KKC Theory Wiki

Jenna in The Lightning Tree Is Denna, and Newarre Is a Trap for the Chandrian

fringe identity · popularity 117 · 1 source thread

The Lightning Tree's 'young Jenna' is Denna, and the Waystone frame story is a deliberate trap to draw the Chandrian to Newarre.

About: Denna, Newarre, The Chandrian

Also involves: Waystone Inn, Elodin, Bast, Kvothe, Chronicler, Martin Newarre, The Lightning Tree

The theory§

This theory reads Old Cob's tale in The Lightning Tree — about a tinker getting handsy with 'young Jenna' until Crazy Martin intervenes — as a veiled account of Denna being protected, and ties it into a larger claim that the whole frame story is a trap for the Chandrian. Its scaffolding is the shifting name of the Newarre priest, rendered Leoden, Leodan, and Leodin across the texts, read as a near-anagram of Elodin in disguise. The trap reasoning runs: the Chandrian hunt and destroy any story, song, or image of themselves, yet Kvothe's recorded tale names them repeatedly; if naming draws them, then telling the story at Newarre lures the Chandrian to a place where Kvothe, Elodin, Bast, Chronicler, and Crazy Martin lie in wait. The notion of summoning rather than chasing one's quarry echoes the story of Jax, who resolves to make the moon come to him instead of chasing it. The Jenna=Denna identification is the weakest link: Denna is by this point a grown woman well practiced at defending herself, and Martin is described as old and known for the bow, not for fists. Rothfuss has also stated that Martin and Crazy Martin are different characters.

Evidence§

  • the priest is called Leoden in NOTW, Leodan in WMF and Leodin in LT
    OP's scaffolding: the shifting priest name across texts reads as Elodin in disguise. — u/BlueVCoin
  • If, in the story Kvothe is telling, he says the names of the Chandrian a few more times, they will be drawn to Newarre. The entire thing has been a trap set up for the Chandrian. Kvothe, Elodin, Bast, Chronicler, Crazy Marten … all ready to take them out.
    Core trap claim OP quotes: naming the Chandrian lures them to Newarre ambush. — u/BlueVCoin
  • I bought LT and did a little search to find more about Crazy Martin, and I found Denna :)
    OP's leap to the Jenna=Denna identification via Crazy Martin. — u/BlueVCoin
  • I heard he punched the tinker because he was making some advances on **young Jenna** … Yes, I believe Jenna is our Denna and Marten was protecting her. He even kicked a tinker for her!
    OP reads Cob's tale of Martin defending Jenna as Denna being protected. — u/BlueVCoin
  • I’m convinced that the story Kvothe is telling Chronicler is just a trap. … the whole tale—containing them A LOT—is also being told in a frame story. … “I shouldn’t be chasing the moon. I should make the moon come to me.”
    Comment reinforces trap logic with the Jax 'summon rather than chase' parallel. — u/Lacobus
  • I think Elodin as Leodin could be pulled off. But Jenna as Denna would be a bit much for multiple reasons. Denna is a woman grown at this point and used to defending herself. Similarly Martin was old already, and good with the bow not known for his arms.
    CounterCounter: Jenna=Denna fails; grown Denna defends herself, Martin uses bow not fists. — u/TheLastSock
  • Not sure if this can be trusted, but Pat has said Martin and Crazy Martin are different characters.
    CounterCounter: Rothfuss reportedly stated Martin and Crazy Martin are distinct people. — u/OldMysteries
  • If Denna is nearby, Bast would likely seen her more than once.
    CounterCounter: Bast saw Denna only once, undercutting her being present in Newarre. — u/Detnoi

Book refs: NOTW, WMF, The Lightning Tree

Tier reasoning§

tier unchanged: two stacked speculative identity leaps

Contributors§

Source threads§