KKC Theory Wiki

Auri Will Give Kvothe a New Name After He Breaks, Possibly Kote

plausible identity · popularity 61 · 1 source thread

The Slow Regard hints Auri will make a name for the hollow Kvothe, perhaps his innkeeper name Kote.

About: Auri, Kvothe

Also involves: The Slow Regard of Silent Things, Naming, Shaping, The Underthing

The theory§

Drawing on The Slow Regard of Silent Things, this theory holds that Auri will give Kvothe a new name once he breaks and becomes hollow, and proposes that name is Kote. Its foundation is the novella's close, where Auri, preparing her gift, 'brought the weight of her desire down full upon the world' so that all things shook and bent to please her, and resolves that for the broken Kvothe she would 'call up all her cunning and her craft' and 'make a name for him.' This is read alongside her intimate knowing of every object in the Underthing as proof of a naming or shaping power. The stronger objection grants that Auri likely renames Kvothe but doubts the name is Kote: Kote is described as a name Kvothe chose carefully himself, is glossed as meaning 'disaster' in Siaru after the bone-tar fire, and a deep name would not be put into a whole town's everyday use, suggesting instead a hidden deep name paired with the common calling name Kote.

Evidence§

  • she grinned and brought the weight of her desire down full upon the world. All all things shook. And all things knew her will. And all things bent to please her.
    OP's textual basis: Auri demonstrates a power that bends the world to her will. — u/bambuus2
  • Clearly she demonstrates some power that might involve naming. Demonstarted by this example and obviously the naming and deep knowing of all the parts of the underthing and objects she finds.
    OP reads the scene plus her deep knowing of the Underthing as naming power. — u/bambuus2
  • Then she implies that Kvothe will need her. He’ll break and become hollow and she’ll need to tend to him in some way.
    OP: Auri anticipates the broken, hollow Kvothe she must tend. — u/bambuus2
  • For him she would bring forth all her desire. She would call up all her cunning and her craft. *Then she would make a name for him.*
    OP's keystone quote: Auri resolves to make a name for him. — u/bambuus2
  • He goes to her broken and empty - she gives him a name to help him move on and start over - his name is *Kote*
    OP's conclusion: that name is Kote. — u/bambuus2
  • It is pretty certain that Auri gives Kvothe a new name after something happens to his original deep name
    Comment grants the core claim that Auri renames Kvothe. — u/czechancestry
  • He had chosen the name carefully when he came to this place. … not least of which was the fact that names were important to him
    CounterCounter: Kvothe chose Kote himself, undercutting Auri-given Kote. — u/taborlyn13
  • It's unlikely, though, that the new name is Kote. You probably don't want every single person in a town using your deep name. My bet is that Kvothe has a new deep name *and* a new calling name
    CounterCounter: a deep name wouldn't be in public use; predicts deep name plus calling name. — u/czechancestry

Book refs: TSRoST, NOTW ch 1

Tier reasoning§

plausible confirmed: direct text supports the renaming core; the Kote specific is weaker

Contributors§

Source threads§