The Girl Who Drank the Moon

by

Kelly Barnhill

Glerk is, for much of the novel, the friendly swamp monster who lives with Xan and Fyrian (and later, Luna) in the center of the forest. However, the novel also makes it clear that Glerk is a much more important and far-reaching figure in the world of the novel: he’s the Beast of the world’s origin stories, and he’s also known as the Poet (though he usually speaks as though the Poet is someone separate from himself). Glerk is very tall, has four arms with seven fingers each, and a tail with a prehensile tip. Though he looks terrifying, he’s a kind individual who looks out for all of his family members. Glerk, like Xan, initially forgot about the volcano’s eruption and the events leading up to it 500 years ago. Glerk feels extremely guilty for forgetting, especially when he recognizes that he needs to remember at least some things in order to help Luna. In addition to this sense of guilt and recognition that he should remember, Glerk also feels strongly that people should know the truth about things. He thinks that Xan’s lie to Fyrian (that Fyrian is truly a Simply Enormous Dragon who lives in the land of the giants) is doing the dove-size dragonling a major disservice. He also takes issue with Xan’s spell on Luna to corral Luna’s magic until she turns 13. As a mentor of sorts for both Luna and Fyrian, Glerk is able to draw on his identity as the Poet, as he espouses compassion and kindness, and tells Fyrian the truth about his size and encourages him to not eat or otherwise harm Sister Ignatia. As Xan’s death approaches, Glerk decides that it’s time to return to the world as the Beast, and takes Xan’s spirit with him to the Bog after she dies.

Glerk Quotes in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The The Girl Who Drank the Moon quotes below are all either spoken by Glerk or refer to Glerk. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family and Love Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

“I remember. All at once.” He shook his head. “Why had I forgotten?”

Xan pushed her wrinkled lips to one side. “Sorrow is dangerous. Or, at least, it was. I can’t remember why, now. I think we both became accustomed to not remembering things. We just let things get...foggy.”

Related Characters: Xan (speaker), Glerk (speaker), Luna, Zosimos
Page Number: Chapter 9. In Which Several Things Go Wrong68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

Fyrian seemed younger and younger every day. Sometimes, it seemed to Luna that he was going backward in time while she stood still, but other times it seemed that the opposite was true: it was Fyrian who was standing still while Luna raced forward. She wondered why this was.

Dragons! Glerk would explain.

Dragons! Xan would agree. They both shrugged. Dragons, it was decided. What can one do?

Which never actually answered anything.

Related Characters: Luna, Xan, Glerk, Fyrian
Page Number: Chapter 17. In Which There Is a Crack in the Nut136-37
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

“I don’t know, my dear Fyrian. What I do know is that I am here with you. I do know that the gaps in our knowledge will soon be revealed and filled in, and that’s a good thing. I do know that you are my friend and that I will stay by your side through every transition and trial.”

Related Characters: Glerk (speaker), Fyrian
Page Number: Chapter 39. In Which Glerk Tells Fyrian the Truth332
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Girl Who Drank the Moon LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon PDF

Glerk Quotes in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The The Girl Who Drank the Moon quotes below are all either spoken by Glerk or refer to Glerk. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family and Love Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

“I remember. All at once.” He shook his head. “Why had I forgotten?”

Xan pushed her wrinkled lips to one side. “Sorrow is dangerous. Or, at least, it was. I can’t remember why, now. I think we both became accustomed to not remembering things. We just let things get...foggy.”

Related Characters: Xan (speaker), Glerk (speaker), Luna, Zosimos
Page Number: Chapter 9. In Which Several Things Go Wrong68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

Fyrian seemed younger and younger every day. Sometimes, it seemed to Luna that he was going backward in time while she stood still, but other times it seemed that the opposite was true: it was Fyrian who was standing still while Luna raced forward. She wondered why this was.

Dragons! Glerk would explain.

Dragons! Xan would agree. They both shrugged. Dragons, it was decided. What can one do?

Which never actually answered anything.

Related Characters: Luna, Xan, Glerk, Fyrian
Page Number: Chapter 17. In Which There Is a Crack in the Nut136-37
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

“I don’t know, my dear Fyrian. What I do know is that I am here with you. I do know that the gaps in our knowledge will soon be revealed and filled in, and that’s a good thing. I do know that you are my friend and that I will stay by your side through every transition and trial.”

Related Characters: Glerk (speaker), Fyrian
Page Number: Chapter 39. In Which Glerk Tells Fyrian the Truth332
Explanation and Analysis: