| “ | It's a rare person to face who they truly are and not run from it—not be broken by it. That's what the Ouroboros shows all who look into it: who they are, every despicable and unholy inch. Some gaze upon it and don't even realize that the horror they're seeing is them—even as the terror of it drives them mad. Some swagger in and are shattered by the small, sorry creature they find instead. But you … Yes, rare indeed. I could risk leaving here for nothing less. | ” |
–The Bone Carver about the Ouroboros, A Court of Wings and Ruin | ||
The Ouroboros, also known as the Mirror of Beginnings and Endings, is a powerful artifact that shows the looker who or what they truly are.
Appearance[]
The Ouroboros is a massive, round disc a little taller than Feyre Archeron encased in bronze. The metal frame around it is fashioned after a serpent devouring its own tail.[1]
History[]
The Ouroboros is one of the mirrors of the Weaver before she was confined to her cottage. It is unknown how it came into the hands of Keir, Morrigan's father, and his family.
A Court of Wings and Ruin[]
When Feyre asks the Bone Carver to join her and the Prythian army in the war against Hybern, he tells her that he will if she brings him the Ouroboros mirror that had belonged to his sister Stryga and is currently in the hands of Keir.
It is believed that anyone who sees their reflection in the mirror would go mad but when Feyre brings it to the Bone Carver, he is very impressed as he has only asked her to test if she was worth his loyalty. However, once he has it in his possession it seems that he really wants it, perhaps the mirror allows him to see his true face, something he couldn't do elsewhere due to the nature of his magic.
Trivia[]
- The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail.[2]