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Cinder's Deep Name Is Stercus, and 'Ferule' Really Means Iron

fringe identity · popularity 117 · 1 source thread

Cinder's true name is Stercus; 'Ferule' is a mistranslation meaning 'in thrall of iron,' hinting Cinder is Faen.

About: Cinder, Naming

Also involves: Haliax, Shehyn, The Chandrian, Sygaldry, The Fae, Encanis, Ferule

The theory§

The common assumption that Cinder's deep name is Ferule is challenged here: Cinder's name is instead held to be Stercus, and 'ferule' is read not as a name but as a phrase meaning 'in thrall of iron.' The argument re-parses Shehyn's verse so that the lines naming Stercus and Ferule resolve into a single description of Stercus as iron-bound, chill, and dark of eye. The etymology rests on the sygaldry rune 'fehr,' which Kvothe records as the rune for iron, and on the Latin 'ferrum' for iron; bound iron fits the Chandrian's fear of iron and points to Cinder being Faen, a being that iron would harm. The theory speculates that this iron-bound Faen figure inspired parts of the Encanis story. The strongest counter is Kvothe's knack for naming: when guessing Master Ash's name he begins 'Feran, Forue, Fordale,' and since his name-guesses are always right, Ash — and therefore Cinder — must be named Ferule.

Evidence§

  • You think, as most attentive readers do, Cinder's name is Ferule. … But it's actually Stercus.
    OP's core claim: Cinder's deep name is Stercus, not Ferule. — u/TheLastSock
  • the reason you think it's Ferule is twofold. It's nearly the name Haliax uses against Cinder, and the name makes an appearance in Shehyn's story of the Seven.
    Names the two reasons readers assume Ferule, which OP will re-read. — u/TheLastSock
  • these two lines should really be one line because Ferule translates to “in thralled of iron” and so the story should read: … Stercus is in thrall of iron, chill, and dark of eye.
    Re-parses Shehyn's verse so Ferule is a phrase describing Stercus. — u/TheLastSock
  • “fer” we learn means iron, when kvothe explains how the sygaldry rune for iron is called fehr. … Ferrum is the Latin word for iron. And Fe symbol in chemistry stands for Ferrum.
    Etymology of 'fer' = iron via the fehr rune and Latin ferrum. — u/TheLastSock
  • “ule” means. And, it’s also a rune. … Ule and doch are Both for binding … together these runes give us "fehr" "ule", or together: "Fehrule"! Which is far too close to Ferule to be a coincidence
    'ule' is the binding rune; fehr+ule = Fehrule, near Ferule. — u/TheLastSock
  • Cinder, like the other Fae we see, is hurt by iron. The way in which Bast is hurt by iron even seems to mirror how Cinder reacts to the name Ferula.
    Iron-binding implies Cinder is Faen, paralleling Bast's iron pain. — u/TheLastSock
  • might an astute listener have heard the word 'Ferule' when the print says 'iron'?
    Comment reinforces Ferule/iron equivalence in the Bast scene. — u/MattyTangle
  • I don’t think you explained enough why you think Stercus… It seemed like a complete non sequitor from what you argued.
    CounterCounter: the Stercus conclusion is unsupported versus the Ferule analysis. — u/DanDampspear
  • Master Ash *has to be* named "Ferule" according to the rules of the story. … if he guesses a name, he is always right.
    CounterStrongest counter: Kvothe's naming knack fixes Ash/Cinder as Ferule. — u/JerBear0328

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier verified: speculative etymological re-parsing, fringe is correct

Contributors§

Source threads§