows and an inspiring profile, what is important is that the concept is handed down and improved from one generation to the next.

“Of course you’re destined for something else. Born within sight of a monastery, orphaned at six, raised by monks, made cellarer at twenty-one--God does not take that much trouble over the formation of a man who is going to spend his life in a remote mountain principality.” 

The monk who saves Philip’s life and raised him here advises him at a young age to do great things. It is like the advice Philip will pass down to Jonathan years later. Their orphan status inspires them to do great things.