--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we…" description: "\"“Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Avalon. Our swords were shattered in our hands and we hung our sh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/roger-zelazny-1604_amber_beyond-the-river-of-the-blessed-there-we_662851.jpg" --- # Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we sat down, yea… ![“Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Avalon. Our swords were shattered in our hands and we hung our shields on the oak tree. The silver towers were fallen, into a sea of blood. How many miles to Avalon? None, I say, and all. The silver towers are…” quote by Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/roger-zelazny-1604_amber_beyond-the-river-of-the-blessed-there-we_662851.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/roger-zelazny-1604_amber_beyond-the-river-of-the-blessed-there-we_662851.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/roger-zelazny-1604_amber_beyond-the-river-of-the-blessed-there-we_662851.jpg) > ““Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Avalon. Our swords were shattered in our hands and we hung our shields on the oak tree. The silver towers were fallen, into a sea of blood. How many miles to Avalon? None, I say, and all. The silver towers are fallen. …waters,where the stars shone like bonfires at night and the green of day was always the green of spring. Youth, love, beauty-I knew them in Avalon. Proud steeds, bright metal, soft lips, dark ale. Honor…”” [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quest for an ideal place evokes longing, loss, and the bittersweet memory of youth **In simple terms:** Longing for a lost paradise reflects human yearning Key Takeaway Cherish memories but stay grounded in reality Themes myth quest nostalgia Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - creative writing - role‑playing games - personal reflection - historical analysis Key Concepts heroic journey memory idealism Questions to Reflect On - What does Avalon symbolize for you? - How to balance nostalgia with progress? A Different Perspective Idealizing the past can hinder present action ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avalon/) [Oak tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oak-tree/) ## Related quotes > [“It's true, after all. Saemangeum City is a gift few people understand”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-amitrani/it-s-true-after-all-saemangeum-city-is-a-gift-few-people-understand/) [Michele Amitrani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-amitrani/) > [“Carry on the Flame to a new dawn I am with you. ~the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodine-turner/carry-on-the-flame-to-a-new-dawn-i-am-with-you-the-goddess-of-the/) Jodine Turner > [And so, perhaps, the truth winds somewhere between the road to Glastonbury, Isle of the Priests, and the road to Avalon, lost forever in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/and-so-perhaps-the-truth-winds-somewhere-between-the-road-to/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [A priestess of Avalon does not lie. But I am cast out of Avalon, and for this, and unless it is all to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/a-priestess-of-avalon-does-not-lie-but-i-am-cast-out-of-avalon-and/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [“I wonder if I can get pizza in Avalon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-o-neale/i-wonder-if-i-can-get-pizza-in-avalon/) [Stacey O'Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-o-neale/) > [“Fighting in the name of freedom has too high a price," Merlin sighed as he leaned into his mother's arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-marie/fighting-in-the-name-of-freedom-has-too-high-a-price-merlin-sighed-as/) Dee Marie > [ Frankie \[Avalon\] ... was interested in eating everything so it didn't eat him first. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rona-barrett/frankie-avalon-was-interested-in-eating-everything-so-it-didn-t-eat/) [Rona Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rona-barrett/) > [Well, we all age, but Id been taking herbal supplements for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-avalon/well-we-all-age-but-id-been-taking-herbal-supplements-for-a-long-time/) [Frankie Avalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-avalon/) > [ From these Christians who came to \[Avalon\] to escape the bigotry of their own kind I learned something, at last, of the Nazarene, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/from-these-christians-who-came-to-avalon-to-escape-the-bigotry-of/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [Who that man in the black Sedan With two cheap hookers and a Mexican Pumpin' white lines, sippin' warm Coors Light Mickey Avalon, call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-avalon/who-that-man-in-the-black-sedan-with-two-cheap-hookers-and-a-mexican/) Mickey Avalon > [I think I get really into comfort music: '60s stuff, '50s stuff like Frankie Avalon. I love it - such simple songs, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-benjamin-lerner/i-think-i-get-really-into-comfort-music-60s-stuff-50s-stuff-like/) [Michael Benjamin Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-benjamin-lerner/) > [I think todays music absolutely stinks. I really do mean that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-avalon/i-think-todays-music-absolutely-stinks-i-really-do-mean-that/) [Frankie Avalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-avalon/) > [Any movie about cult figure Charles Manson needs lots of sex, drugs and blood. But as John Roecker discovered while filming his first feature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roecker/any-movie-about-cult-figure-charles-manson-needs-lots-of-sex-drugs/) [John Roecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roecker/) > [Visa for Avalon is a testament to the power of fiction. It illuminates the truth at the heart of what is commonly called reality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/visa-for-avalon-is-a-testament-to-the-power-of-fiction-it-illuminates/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [“Jess Pepper's review of the Avalon Strings: 'In a land so very civilized and modern as ours, it is unpopular to suggest that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-bristol/jess-pepper-s-review-of-the-avalon-strings-in-a-land-so-very/) [Bailey Bristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-bristol/) ## More by Roger Zelazny > [“I was willing to die fighting, but it was senseless for all these men to go down with me. Perhaps my blood was tainted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-was-willing-to-die-fighting-but-it-was-senseless-for-all-these-men/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I know, too, that death is the only god who comes when you call.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-know-too-that-death-is-the-only-god-who-comes-when-you-call/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [There's no such thing as civilization. The word just means the art of living in cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/there-s-no-such-thing-as-civilization-the-word-just-means-the-art-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Time, too, is a function of Shadow, and even Dworkin did not know all of its ins and outs. Or perhaps he did. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/time-too-is-a-function-of-shadow-and-even-dworkin-did-not-know-all-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I've always been impulsive. My thinking is usually pretty good, but I always seem to do it after I do my talking — by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-ve-always-been-impulsive-my-thinking-is-usually-pretty-good-but-i/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“And again, damn. Of troubles I considered myself amply possessed. But those who have do seem to get. Some spiritual form of compound interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/and-again-damn-of-troubles-i-considered-myself-amply-possessed-but/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Far below, the ocean was a bluegray rug being pulled out from beneath us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/far-below-the-ocean-was-a-bluegray-rug-being-pulled-out-from-beneath/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [A powerful flight of the imagination . . . an entirely enjoyable reading experience, wrought by a pair of writers noted for excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/a-powerful-flight-of-the-imagination-an-entirely-enjoyable-reading/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [The function of criticism should not be confused with the function of reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/the-function-of-criticism-should-not-be-confused-with-the-function-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I always wanted to write, ever since I was a kid. I started writing at the age of 11. All I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-always-wanted-to-write-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-i-started-writing-at/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [While I had often said that I wanted to die in bed, what I really meant was that in my old age I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/while-i-had-often-said-that-i-wanted-to-die-in-bed-what-i-really/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“That was the first time in my life that I knew the meaning of despair. I read, I worked, I drank, I whored, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/that-was-the-first-time-in-my-life-that-i-knew-the-meaning-of-despair/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“I watched until the sizzlecloud drew its legs up into itself, hung like a burning cocoon, then died like an ember retreating into ash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-watched-until-the-sizzlecloud-drew-its-legs-up-into-itself-hung/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [To waste! You are unknown and unwanted, save by me. This, because you are fairly adept at the various embalming arts and you occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/to-waste-you-are-unknown-and-unwanted-save-by-me-this-because-you-are/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I watched the spinning stars, grateful, sad and proud, as only a man who has outlived his destiny and realizes he might yet forge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-watched-the-spinning-stars-grateful-sad-and-proud-as-only-a-man-who/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) [Explore all 220 Roger Zelazny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) ## More Amber quotes > [“I don't know what this feeling is... I only know that I feel safe in your arms. My heart races every time I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-west/i-don-t-know-what-this-feeling-is-i-only-know-that-i-feel-safe-in/) [Sarah West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-west/) > [I have been much amused at ye singular phenomena resulting from bringing of a needle into contact with a piece of amber or resin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-have-been-much-amused-at-ye-singular-phenomena-resulting-from/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Dear Amber Hope,You're amazing, Funny, creative, and yet soooo pretty xD Don't let anyone I mean ANYONE tell you different! 'Cause they are soooo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/dear-amber-hope-you-re-amazing-funny-creative-and-yet-soooo-pretty-xd/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [There is an infinity of landscape here, caused by the purity of the atmosphere. It has been said that there is a lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-heysen/there-is-an-infinity-of-landscape-here-caused-by-the-purity-of-the/) Hans Heysen > [I'm not the kind of artist that wants to get a sound, refine it, and do it 'til I'm 50 so that it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doseone/i-m-not-the-kind-of-artist-that-wants-to-get-a-sound-refine-it-and-do/) [Doseone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doseone/) > [“Amber was not shy. If she had been shy, not one of us would be at Perkins right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/amber-was-not-shy-if-she-had-been-shy-not-one-of-us-would-be-at/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“I peel hiss tense fingers on his right hand away from the steering wheel, one two three four five. With each finger, the scowl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-peel-hiss-tense-fingers-on-his-right-hand-away-from-the-steering/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [ My grandmother used to say that there's something truly intimate about sharing food with the people you love." \[Stacey\] "Intimate? Sharing food? People you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/my-grandmother-used-to-say-that-there-s-something-truly-intimate/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [I didn't expect to be doing a whole bunch of Amber Browns. And because it was just one book, and the father had moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-danziger/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-doing-a-whole-bunch-of-amber-browns-and-because/) [Paula Danziger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-danziger/) > [Most cats feel that bird-catching is their duty; the instinct goes back to prehistoric times. Amber keeps in practice by chasing moths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-taber/most-cats-feel-that-bird-catching-is-their-duty-the-instinct-goes/) [Gladys Taber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-taber/) > [“Cade motions with a nod to follow him. He's holding the pole, and I'm the fish on the line. Just how far will he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/cade-motions-with-a-nod-to-follow-him-he-s-holding-the-pole-and-i-m/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [His smell—the scent of a demon, cinnamon incense, amber musk—wrapped around me, filled my lungs. I felt like I could breathe again, without every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/his-smell-the-scent-of-a-demon-cinnamon-incense-amber-musk-wrapped/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Whence we see spiders, flies, or ants entombed and preserved forever in amber, a more than royal tomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/whence-we-see-spiders-flies-or-ants-entombed-and-preserved-forever-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man’s memories and you take all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/memory-is-all-we-are-moments-and-feelings-captured-in-amber-strung-on/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [But the world moves on, even when you don’t want it to, even when change feels like the end of everything. It never stops.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/but-the-world-moves-on-even-when-you-don-t-want-it-to-even-when/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) Browse all 183 Amber quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Avalon. Our swords were shattered in our hands and we hung our shields on the oak tree. The silver towers were fallen, into a sea of blood. How many miles to Avalon? None, I say, and all. The silver towers are fallen. …waters,where the stars shone like bonfires at night and the green of day was always the green of spring. Youth, love, beauty-I knew them in Avalon. Proud steeds, bright metal, soft lips, dark ale. 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