The Heart of the Island was a mysterious location on the island. It consisted of a glowing yellow light in a tunnel into which a river flowed, ending in a waterfall near the light. The light is considered "beautiful", "the warmest, brightest light you've ever felt". However, to enter the light is forbidden, and is said to cause a fate "worse than death". ("Across the Sea")
It is said to be a physical manifestation of "life, death, rebirth". Humans are said to covet the Heart because a little bit of the very same light is inside every man—"but they always want more". According to Mother, while humans are incapable of taking the light, their attempts to do so could "put it out. And if the light goes out here... it goes out everywhere." ("Across the Sea")
Mother was the protector of the Heart and passed the torch to Jacob to continue in this task. It's location is secret, making it difficult to find. Jacob's brother searched for the Heart of the Island for 30 years unsuccessfully, but eventually discovered that the light could be accessed underground in spots where there is strong magnetic activity.
Paradoxically, the Heart is actually a geological sink, with a river of water running into it.
The Man in Black is thrown into the Heart of the Island.
After Jacob's brother killed Mother, Jacob threw him into the light, and a roaring pillar of black smoke came shooting out of the cave. Jacob later found the dead body of his brother hanging from the branches of a tree in a distant part of the Island, and laid the body to rest in the caves.
| “ |
Life, death, rebirth. It’s the source, the heart of the island… |
” |
—Mother, "Across the Sea" | ||
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Heart of the Island/Theories
- What is the relationship between the Heart and the Smoke Monster?
- What is the status of the Heart in the two timelines?
- Where did it come from and why is it there on the island?
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
