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The Kingkiller Chronicle
How Old Holly Came to Be
How Old Holly Came to Be is a companion short story in The Kingkiller Chronicle series. It was first published on June 21, 2013 by Grim Oak Press in the anthology Unfettered.
11 pages, ebook
First published June 21, 2013
4 people are currently reading
4936 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Rothfuss
82 books243k followersIt all began when Pat Rothfuss was born to a marvelous set of parents. Throughout his formative years they encouraged him to do his best, gave him good advice, and were no doubt appropriately dismayed when he failed to live up to his full potential.
In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all his friends despite the fact that he had never so much as kissed a girl. He also role-played and wrote terrible stories about elves. He was pretty much a geek.
Most of Pat's adult life has been spent in the University Wisconsin Stevens Point. In 1991 he started college in order to pursue a career in chemical engineering, then he considered clinical psychology. In 1993 he quit pretending he knew what he wanted to do with his life, changed his major to "undecided," and proceeded to study whatever amused him. He also began writing a book....
For the next seven years Pat studied anthropology, philosophy, eastern religions, history, alchemy, parapsychology, literature, and writing. He studied six different martial arts, practiced improv comedy, learned how to pick locks, and became a skilled lover of women. He also began writing a satirical advice column which he continues to this day: The College Survivial Guide. Through all of this he continued to work on his novel.
In 2000 Pat went to grad school for English literature. Grad school sucked and Pat hated it. However, Pat learned that he loved to teach. He left in 2002 with his masters degree, shaking the dust from his feet and vowing never to return. During this period of time his novel was rejected by roughly every agent in the known universe.
Now Pat teaches half-time at his old school as an assistant-sub-lecturer. He is underpaid but generally left alone to do as he sees fit with his classes. He is advisor for the college feminists, the fencing club, and, oddly enough, a sorority. He still roll-plays occasionally, but now he does it in an extremely sophisticated, debonair way.
Through a series of lucky breaks, he has wound up with the best agent and editor imaginable, and the first book of his trilogy has been published under the title "The Name of the Wind."
Though it has only been out since April 2007, it has already been sold in 26 foreign countries and won several awards.
Pat has been described as "a rough, earthy iconoclast with a pipeline to the divine in everyone's subconscious." But honestly, that person was pretty drunk at the time, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt.
In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all his friends despite the fact that he had never so much as kissed a girl. He also role-played and wrote terrible stories about elves. He was pretty much a geek.
Most of Pat's adult life has been spent in the University Wisconsin Stevens Point. In 1991 he started college in order to pursue a career in chemical engineering, then he considered clinical psychology. In 1993 he quit pretending he knew what he wanted to do with his life, changed his major to "undecided," and proceeded to study whatever amused him. He also began writing a book....
For the next seven years Pat studied anthropology, philosophy, eastern religions, history, alchemy, parapsychology, literature, and writing. He studied six different martial arts, practiced improv comedy, learned how to pick locks, and became a skilled lover of women. He also began writing a satirical advice column which he continues to this day: The College Survivial Guide. Through all of this he continued to work on his novel.
In 2000 Pat went to grad school for English literature. Grad school sucked and Pat hated it. However, Pat learned that he loved to teach. He left in 2002 with his masters degree, shaking the dust from his feet and vowing never to return. During this period of time his novel was rejected by roughly every agent in the known universe.
Now Pat teaches half-time at his old school as an assistant-sub-lecturer. He is underpaid but generally left alone to do as he sees fit with his classes. He is advisor for the college feminists, the fencing club, and, oddly enough, a sorority. He still roll-plays occasionally, but now he does it in an extremely sophisticated, debonair way.
Through a series of lucky breaks, he has wound up with the best agent and editor imaginable, and the first book of his trilogy has been published under the title "The Name of the Wind."
Though it has only been out since April 2007, it has already been sold in 26 foreign countries and won several awards.
Pat has been described as "a rough, earthy iconoclast with a pipeline to the divine in everyone's subconscious." But honestly, that person was pretty drunk at the time, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
June 15, 2022
¡Qué decepción!
Si nosotros como lectores hemos tenido una buena experiencia con un escritor, el proceso lógico es buscar sus demás obras porque esperamos vivir sensaciones similares nuevamente. Quizás nos gustó la prosa, o la construcción de un mundo fantástico, o el desarrollo profundo de los personajes... algo, lo que sea, pero algo debió gustarnos mucho para interesarnos en los demás trabajos del autor. Como normalmente, al leer una obra literaria, sentimos como si nos conectáramos con la mente del autor, pues es bastante natural encontrar en cada uno de los libros de dicha persona características que lo definen, y que nos ayudan a identificarlo con claridad. Cuando leemos un libro no solo aprendemos vocabulario, o nos entretenemos, o viajamos a mundos diferentes, sino que también comprendemos la forma de pensar de X o Y persona. Se puede decir que es un proceso automático que cada persona realiza no solo con los libros, sino con las películas, cuando interactuamos con otra persona, incluso con la música. Es por ello, que después de leer los dos libros de la saga de Crónica de asesino de reyes, me siento muy decepcionado de Patrick Rothfuss al encontrar libros con tan baja calidad como este. Realmente, pareciera como si estos libros hubieran sido escritos por otra persona completamente distinta. Después de los maravillosos libros de El Nombre del viento, y de El temor de un hombre sabio, es una aberración la existencia de un libro como este. ¿Rothfuss solo quiso aprovechar su popularidad para vender unos cuantos libros más? ¿Tendrá intenciones de seguir escribiendo de verdad? ¿Ha tenido problemas en su vida que lo han alejado de su verdadero yo? Es rarísimo lo que propone este señor con este cuento, es de lo más aburrido y absurdo que he leído en toda mi vida.
La verdad, solo leyendo el prólogo ya sentí muchísima ira. Fue completamente desagradable encontrar las mismas palabras de su libro de La música del silencio; palabras que expresan que probablemente el libro no le va a gustar a nadie. ¡Solo son excusas, su verdadero objetivo es solo vender! Me parece tan desagradable esa faceta charlatana de Rothfuss; me parece deshonorable ilusionar a sus lectores con la publicación de libros tan absurdos como este; me parece repulsivo que este tipo de literatura que no aporta absolutamente nada sea popular, cuando hay libros desconocidos mil veces mejores que podrían convertirse en los favoritos de muchas personas. Tengo tanta ira, que les juro que no me dan ganas de volver a leer absolutamente nada de Rothfuss en mi vida, ni siquiera si saliera «hipotéticamente» la tercera parte de su saga de Crónica de asesino de reyes. Me siento engañado y manipulado, siento que esto solo ha sido una maldita pérdida de tiempo.
El cuento fue malísimo, cada palabra me daba más ira, cada palabra encendía mis deseos de explotar en insultos y vulgaridades hacia el autor, cada palabra me hizo descontrolarme emocionalmente. Hacía muchísimo que no me sentía tan enojado. ¡Qué putería de libro tan malo!
Si nosotros como lectores hemos tenido una buena experiencia con un escritor, el proceso lógico es buscar sus demás obras porque esperamos vivir sensaciones similares nuevamente. Quizás nos gustó la prosa, o la construcción de un mundo fantástico, o el desarrollo profundo de los personajes... algo, lo que sea, pero algo debió gustarnos mucho para interesarnos en los demás trabajos del autor. Como normalmente, al leer una obra literaria, sentimos como si nos conectáramos con la mente del autor, pues es bastante natural encontrar en cada uno de los libros de dicha persona características que lo definen, y que nos ayudan a identificarlo con claridad. Cuando leemos un libro no solo aprendemos vocabulario, o nos entretenemos, o viajamos a mundos diferentes, sino que también comprendemos la forma de pensar de X o Y persona. Se puede decir que es un proceso automático que cada persona realiza no solo con los libros, sino con las películas, cuando interactuamos con otra persona, incluso con la música. Es por ello, que después de leer los dos libros de la saga de Crónica de asesino de reyes, me siento muy decepcionado de Patrick Rothfuss al encontrar libros con tan baja calidad como este. Realmente, pareciera como si estos libros hubieran sido escritos por otra persona completamente distinta. Después de los maravillosos libros de El Nombre del viento, y de El temor de un hombre sabio, es una aberración la existencia de un libro como este. ¿Rothfuss solo quiso aprovechar su popularidad para vender unos cuantos libros más? ¿Tendrá intenciones de seguir escribiendo de verdad? ¿Ha tenido problemas en su vida que lo han alejado de su verdadero yo? Es rarísimo lo que propone este señor con este cuento, es de lo más aburrido y absurdo que he leído en toda mi vida.
La verdad, solo leyendo el prólogo ya sentí muchísima ira. Fue completamente desagradable encontrar las mismas palabras de su libro de La música del silencio; palabras que expresan que probablemente el libro no le va a gustar a nadie. ¡Solo son excusas, su verdadero objetivo es solo vender! Me parece tan desagradable esa faceta charlatana de Rothfuss; me parece deshonorable ilusionar a sus lectores con la publicación de libros tan absurdos como este; me parece repulsivo que este tipo de literatura que no aporta absolutamente nada sea popular, cuando hay libros desconocidos mil veces mejores que podrían convertirse en los favoritos de muchas personas. Tengo tanta ira, que les juro que no me dan ganas de volver a leer absolutamente nada de Rothfuss en mi vida, ni siquiera si saliera «hipotéticamente» la tercera parte de su saga de Crónica de asesino de reyes. Me siento engañado y manipulado, siento que esto solo ha sido una maldita pérdida de tiempo.
El cuento fue malísimo, cada palabra me daba más ira, cada palabra encendía mis deseos de explotar en insultos y vulgaridades hacia el autor, cada palabra me hizo descontrolarme emocionalmente. Hacía muchísimo que no me sentía tan enojado. ¡Qué putería de libro tan malo!
August 3, 2018
I read a thing. It had a cover. The cover was good. The thing was bad. It had a writer. The writer write mostly good. The writer be bad. The thing was bad. Now I sleep. Sleep is good. I wish I did sleep ten minutes ago and still had not read this thing. Wanting to read it was good. Reading it was bad.
September 11, 2018
How Old Holly Came to Be is probably the least discussed Temerant short story, and I can definitely see why... it's vague at best and utterly useless at worst. [By the way, Temerant is the world where the events of The Kingkiller Chronicle take place.]
The story describes a tree "Old Holly" and a lady living in a tower by the tree. All actions and events are tagged as good, bad, both, neither, or other which appears to make explicit the underlying Lethani or perhaps judgement by the God of Temerant. The lady is revealed to be physically weak but performs strong magic through singing, transforming Old holly into a man who fights an approaching evil.
The lady leaves her tower twice, the first time with a man ends in sadness. The second time she leaves to do something dangerous and instructs Old Holly to stay with her tower "to keep it safe for her return", which he continues to do through the ages.
The way the story is written makes it incredibly hard to interpret. A common theory about the story is that the "Lady" is Lyra and the "man" is either Jax, Selitos, or Lanre depending on the specific theory. The story does tell us the origin of the holly plant's defense against skin dancers, but also "Old Holly" is a specific individual. [Maybe Tehlu?]
Another interesting theory is about the fact that a person's music might be a representation of their life force or livingness. The Chandrian might be words without music – mere poems without souls. [Or, at the very least, have them sealed or hidden away so that the song doesn't end.] Thus, the way to defeat them, is to first play their music, and then they can be named or shaped. In the story, singing seems to have imbued life, or consciousness, to the tree and allowed for naming and shaping to happen. But the signing is the foundation upon which change is built.
The story describes a tree "Old Holly" and a lady living in a tower by the tree. All actions and events are tagged as good, bad, both, neither, or other which appears to make explicit the underlying Lethani or perhaps judgement by the God of Temerant. The lady is revealed to be physically weak but performs strong magic through singing, transforming Old holly into a man who fights an approaching evil.
The lady leaves her tower twice, the first time with a man ends in sadness. The second time she leaves to do something dangerous and instructs Old Holly to stay with her tower "to keep it safe for her return", which he continues to do through the ages.
The way the story is written makes it incredibly hard to interpret. A common theory about the story is that the "Lady" is Lyra and the "man" is either Jax, Selitos, or Lanre depending on the specific theory. The story does tell us the origin of the holly plant's defense against skin dancers, but also "Old Holly" is a specific individual. [Maybe Tehlu?]
Another interesting theory is about the fact that a person's music might be a representation of their life force or livingness. The Chandrian might be words without music – mere poems without souls. [Or, at the very least, have them sealed or hidden away so that the song doesn't end.] Thus, the way to defeat them, is to first play their music, and then they can be named or shaped. In the story, singing seems to have imbued life, or consciousness, to the tree and allowed for naming and shaping to happen. But the signing is the foundation upon which change is built.
Remember this, son, if you forget everything else. A poet is a musician who can't sing. Words have to find a man's mind before they can touch his heart, and some men's minds are woeful small targets. Music touches their hearts directly no matter how small or stubborn the mind of the man who listens. – Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the WindDespite these interesting theories, my initial point still stands. The story itself isn't all that good... it's the fandom who makes up for it. It's incredible that there are so many people out there willing to share their ideas and passion. BLESSED!
January 28, 2020
A story that reads more like a song. It also has a decidedly old feeling about it. Very interesting and beautiful, looking forward to finding out where to stick this in the bigger picture of the Kingkiller Chronicles.
January 28, 2018
How old Holly Came to Be is a companion short story for The Kingkilller Chronicles.
Actually I am fascinated by this Short story. It's a bit odd. It feels like a short story and the chime at the same time. It has rhythm that continues throughout the story. I really like it.
Actually I am fascinated by this Short story. It's a bit odd. It feels like a short story and the chime at the same time. It has rhythm that continues throughout the story. I really like it.
February 27, 2021
Esta es una historia muy corta que se desarrolla en el mismo lugar de la historia de Kvothe. No sé por qué no sabía de esta maravilla... El mismo autor lo dice al principio,es muy musical,muy evocadora y si bien la falta de detalles puntuales de la historia puede parecer un problema, para mi es otro misterio en la larga fila de misterios que agregar a la historia. Me suena como algo que contaría Felurian.
December 1, 2018
It was not better than "OK", and that is bad. It only took 3 minutes, and that is good. It took time away from The Doors of Stone, which is very bad.
November 20, 2021
I have now finally read everything Patrick Rothfuss has published in the Kingkiller world. How Old Holly Came to Be was... strange. It is written almost as a poem exploring the story of a woman and a tree. Whilst it was interesting enough to read, the relevance to the wider Kingkiller Chronicle isn't entirely clear (though fan theories do look pretty interesting).
July 12, 2019
I read this book, and it was good.
I didn't know it existed, and that was bad.
I sat and read.
I turned page and laughed.
I turned page and laughed.
I turned page and laughed.
I finished the book in 5min, which was neither.
I'm tired so I nap, and it was both.
...You'll understand once you read the book.
Honestly I enjoyed this very short story. It was much more like a poem to me - with the short sentences and rhyming.
It made me laugh on multiple occasions but I'm not sure if the story is meant to be funny lol
This book is seriously different than anything else I've ever read.
I didn't know it existed, and that was bad.
I sat and read.
I turned page and laughed.
I turned page and laughed.
I turned page and laughed.
I finished the book in 5min, which was neither.
I'm tired so I nap, and it was both.
...You'll understand once you read the book.
Honestly I enjoyed this very short story. It was much more like a poem to me - with the short sentences and rhyming.
It made me laugh on multiple occasions but I'm not sure if the story is meant to be funny lol
This book is seriously different than anything else I've ever read.
July 30, 2017
Encontré esta historia de Patrick y eso es bueno.
Una historia que no logro relacionar con la historia de Kvothe y eso es malo.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo por la sencilla razón de que me ha recordado a algunas cosas que yo misma he escrito. Patrick logra crear cierto ritmo y musicalidad con sus palabras y me han transportado junto al acebo de una manera muy mágica, lo cual es muy bueno.
Una historia que no logro relacionar con la historia de Kvothe y eso es malo.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo por la sencilla razón de que me ha recordado a algunas cosas que yo misma he escrito. Patrick logra crear cierto ritmo y musicalidad con sus palabras y me han transportado junto al acebo de una manera muy mágica, lo cual es muy bueno.
March 31, 2021
Beautifully written and unique story of Old Holly. It is in a poetic rhyme, but unfortunately very short. Desperately awaiting Doors of Stone.
December 27, 2021
Relato corto que, aunque esté ambientado en el mismo universo de Crónica del Asesino de Reyes, no aporta realmente nada. Relato muy breve y bonito. Sin más.
December 30, 2022
Included in the Unfettered Anthology.
Being in the style of a chant, I found it a little difficult to read and understand. I think there's a good story here though and the ending was unexpectedly sad. 3.5 stars
Being in the style of a chant, I found it a little difficult to read and understand. I think there's a good story here though and the ending was unexpectedly sad. 3.5 stars
January 8, 2022
10 page short story. Also related to the one and only kingkiller chronicles. Was a little mysterylike poem giving vague hints about truth to other books in the series. I guess we will find out 100% when doors of stone is released. Thanks pat from your biggest fan Earl.
April 30, 2018
WTF did I just read?
May 14, 2021
I enjoy when storytellers get very experimental. I always encourage that kind of thing. This was an odd story written in odd prose. But I liked it. Not much else to say.
February 24, 2019
"El viejo acebo estiró sus raíces hasta que se quedó al lado de la torre. La dama entró. La dama salió. Dijo adiós.
El viejo acebo se inclinó, y de una rama construyó un bastón de húmeda madera verde. El viejo acebo se inclinó, y de sus ramas tejió una corona para ella, adornada con bayas. El viejo acebo se inclinó, y como era un hombre, frotó su mejilla con su mano rugosa."
Ay, Patrick <3!
El viejo acebo se inclinó, y de una rama construyó un bastón de húmeda madera verde. El viejo acebo se inclinó, y de sus ramas tejió una corona para ella, adornada con bayas. El viejo acebo se inclinó, y como era un hombre, frotó su mejilla con su mano rugosa."
Ay, Patrick <3!
March 19, 2025
Surprisingly enjoyable. Poetic and strange, but it made me think.
May 30, 2020
Could it be that old hooly is the ctheah 🤔 but the cthea is bad and holly is good 😂 in short the story keep saying that is good this is bad and so on
Ans it remind me of old school books to learn English by repeating the same sentence over and over with a simple change
Ans it remind me of old school books to learn English by repeating the same sentence over and over with a simple change
July 27, 2018
A strange little extract, charming in its own way. I'm sure I'll find out what it relates to in a few years.
March 21, 2022
Maybe a little too experimental for my tastes
September 21, 2023
Solamente tiene algo de sentido si lees el resto de su obra, pero, teniendo en cuenta esa premisa, se hace más interesante cuanto más indagues en el mundo
August 4, 2025
Tycker den var mycket cool.
January 17, 2018
I am sorry to say that this is the first story by the Patfuss that I didn’t really enjoy. It was repetitive like a ballad, as Rothfuss’s writing often is, but this time I can’t say it moved me.Don’t get me wrong, it was gorgeous, but I would have preferred it in the form of a ballad instead of a story.
Disclaimer: I might reread this story in 5 years and find it genius. I probably will. I trust in the Fuss
Disclaimer: I might reread this story in 5 years and find it genius. I probably will. I trust in the Fuss
August 10, 2019
Un cuento bastante corto, confuso y extraño. No está ni bien ni mal, simplemente está...
Como no podía ser de otra manera, me he montado mi teoría. Creo que el viejo acebo es el Ctaeh. Por como se "comunica" con la dama, sin palabras en ese caso, pero actúa con afán de ayudarla y se toma forma de hombre. Al final dice que todo se va, todo desaparece, pero el acebo permanece.
Sé que es muy inconsistente, pero en mi cabeza tiene más sentido del que soy capaz de expresar en palabras.
Como no podía ser de otra manera, me he montado mi teoría. Creo que el viejo acebo es el Ctaeh. Por como se "comunica" con la dama, sin palabras en ese caso, pero actúa con afán de ayudarla y se toma forma de hombre. Al final dice que todo se va, todo desaparece, pero el acebo permanece.
Sé que es muy inconsistente, pero en mi cabeza tiene más sentido del que soy capaz de expresar en palabras.
October 8, 2019
It read like a poem more than a story. It's only 11 pages. It's fairly cryptic, told like an epic, with a tone full of sorrow, but pretty, and I could see reading it again to pick up more than just the rhythm of it, but there are only hints at a deeper meaning. I enjoyed reading it and it wasn't a bad addendum, but I don't know that I would purchase it.
March 10, 2022
4.5 stars for me this was quite an enjoyable poetic short story about a woman taking care of a holly tree that turned into a man to protect her in return for her to stay with him. Rather wild but fantastic lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
"نه خوب بود و نه بد ..." ریتم داستان به صورت آهنگین و یک سرود است. داستان در مورد یک بانوست که در یک قلعه در کنار یک درخت سکنا میگزیند.
April 9, 2021
Al leerlo senti como si fuera una historia contada por un Edema Ruh
March 31, 2023
Wiele osób krytykuje tę prostą historyjkę, a dla mnie jest to właśnie esencja Pata. Czytając to, słyszę jego głos razem z delikatnymi chichotami w niektórych miejscach. Słyszę jak Kvoth opowiada tę historię przy ognisku, widzę jak bardzo łączy się to z filozofią Lethani. Może to jedna z tych słynnych 99 historii Adem? Nie wiem tego i choć uważam, że tekst ten jest zbyt mało różnorodny aby był naprawdę dobrym, to jednak podoba mi się i po skończeniu go czułem się jak Old Holly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews