Thoughts On...Parabatai: Part 1

I think the topic of Parabatai is one that deserves more than just one post.  So, to preface this blog let me tell you a bit about what I plan to do with this topic.  Like I said there's so much to talk about when it comes to Parabatai.  There is the topic generally of what a Parabatai is and what it means within the mythology of Shadowhunters.  There are all the different Parabatai partners throughout the entirety of the Shadowhunter Chronicles.  How both the show and the movie have handle Parabatai's in their respective medium.  Lots of things to talk about, certainly way too much to put into one blog post.  So, in upcoming weeks we'll talk more about the different areas of this subject.

For today lets talk about what a Parabatai is and what it means.

So, what is the Parabatai bond?  It is an unbreakable bond between two Shadowhunters that makes these two Shadowhunters stronger, more capable, and the runes the use on each other stronger, better.  These two are each other's other halves.  They always fight side by side, and they fight better for it.  They would die for each other.  A bond of love, unromantic, that is stronger than even that of family or a spouse.

Not all Shadowhunters can have a Parabatai, mostly because not all Shadowhunters can find the kind of friendship that transcends all other relationships.  The Parabatai rune can only be given to Shadowhunters before the age of nineteen, after that age they are no longer able to become or have a Parabatai.  To become Parabatai is also more than just the initial choosing the other Shadowhunter they want to share the bond with.  There is a trail that they must go through to make sure that they two are truly compatible together before the Parabatai ceremony can happen.

We see this trail in the Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy short story "The Fiery Trial."  At this point Simon is back to being a mundane, but is at the Academy to train to ascend to become a Shadowhunter.  Those who are closets to Simon and Clary know that if two are meant to be Parabatai it is Simon Lewis and Clary Fairchild.  In this story we see Magnus and Catarina Loss creating a drink, made with water from Lake Lynn, for Simon and Clary to drink.  Those who have read the books know that Lake Lynn is the Mortal Mirror, and for Shadowhunters, if drunk can cause hallucinations and even can kill if not treated.  After drinking the elixir both Clary and Simon than begin to have hallucinations, and in these hallucinations must find their way to each other.  And once Simon drinks from the Mortal Cup and ascends he and Clary become Parabatai.

As I mentioned previously, once two Shadowhunters are bonded together through the Parabatai bond it is unbreakable.  There are only two things that can sever this bond.  The first thing is the death of one of the Parabatai, once the other is dead the one that is still living no longer has the special abilities given to Parabatai, and can not choose another.  The second is if one of them becomes other than a Shadowhunter.  Being turned into a Vampire or Werewolf, like Luke, will sever the bond, or becoming a Silent Brother, like Jem from the Infernal Devices.  There are other things that can deaden a bond, but these are the only ones that sever it.

The one thing that a pair of Parabatai can't do is fall in love with each other.  A one sided love is not against the law.  But if both Shadowhunters that are Parabatai fall in love with each other it is illegal, and is very severely punished.  The leaders of the Clave has never disclosed why this relationship is illegal, and to be honest they probably don't actually know.  But we find out the reason behind this law in the first book of the Dark Artifices, Lady Midnight.  It's clear in Lady Midnight that Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn were never meant to be Parabatai.  These two are clearly in love with each other, and are in my opinion soulmates.   Jem Carstairs, now back to being a normal Shadowhunter and no longer a Silent Brother following the events of City of Heavenly Fire, tells Emma the truth about this particular law.  The reason that Parabatai aren't allowed to romantically love one another is because they gain so much power they become more like Warlock powers and not Shadowhunters.  When the leaders of the Clave, at the time, realized that this was what would happen they made this romantic relationship illegal but never told the rest of the Clave, the mass majority of Shadowhunters, why it was now illegal.

So, as you can see there is so much to say and think about when it comes to this very special bond.  And in the upcoming weeks I'm going to delve deeper into the Parabatai bond and the people we love, and sometimes hate, that have shared this bond with another Shadowhunter.  Each week I'll discuss a different set of Parabatai.

Till Next Time Friends,