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Did Kvothe Create Bast With Naming During the Felurian Battle?

fringe identity · popularity 76 · 1 source thread

During his namer-clarity duel with Felurian, Kvothe may have Shaped Bast into existence from his own broken song.

About: Bast, Kvothe, Felurian

Also involves: Naming, Shaping, The Shaed, The Fae, The Cthaeh, Elodin

The theory§

This theory proposes that Bast is not Kvothe's natural son but a being Kvothe created through Naming or Shaping during his duel with Felurian, when his sleeping mind woke fully and he wielded power beyond ordinary sympathy. The keystone is the line in which Kvothe makes a tearing motion and the silver flame that had been his breath becomes three notes of broken song that go to play among the trees, read as a Fae creature being seeded into the wood. Supporting this, Kvothe demonstrably Shapes in that scene, binding Felurian in a cage of wind no ordinary wind could form, which marks him as a shaper from that moment. A reading of the word basting, the temporary stitch that holds fabric until the final seam is sewn, suggests Bast may be a provisional construct tied to the making of the Shaed and meant to be removed later. The competing and more widely held view is that Bast is Kvothe's son begotten on Felurian, aged and raised in the Fae before being sent to his father, consistent with Bast's titles as Son of Remmen and Prince of Twilight, which a created being would not obviously possess.

Evidence§

  • I think Bast May have been created by Kvothe, during his fight with Felurian by Shaping/creating him with a name breaking magic
    OP's core claim: Kvothe created Bast via Naming/Shaping during the Felurian fight. — u/Lkqrzk1985
  • "I made a tearing motion and the silver flame that once had been my breath became three notes of broken song and went to play among the trees."
    The keystone line: torn breath becomes three notes of song that go among the trees. — u/Lkqrzk1985
  • This section details himself in a way that you always hear of Namers doing. He knows who he is, in all his history and complexity. He knows his true name, and with that knowledge, he experiences the clarity of sleeping mind
    Kvothe enters full sleeping-mind clarity, the namer state enabling such power. — u/Lkqrzk1985
  • It billowed out, engulfing her, then burst into a silver flame that trapped her tight inside its changing name … Silver/white flame is relevant in shaping/whatever this naming battle magic is - I believe this is a shaping fire.
    Kvothe binds Felurian in a silver flame, evidence he is Shaping, not mere sympathy. — u/Lkqrzk1985
  • I genuinely believe that Kvothe May have created Bast in this moment to keep Felurian company until he returned. Bastas would have been created as a Faeling child that "went to play among the trees". 3 parts Felurian and the will and a breath of life from Kvothe?!
    OP's synthesis: Bast is a Faeling made of Felurian's name plus Kvothe's breath. — u/Lkqrzk1985
  • the term for a temporary stitch that holds the layers of fabric together until the final stitch is sewn is "a basting stitch". … perhaps Bast was just a temporary mean to sew Kvothe's Shaed who was supposed to be removed (aborted?) later
    Comment refines: 'basting' wordplay suggests Bast is a provisional stitch for the Shaed. — u/akurtser
  • How would you reconcile this with some of basts other titles? More specifically, 'Bastas, Son of Remmen, Prince of Twilight and the Telwyth Mael'?
    CounterCounter: Bast's noble titles imply lineage a created being would not have. — u/King_FitzChivalry
  • my theory is that Bast is his son by Faelurian, not created but born. Aged in Fae and raised by the Fae then sent to his father
    CounterCounter: rival view that Bast is Kvothe's naturally born son, aged in Fae. — u/HellStoneBats

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier holds: self-described wild theory resting on one ambiguous line

Contributors§

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