KKC Theory Wiki

The Lackless Rhyme Is a Checklist of Items Needed to Open the Doors

plausible prophecy · popularity 138 · 1 source thread

The boy's Lackless verse lists the seven things Kvothe must gather to open the Doors of Stone.

About: The Doors of Stone

Also involves: The Lackless Box, Kvothe, Auri, Meluan Lackless, Naming, Edema Ruh, The Four-Plate Door, Lackless Rhyme

The theory§

The Lackless rhyme survives in two versions — a children's skipping song and an older form Bredon recites — and this theory reads the boy's version as an itemised checklist of the seven things needed to open the Lackless door, several of which Kvothe already holds. Each line is mapped to a candidate object: 'a ring unworn' to the wooden insult-ring Meluan hands him, or to the dreamed circle of greystones at Faeriniel, a place one does not travel to; 'a word that is forsworn' to a true name or oath; 'a time that must be right' to a moonless night or to his oft-mentioned broken clock; 'a candle without light' to unlit wax or a blood-bearing mommet; 'a son who brings the blood' to Kvothe himself, a Lackless descendant whose blood serves as a key; and 'a door that holds the flood' to the four-plate door, possibly holding back the scrael. The two versions are taken to encode the Lackless bloodline and the opening or sealing of the door, with the line 'Lackless likes her riddle raveling' read against 'Ravel' being the gravest insult to the Edema Ruh — hinting the Ruh and their songs carry the secret.

Evidence§

  • The Lackless Rhyme has two versions and i think they tell us about all the things Kovthe needs to get to open the doors of stone. I also think he already has some of these items.
    OP's core thesis: the rhyme lists items needed to open the doors, some already held. — u/JesseJamesGames449
  • "One of them a ring unworn" - Lady lackless gives Kovthe a wooden ring that is meant as an insult and Bredon says **"its not the sort of ring you wear"(PG.931 WMF)**
    Maps 'ring unworn' to the wooden insult-ring Kvothe is given. — u/JesseJamesGames449
  • "One a son who brings the blood" Kovthe is obviously a lockless son so his blood is a key.
    Maps 'son who brings the blood' to Kvothe, a Lackless heir whose blood is the key. — u/JesseJamesGames449
  • "One a door that holds the flood" - this would be the 4 plate door?
    Maps 'door that holds the flood' to the four-plate door. — u/JesseJamesGames449
  • I just found this in the first page of chapter 1 of the first book. … key, coin, and candle were all gone.
    Adds support: Taborlin's key, coin and candle echo the rhyme's checklist items. — u/its_prolly_fine
  • I lean toward the idea that it is the circle of greystones that he dreams about. … a circle of greystones is mentioned, offhandedly, in Faeriniel, which is a place you don’t travel to (on a road not for traveling)
    Refines 'ring unworn' to the greystone circle, tying to 'road not for traveling'. — u/kingkillerpodcast
  • “Ravel” we learn is the highest insult to call an Edema Ruh. Maybe the Ruh have some secrets in their songs.
    Adds 'riddle raveling'/Ravel link, hinting the Ruh and their songs carry the secret. — u/CastorTinitus
  • Audi’s candle is just a candle. She makes it in ASRoST. So it’s not likely the same candle
    CounterCounters OP's candle mapping: Auri's candle is ordinary, not the rhyme's candle. — u/Remote-Sky-7890
  • the broken clock appears to be of an ordinary, geared variety. … Sometimes a clock is just a clock.
    CounterCounters 'time that must be right'=clock; the clock is an ordinary gear-clock. — u/talkingwires

Book refs: NOTW, WMF p931, WMF p103, NOTW p619

Tier reasoning§

tier verified: line-by-line mapping to known objects is a reasonable fit, plausible holds

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