Rothfussians discussion
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Cthaeh (SPOILERS If you don't recognize the name)
I already posted all of my views on the Kvothe thread. Now I am freely pressing in discussion. Opposition?
I honestly think that the Cthaeh is a hermaphridite... it would make better since, especially if we are wrong and it is a tree, since trees are both male and female... whether it has flowers or not has nothing to do with it... Kvothe doesnt know that apparently... and i don't see the Cthaeh (if it isnt a hermaphridite) as a female... why are you so gung-ho on a woman being an all-seeing thing??? Women rarely act on thier sadistic behavior... i'll be back... im not finished... i just have to do something...
I'm not saying it has to be a woman (Any more than you're saying it has to be a man). I'm saying I think it's a woman based on the things she (I'm just going to use 'she' for now) says. And even if I disagree on 'women rarely act on sadistic behavior' (especially when it comes to books) She doesn't act on anything. She simply suggests and influences. Has she ever physically attacked someone? Following your logic, that would be how a woman would run things.And the Cthaeh herself said that she wasn't a tree. She said, quote: "I am not a tree anymore than a man is a chair."
There would be a couple who say that this is proof of it's masculinity, but truthfully, people use 'man' when they talk about anyone, both genders included.
exactly... and it isnt a 'Man' as in Man=Human as in Mankind, Humankind... it is a Fae... hence... non-human... and it does act on it's sadistic behavior... there are a great many things that i, myself, as a sadistic hold back on saying... i'm not explaining myself well... my best friend is a wimp... im a sadist... sadists love wimps... she cries if i dont tell her she looks pretty... so instead of telling her the truth that i hate how she looks... even though i so badly want her to know how much i hate the way she looks... i always tell her she is pretty... therefore i dont get any satisfaction... (as a sadist i mean)... the Cthaeh says what will hurt Kvothe... it says stuff to intentionally hurt him... and others around it... It wants to cause pain.. and besides the whole 'i disagree that women rarely act on sadistic behavior' is just bull... i know what i am saying... honest i do... im not saying you dont... im just saying the Cthaeh is a masculine hermaphridite... for crying out loud... many women are slightly sadistic if they are full blooded like me... but do you see a mother putting candy on her kids hand and telling them to chew it off? Because everyone knows that moms get pissed at thier children... a sadist like me would not do that but does that stop me from thinking it... no... now a man on the other hand... they act on it... a man if he is pissed off at his child and was a sadist would gladly go to jail to watch that child burn in a fire that he created... believe me, i have heard of this before... men act on it... women dont... or everyone would be dead...
I honestly think you are leaning toward something you might have heard as a single opinion of some person out there, there for making that a hard core truth in your mind.Stating that 'Everything you say is bull because I know what I'm talking about and nothing but my own words are the truth' is almost like saying 'Im smarter than you, so whatever I opinionize is fact' But that's not what we're arguing about,
This is a book. Books are very often different from reality. Women are more likely to be an acting sadist in a book than in reality, again, following your logic. I think you're a bit unwilling to accept someone else's opinion as a possibility because you are stubbornly refusing to believe anything opposing yours.
What you are saying is following the stereotype for women in your mind. It's called a stereotype for a reason. It has exceptions. And I think of the Cthaeh as an exception.
This can also be considered a stereotype, but I figure I should mention it either way. Flowers are feminine in nature, and the Cthaeh residing in a tree decorated with flowers of healing could possibly be a lean in the feminine direction.
Kvothe pleads at the Cthaeh to "Tell me!" and after hesitation, she does. She was following his desires.
She tells him what's happening to Denna, how she is being beaten and tortured by her patron. Another fact Kvothe has wanted to know.
She basically tells him that she likes to send a "young pup snapping after his heels," meaning Cinder, "Because he did her a bad turn once"
Again, following your logic, a woman would get a man to do her work for her.
She claims that the red butterflies offend her aesthetic. So the red ones offend her "love of beauty." Being 'aesthetic' is being characterized for your sense of beauty.
Does that also not seem feminine?
If the Cthaeh has a sex, it can mate and have little Cthaeh babies. Somehow it doesn't fit in my mind.
I'm more focused in finding out whether it's maculine or feminine in nature. Maybe it's neither, or both, but I think that if it was one or the other, I would be feminine.
masculine qualities typically include the intellect, and and aspects used to separate, while feminine qualities are defined by emotion, and the aspects used to join. The Chtaeh, forced to watch the world from afar without taking part in it: Masculine. Though that would be less of a his choice, and more an adaptation to his circumstances. The desire to wipe things out would be considered a feminine flaw, and the Cthaeh certainly has that in spades.(I'm drawing from interpretations of the ying yang, and some Jung stuff)
And I assume its aesthetic is also (to a point) a rather feminine quality, considering that this is the Cthaeh we are talking about:"The red ones offend my aesthetic."
nah, guys have a sense of style too. And maybe Cthaeh didn't mind the 'redness' as much he didn't like butterflies at all! Evidence of his dudocity.In part because he's the opposite of Felurian, in terms of their association with butterflies, as well as how Kvothe interacted with them. And the name just seems male to me.
But switching topics a bit, was Cthaeh once human, or was he born of the Fae realm? Because he's so old, I figured he much have predated fae, but how could a human have become so ruthless?
It's impossible to talk about masculinity and feminity in general terms without risking to offend a lot of people. Behaviour on this level is a cultural thing. Typical or appropriate male/female behaviour is not biological but sociological and differs a lot between cultures. The Cthaeh lives by itself in a tree. I'm sure none of our human, Western and in most cases American ideas about males and females really apply to it.Of course, it's possible that the Cthaeh is an originally ordinary human cursed with eternal life and extreme knowledge, in which case my thoughts above are pointless.
I think it's one of the Fae, if you ask my opinion. First of all... The tree doesn't seem to have any fruits, foods, water... Except butterflies. But... Well, I can't picture a human eating butterflies alone. Even then, it doesn't seem to eat them.That makes me think Fae- Barely nourishes itself. (Unless it nourishes itself on the fear and anxiety of creatures... Hmm... Possible point behind my 'Not quite evil, exactly...' argument....) But even so, Fae-like quality in my mind.
Second of all, it seems to have infinate knowledge of who Kvothe is, what he's done, where he's been, and how he's feeling. It claims to love the sound of the creaking of the tendons in his hands when he clenched his fists in anxiety. Supernatural senses, omniscient.... And it never leaves the tree?
Just seems more of a Fae thing to me, even if I would love to believe it was a human.... It'd be much more interesting....
I think it is pretty much a tree, except for the fact that it stands in Fae, talks, has a bit of an attitude for that matter, and a reputation that fits its talking. But still, it looks like a tree. therefore I guess it would be a tree with both male and female characteristics. If I would have to go completely interpretive, I would say it talked like an old woman. But that is completely how it formed in my head. But honestly, does it matter if it's a male or female Fae tree thingamy?
Fwenx wrote: "But honestly, does it matter if it's a male or female Fae tree thingamy? "Nothing matters. I think it's an old man in the tree. This is just an excuse to go back and enjoy pages of the book.
I pictured a rather old woman as well, but it's not a tree. It's something inside the tree. As it said:"I am not a tree anymore than a man is a chair."
I imagined it was a sort of stationary variant on Tolkien's Ents. I compare a lot to Tolkien >.<
Campbell wrote: "As it said:"I am not a tree anymore than a man is a chair.""
Ah, as a man sits in a chair, the Cthaeh sits in a tree...Or is he tied to it?
...Tied to it....Well, it seems more than unlikely. It has never left the tree, as far as we all know. Maybe it hasn't left because it's so heavily guarded by the Sithe (Not sure if I have that right....).
Something tells me that it's vulnerable by itself (No teeth, claws, nothing big and scary) and the tree (as well as rumor of its evil nature) hides it and protects it from everything that has the ability to easily slay it.
(Cthaeh's a snail, tree's a shell).
I don't think it's physically able to cause harm. Only it's voice an ability to see the future can lead to death and destruction.
Total whimsy here, but perhaps some Fae believe the Cthaeh is spiritually tied to everything, which is why it knows everything, and which is why some fear that if the Cthaeh is destroyed, everything will be destroyed along with it. Hence why it is kept guarded and safe. In that situation, Haliax's goal might ultimately be to kill the Cthaeh (destroying the world), perhaps to avoid an even worse fate that the Cthaeh had predicted.
It's possible, but I'm not sure that the Cthaeh will have much more to do with the further plot, besides what it's already caused Kvothe to do to his future (which remains to be seen).Although I'm very interested in what it has done and what it is (or was).
I think, personally, that the Cthaeh holds itself aloof from most of the events of the story (the Amyr, the Seven...). Although it will concern itself with individuals.
Apparently, Haliax had once before inconvenienced it. I think, just with this in mind, that Haliax might come to a rather torturous end (with or without Kvothe's assistance).
I think maybe Haliax might hold something against the Cthaeh (it takes two to fight) but I don't think the Cthaeh is some (compared to the Fae) extra-supernatural being, if you understand what I'm trying to say by that....
Campbell wrote: "I'm not saying it has to be a woman (Any more than you're saying it has to be a man). I'm saying I think it's a woman based on the things she (I'm just going to use 'she' for now) says. And even if..."Remember Kvothe noticed there was movement in the tree. Something slithering around he saw in the branches. Bast also said it "can't leave the tree" not that it was a tree. It makes sense a man is to a chair as the Ctaeth is to a tree. I think it is tied/bound to the tree, perhaps by Cinder. Or perhaps Cinder was the one and only person that spoke to the Ctaeth and didn't follow the path the Ctaeth had chosen. Maybe the Ctaeth chose to lead Kvothe toward a future that destoys Cinder. As far as sex I feel it is sexless. How are fae created? We dont know. I wonder how the fae tie in with Tehlu?
What if the Ctaeth was the one who stole the moon. The one from Felurian's tale? What if that's how he was punished?
I don't think Jax is the Cthaeh. Jax was a human boy, and the Cthaeh, I think it is safe to assume, is one of the Fae, because he/she can tell the future in it's worst to influence humans into doing things that negatively affect them. It doesn't seem to need sufficient nourishment, at least that of a human. And it seems to be able to tell everything about the person who confronts it, as well as hear the creaking of tendons in clenched fists (As it did with Kvothe.)I only pictured it female for the same reasons Kvothe did. The flowers, the aesthetic (although I understand that this applies to both sexes, I just figured I'd mention it), and other reasons that I mentioned earlier.
Campbell wrote: "It's possible, but I'm not sure that the Cthaeh will have much more to do with the further plot..."Simple but astute observation. Makes sense, since Kvothe didn't seem to give it a second thought.
Good point, I should have noticed that....It is true that when Bast got all upset, Kvothe sorta just shrugged it off and got on with his story.
But I do believe that the Cthaeh is the entire reason why he is Kote the Inkeeper. Whether or not it appears again, I believe that its influence is what made Kvothe's whole story a tragedy.
On page 686, Bast states clearly that the Cthaeh cannot leave the tree.Bast also says, on page 688,"Iax spoke to the Cthaeh before he stole the moon" the the Cthaeh cannot be Iax/Jax or the moon.
AH-HA!Glad that's solved. I love cold, hard logic.
@ Cambell on earlier posts: I love you! :) no worries i am straight... im just meaning you are like my kryponite... lol... YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!!! 0.0 Muahahahhahaha! just kidding... lol... first, it wasnt one person who said it and i believed it to be true or whatever...it was hours of pondering over the subject that brought me to my conclusion... second... i am opinionated and im sorry if i come off as the 'what i say is true' type... my whole life i was told i was wrong becuase i was too young to know or too opinionated to realize it... so when i come to a conclusion and some one tells me i am wrong i tend to bite like a pit bull... you have to pry me off... lol im sorry... its bad parenting i swear!o.o lol... but i see your point... which i still disagree with... sorry... have you ever heard of metro sex... my best friend is metro sex... he is a male... obviously... who is feminine but not attracted to other men... he is just secure in his masculinity that allows him to be girlish... he also isnt aware of it... lol... our little secret... hahahaha thats ironic... lol... anyway... i also believe that the Cthaeh is older than fae... but i think it is niether human nor fae... but rather something other... i also dont picture it as an old man or an old woman but rather as an adolescent male... more along the lines of a cocky 29 year-old... just because you're wise doesnt mean you're old... thirdly... not everything ages in the Faen realm...
there is also reason for me to believe that this is more connected to the bible in a way... for one.. whoever posted the comment about kvothe seeing something slither in the tree... i like the idea... it would make sense and give us things to bounce this off of... first... in the bible the devil is a snake who tricks Eve into eating the trees fruit and therefore dooming everyone else to the reckless world that shrouds us today... key word: doom... lol... so what if the Cthaeh is a snake... and what if it is protecting the tree of knowledge for itself... therefore never leaving the tree... MINE! lol... that would give it its ultimate power... knowledge of past, present, and future... next, snakes are hyper sensitive... but it could also be some sort of magical dragon... lol... a really little dragon... hahaha... it is also biblically related because the tree is a factor in the self destruction of our world today... and the Ctheah is a destructive creature... i dont know there are a lot of comparisons to the bible used by pat... like the Wise man's folly crap... and the Name of the wind and chasing the name of the wind which is found in ecclesiastes i believe... let me see, yep Ecclesiastes 1: 12-15 says "And i applied myself to search the understanding about everything in the universe. i discovered that the lot of man, which God has dealt to him, is not a happy one. it is all foolishness, chasing the wind. what is wrong cannot be righted; it is water over the dam; and there is no use thinking of what might have been." and also in chapter one at the end, last paragraph it says, "So i worked hard to be wise instead of foolish-but now i realize that even this was like chasing the wind. for the more my wisdom, the more my grief; to increase knowledge only increases distress." erego: Ctheah has knowledge and now it has so much grief... therefore releasing its grief upon the rest of the world... i would... lol... 'I feel like shit so im going to make the rest of the world miserable... oh look... a firey haired niave mundane... how wonderful.... lets ruin his life with truth and knowledge so he will cry himself to sleep in felurians arms... that will teach her not to bring pets into fae... stupid broad!" hahahahahahahahaha.... lol...
as to the comments with the cthaeh being tied to the tree, well from what I've taken from other references to specific woods in the book, there are woods that have detrimental effects on the fae. Roah, or however its spelled must be burned on top of the "demons"/fae, to make their death everlasting. Also with the connection to the lockless box, it smelled of lemon or citrus or something like that and i believe, Kvothe smelled that citrus when he was at the Cthaeh, so logically can we assume that this lemon wood, has the ability to bind or hinder or halt the fae? or perhaps even imprison them?
I'm not convinced the Cthaeh is intelligent. According to Bast, it knows the branching future, and it's utterly malevolent. So it has motivation. But if your motivation guides you to select the most desirable outcome, then its actions are as predetermined as those of its victims. It's only intelligent if it has choice.
The second thought I have about the Cthaeh is that it's not that powerful. After all, it only has words as a weapon. Worse than that, it only has the truth. The Cthaeh doesn't suddenly turn its victims into contagious carriers. It chooses the path of maximum harm, but maximum does not mean substantial. Maximum may be stubbing my toe, if that's the worst branch.
And finally, there's no real meaning to the concept of spread harm, in the sense that Kvothe has contaminated Bast and the Chronicler now that he has told the story. If true, Kvothe was contaminated no later than the death of his parents (Cthaeh->Haliax->Kvothe)
I think Kvothe agrees with you that the myths surrounding the Cthaeh are exaggerations, and that it holds no power to make the world worse. The only thing we know for sure is that the Ctaeh knows truths. Perhaps someone wants to keep those truths hidden, and has spread lies in Fae to do it.Frankly, I can't imagine that Rothfuss, specifically, would mention something in one book and not tie back (or forward)to it in another. It's clear as the day that the Cthaeh is very likely to be revisited later. If not in Kvothe's telling of his past (in book 3), then perhaps as an adventure in the present (in a book 4).
---
But on the note of parallel worlds, perhaps the Cthaeh is tuned into the 'worst possible worlds,' and interaction with it is like slowly fusing our reality with those worst realities. And perhaps it is those 'worst realities' are where the Chandrian and other horrors (i.e. the Scrael) are meant to be kept.
Gaard wrote: "as to the comments with the cthaeh being tied to the tree, well from what I've taken from other references to specific woods in the book, there are woods that have detrimental effects on the fae. ..."
Totally! The tree has to be a prison of some sort.
Totally! The tree has to be a prison of some sort.
Kushana wrote: "I'm not convinced the Cthaeh is intelligent. According to Bast, it knows the branching future, and it's utterly malevolent. So it has motivation. But if your motivation guides you to select the mos..."
Okay... so the Cthaeh sees every future, maybe this sight drives it/he/she crazy. Maybe the point of a terrible outcome is so it can stop the constant visions.
Okay... so the Cthaeh sees every future, maybe this sight drives it/he/she crazy. Maybe the point of a terrible outcome is so it can stop the constant visions.
Ryan wrote: "Okay... so the Cthaeh sees every future, maybe this sight drives it/he/she crazy. Maybe the point of a terrible outcome is so it can stop the constant visions."My point was not that it was crazy, but that it could be a simple stimulus/response machine. It doesn't even need to know language. Given a point in time (now), the Cthaeh knows what sounds will produce the desired outcome. That's all it needs.
Kushana wrote: "Ryan wrote: "Okay... so the Cthaeh sees every future, maybe this sight drives it/he/she crazy. Maybe the point of a terrible outcome is so it can stop the constant visions."
My point was not that ..."
I know... I was just adding my two cents, I actually liked what you wrote. But I was thinking more about what the Cthaeh's actual goals are. I was just suggesting that it desires the most disastrous outcome because it wants to end it's "sight".
But I would argue that it is intellegent... it didn't tell Kvothe anything about the other Chandrian, it focused on Cider the one that would elicit the strongest response. And suddenly it changes the conversation to some very unpleasant facts about Denna. It supplies truth, but it has a choice in what truth to dispense. I'm not sure that the Cthaeh is obligated to tell you exactly what you want to know.
Kvothe initially asked about the Amyr, not the Chandrian, but the Cthaeh took the conversation that way.
My point was not that ..."
I know... I was just adding my two cents, I actually liked what you wrote. But I was thinking more about what the Cthaeh's actual goals are. I was just suggesting that it desires the most disastrous outcome because it wants to end it's "sight".
But I would argue that it is intellegent... it didn't tell Kvothe anything about the other Chandrian, it focused on Cider the one that would elicit the strongest response. And suddenly it changes the conversation to some very unpleasant facts about Denna. It supplies truth, but it has a choice in what truth to dispense. I'm not sure that the Cthaeh is obligated to tell you exactly what you want to know.
Kvothe initially asked about the Amyr, not the Chandrian, but the Cthaeh took the conversation that way.
I was just reading through your posts when a horrible thought struck me: If the Cthaeh is female, and it encountered Cinder, could he have possibly RAPED her? I have absolutely no idea where this came from, except from the post about the Cthaeh babies...
I'm not sure if it has been said yet, but the "sinuous motion among the branches" on page 679 reminded me of a snake. And that reminded of the snake in the tree of knowlege in the Garden of Eden, the tree draws people to pick it's fruits, or in this case the flowers and it takes the oppertunity to speak to them.
Adquinn wrote: "I'm not sure if it has been said yet, but the "sinuous motion among the branches" on page 679 reminded me of a snake. And that reminded of the snake in the tree of knowlege in the Garden of Eden, t..."
Oh totally! And while I'm not a huge fan of trying to make biblical references fit... this one does make sense. I mean the "fall of man" was a catastrophe of sorts.
But yeah... that's a good line of thinking... good connection.
Oh totally! And while I'm not a huge fan of trying to make biblical references fit... this one does make sense. I mean the "fall of man" was a catastrophe of sorts.
But yeah... that's a good line of thinking... good connection.
Rothfuss uses quite a few references to the bible... just saying... so it is safe to assume that he was intending for the tree to seem like 'the tree of knowledge' which does make spectacular sense... and i have noticed the speculation that the Ctheah is actually a snake and the tree isnt even the one speaking... which would also make sense since the it was satan in the form of a snake who got eve to bite into the apple... its a wicked twist on an old story which is really cool... so who are the Sealth... is that what they are called? the ones that guard it... following the biblical reference they would be angels since God has angels to guard the tree...
Kaye wrote: "Rothfuss uses quite a few references to the bible... just saying... so it is safe to assume that he was intending for the tree to seem like 'the tree of knowledge' which does make spectacular sense..."
There is enough evidence for me to assume that the Cthaeh is NOT the tree. Remember Bast says at the end of WMF that "it cannont leave it's tree". Whatever kind of tree it is, it appears to have the ability to keep things held. In WMF there are indications that the Lackless box, Kvothe's chest, and the Cthaeh's tree are all made of the same wood.
The Sithe appear to be Faen, and Skarpi's story from NOTW seems to suggest that the Sithe and the angels (those named by Aleph) are different. Besides "guarding" the Cthaeh tree, the Sithe also seem to hunt bad Fae (the Mael? the nameless? skin dancers?).
It could be that the Sithe and the angels are the same, but I don't really buy this. Speculation aside, we know that the angels will come into play... Kvothe is supposed to kill one after all.
There is enough evidence for me to assume that the Cthaeh is NOT the tree. Remember Bast says at the end of WMF that "it cannont leave it's tree". Whatever kind of tree it is, it appears to have the ability to keep things held. In WMF there are indications that the Lackless box, Kvothe's chest, and the Cthaeh's tree are all made of the same wood.
The Sithe appear to be Faen, and Skarpi's story from NOTW seems to suggest that the Sithe and the angels (those named by Aleph) are different. Besides "guarding" the Cthaeh tree, the Sithe also seem to hunt bad Fae (the Mael? the nameless? skin dancers?).
It could be that the Sithe and the angels are the same, but I don't really buy this. Speculation aside, we know that the angels will come into play... Kvothe is supposed to kill one after all.
This brings up something else I've been anxious to discuss. What do we really know about the Faen Realm and its inhabitants?
There are courts and factions, individuals we've met (Bast and Felurian), and then there are creatures like the skin dancers/mael and the Cthaeh.
In WMF, both Bast and Felurian name several factions and courts without any exposition on what they are. Any one have any ideas about this topic?
There are courts and factions, individuals we've met (Bast and Felurian), and then there are creatures like the skin dancers/mael and the Cthaeh.
In WMF, both Bast and Felurian name several factions and courts without any exposition on what they are. Any one have any ideas about this topic?
All i can remember is that Bast is the prince of darkness or twilight...
Yeah... his full title is "Bastas, son of Remmen, Prince of Twilight and the Telwyth Mael".
But here's the thing... anyone have any idea what "Mael" might mean? The skin dancer from NOTW is a Mael according to both Bast and Kvothe. And Bast goes to great lengths to explain the difference between his race and the Mael... it's just weird.
But here's the thing... anyone have any idea what "Mael" might mean? The skin dancer from NOTW is a Mael according to both Bast and Kvothe. And Bast goes to great lengths to explain the difference between his race and the Mael... it's just weird.
Mod
NOTW Chapter 1:
Kote took another spoonful, chewed, swallowed. "They thought it was a demon, you know." Bast shrugged. "It might as well be, Reshi. It's probably the best thing for them to
think.""I know. I encouraged them, in fact. But you know what that means."
I know there are other instances where this was implied but they aren’t jumping to mind right now.
The thing with Bast being a Prince of Twilight and the Telwyth Mael- real history isn’t really my thing but don’t monarchs sometimes claim lands that are next to their kingdoms if they lack rulers or are filled with barbarians? Like Britain claiming America- the Native Americans probably weren’t even a consideration. The Mael realm could be like that, the inhabitants don’t count as citizens just the land as an expansion of the monarch’s power.
Mod
This is exactly what it reminded me of! I agree the Cthaeh is not a tree, it lives in a tree. Lots of fae creatures in RPG's can actually turn invisible so it wasnt much a leap for me to imagine an invisible creature in the Fae. (well actually they are invisible and then visible "at will")
I dont know how much of a role the cthaeh will play in the future of the series, but my guess its just one of those general fae creatures. It doesnt seem all that "off" to me, maybe because I play D&D in the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting. Fae are always causing trouble for humans and trying to trick them for there amusement. They are way older than humans and thus seem fairly bored. I just assume this was the cthaeh's way of messing with the "real" world while it got a chance, but I could be wrong.
I did notice that the cthaeh and Lanre seem to have the same ideas about destroying the world.
Apperantly only three people have spoken to it and lived, Iax, Lanre, and Kvothe. This actually got me thinking about how Lanre had to have crossed into the fae, since Iax had already built it. Weird but I wonder how he ended up getting there in the first place.
This may have already been mentioned but I was rereading the part where Bast is angry at Kvothe for not telling him about the Cthaeh. Bast then mentions the Rhinna, the flower that heals any wound, and Kvothe looks at his hands. Perhaps he thinks that this can be a possible solution to his problem..?
Mod
I mean, why is he SO different from Kvothe?
:)
I also find it interesting (someone else mentioned this somewhere on this board) how Rhinna and Rhinta are so similar. I noticed when I finished up NoTW reread this week that also, when the bar is attacked by the skin walker he says something that looks very similar to Rhinta, but noone can understand what he's saying.
I just had an awful thought. What if Kvothe opened the lackless box and what's in it is NOT the moon, but the Cthaeh, and it is let out into the world like Pandora's box?That would explain all the Skrael around and all the other bad things and how it's all his fault. His name would be Kote (disaster) indeed...
Rest assured, I think thats very unlikely.. The Ctaehs power is that it knows everything, and that knowledge makes it able to chose which future will occur based on how itself interacts with the world. It interacts by speech, and that is sufficient for it to create war and chaos (which bast seems to mean is its primary agenda). That was how it created the first great war (or whatever that episode is called).Since it has already spoken with Kvothe, the Ctaeh has already played its card.
you see this in Basts reaction when Kvothe tells him he has spoken with the Ctaeh, and Bast reacts as though Kvothe is cursed. Since the Ctaeh sees all and can steer the future in the direction it wants to (if it is possible, it can make it happen) it is in a way already responsible for everything that happends in that universe...
1) Male or Female?
-- Kvothe calls it a 'her' when he thinks it's a tree with flowers, and the Cthaeh doesn't care to correct him. Odd choice for a being that did seem a bit full of itself. Unless gender, sex, and romance are irrelevant to it. Or unless it can't be offended by things in the present, and only concerns itself with the effects in the long run.
2) Good or Evil? (i.e. Pawn or Puppet Master?)
--It's one thing to be able to see the future, and another to be able to see all possible futures, and then jockey back and forth between them. So is the Cthaeh a pawn of destiny, or is it the puppet master?
3) Crazy speculation.
--The moon, trapped partly in the Fae Realm, bitter about its faith, a spectator to destiny. (haha, sorry, that's my crazy addition to the thread)