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The Cthaeh's 'Stick by the Maer' Advice Is a Deadly Play on Words

fringe connection · popularity 70 · 1 source thread

The Cthaeh's hint about the Amyr's door hides a pun, with commenters pointing to Caudicus, Cinder, or death.

About: The Cthaeh, Maer Lerand Alveron, The Amyr

Also involves: Kvothe, Caudicus, Cinder, Felurian

The theory§

When Kvothe questions the Cthaeh about the Amyr in the Fae, it tells him the Maer has already come close to them without realizing it and that if he sticks by the Maer, the Maer will lead him to their door. The Cthaeh then chuckles, calls it a joke, and promises Kvothe will laugh when he finally understands. This theory treats the line as deliberate wordplay rather than literal guidance. One reading takes 'come close to death' literally, with the terrified girl on the Faeriniel pottery and Felurian's insistence that the Amyr were never human cited as hints the Amyr are something other than benevolent angels. Other readings turn on the word 'stick': it may point to Cinder, since 'ferule/ferula' means a rod or stick, or to the caduceus, the herald's staff often mistaken for the healing rod of Asclepius, foreshadowing that Kvothe will see the Amyr as good and learn otherwise too late. A competing line argues Caudicus was Amyr, and the Maer literally sends Kvothe to Caudicus's door for his medicine, so 'stick by the Maer' delivers Kvothe to an Amyr's threshold. The chief difficulty is that the Cthaeh promises bitter, laugh-out-loud irony, which most readings struggle to deliver.

Evidence§

  • The cthaeh says the maer has come close to the Amyr without realizing and if Kvothe sticks near him, he will be lead to their door. … What has the Maer come close to? Death. If Kvothe stays close to the Maer it would lead to his death.
    OP's core claim: read 'come close' as 'come close to death' literally. — u/FloridaMan_90
  • We know that the Amyr aren't angels so maybe they're demons in "hell?" This is supported by the girl being terrified of the Ciridae on the pottery. Also Felurian saying Amyr were never humans.
    OP cites pottery girl and Felurian as hints the Amyr aren't benevolent. — u/FloridaMan_90
  • I think Caudicus was Amyr. The Maer was poisoned with lead, and Kvothe had to "stick" by his side while he recovered. … The Maer sent Kvothe to Caudicus' door to retrieve his medicine … The Maer won't *lead* Kvothe to their door, he *led* him already, as in past tense, like *lead* poisoning.
    Top comment: Maer literally sent Kvothe to Caudicus's door; 'lead' = lead poisoning pun. — u/Smurphilicious
  • Iirc, the Cthaeh says “Stick by the Maer”, which I took as some play on words re: Bredon and his cane/“stick”
    Refines wordplay reading: 'stick' may point to Bredon's cane. — u/aafterthewar
  • The 'stick', is cinder. Ferule / ferula literally means a stick.
    Alternative 'stick' reading: points to Cinder via ferule/ferula meaning a rod. — u/qoou
  • The stick by the maer is caduceus. It's a play on words, see the caduceus staff is often mistaken for the rod of asclepius, which is the actual symbol for healing. Similarly, kvothe will see the amyr as good and will learn otherwise too late.
    Caduceus reading: mistaken-for-healing-rod foreshadows Kvothe misjudging Amyr as good. — u/TheLastSock
  • The original Amyr were Fae, according to Felurian. Humans later also used the name Amyr, but Felurian doesn’t recognize them as “real” Amyr. So suffice to say that human Amyr exist(ed)
    CounterCounters OP's 'never humans' point: human Amyr existed, Fae just dispute legitimacy. — u/Randvek
  • The one thing that always trips me up with figuring this out is the Cthaeh promising Kvothe will laugh when he gets the joke. None of the theories I've seen so far seem to have the bitter irony that I'd expect to elicit a laugh from the Kingkiller
    CounterCore difficulty: no reading delivers the laugh-out-loud irony the Cthaeh promises. — u/SelfProgrammingError

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier confirmed: wordplay interpretation, speculative

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