Kything
Encyclopedia
Kything is from an old Scottish word, "kythe," meaning "to make visible." Madeleine L'Engle
used it to describe a fictional type of communication, in a sense like telepathy
, found in several of the books in her Time Quartet
. L'Engle reportedly discovered the term in "an old Scottish dictionary" belonging to her grandfather.
Kything in the Time books is a sort of wordless, mind to mind communication in which one person, in essence, almost becomes another, seeing through their eyes and feeling through their senses.
In such a frame of mind, the two people intuitively know the meaning of what the other is telling them, disregarding such things as words or pictures. The idea may be based on the concept of Oneness, which states that all that exists, is one in its source and end. Apparently, recollection and assertion of that concept puts a person "in Kythe" with that which they are concentrating on.
Kything is portrayed as a way to be present with others without regard to space, time, or relative size. Through kything, humans can be together inside a subcellular mitochondrion
, as seen in A Wind in the Door
, or in communication despite being centuries apart, as seen in A Swiftly Tilting Planet
.
Characters depicted as kything include Charles Wallace Murry
(for whom it comes naturally), Meg Murry
and Calvin O'Keefe
. Meg and Calvin share a particular bond with each other, part of their growing relationship which eventually leads to marriage. Meg also spends much of A Swiftly Tilting Planet kything with her brother, Charles Wallace, thus experiencing vicariously his travels in time while supporting his efforts with research and prayer.
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her young-adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time...
used it to describe a fictional type of communication, in a sense like telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
, found in several of the books in her Time Quartet
Time Quartet
The Time Quartet/Quintet is a fantasy/science fiction series of five young adult novels written by Madeleine L'Engle.Those novels are:*A Wrinkle in Time , , ISBN 0-374-38613-7*A Wind in the Door , ISBN 0-374-38443-6...
. L'Engle reportedly discovered the term in "an old Scottish dictionary" belonging to her grandfather.
Kything in the Time books is a sort of wordless, mind to mind communication in which one person, in essence, almost becomes another, seeing through their eyes and feeling through their senses.
In such a frame of mind, the two people intuitively know the meaning of what the other is telling them, disregarding such things as words or pictures. The idea may be based on the concept of Oneness, which states that all that exists, is one in its source and end. Apparently, recollection and assertion of that concept puts a person "in Kythe" with that which they are concentrating on.
Kything is portrayed as a way to be present with others without regard to space, time, or relative size. Through kything, humans can be together inside a subcellular mitochondrion
Mitochondrion
In cell biology, a mitochondrion is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. These organelles range from 0.5 to 1.0 micrometers in diameter...
, as seen in A Wind in the Door
A Wind in the Door
A Wind in the Door is a young adult science fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle. It is a companion book to A Wrinkle in Time, and part of the Time Quartet .-Plot summary:...
, or in communication despite being centuries apart, as seen in A Swiftly Tilting Planet
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
A Swiftly Tilting Planet is a 1978 science fiction novel by Madeleine L'Engle, part of the Time Quartet. In it, Charles Wallace Murry, an advanced and perceptive child in A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, has grown into adolescence...
.
Characters depicted as kything include Charles Wallace Murry
Charles Wallace Murry
Charles Wallace Murry is a major character in Madeleine L'Engle's young adult science fiction novels A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, sometimes referred to as the Time Trilogy...
(for whom it comes naturally), Meg Murry
Meg Murry
Margaret "Meg" Murry O'Keefe is the main character and main protagonist in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet of Science fantasy novels, the daughter of two scientists, the sister of twins Sandy and Dennys Murry and telepath Charles Wallace Murry, and the mother of Polly O'Keefe and others in the...
and Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe is a major character in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet series of books, and, as "Dr. Calvin O'Keefe", an important character in her O'Keefe series of young adult novels. In an interview released on the DVD of the TV adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, L'Engle describes Calvin as "the...
. Meg and Calvin share a particular bond with each other, part of their growing relationship which eventually leads to marriage. Meg also spends much of A Swiftly Tilting Planet kything with her brother, Charles Wallace, thus experiencing vicariously his travels in time while supporting his efforts with research and prayer.