KKC Theory Wiki

Lanre Is the 'One Who Remembered the Lethani' and Is of Adem Ancestry

fringe identity · popularity 77 · 1 source thread

The Adem story's lone betrayer who kept the Lethani is Lanre, tying him to the Adem and to Kvothe's dual bloodline.

About: Haliax, The Lethani, Kvothe

Also involves: The Adem, Lyra, Iax, Selitos, Myr Tariniel, Shehyn, Skarpi, Penthe, Illien, Andan, Belen

The theory§

Reading Shehyn's Adem account alongside Skarpi's tale, this theory identifies the lone figure who 'remembered the Lethani and did not betray a city' as Lanre, the same as Andan, named as first of the Adem. The matching turns on the detail that the city this one faithful figure saved did not fall, set against Skarpi's account of Lanre and Lyra defending Belen from a surprise attack that should have overwhelmed it. This feeds a larger claim that Kvothe alone carries two bloodlines, those of Iax and Illien, glossed as Imet and Andan, making him the 'son who brings the blood.' Supporting threads draw the University itself toward Belen: it sits two miles west of Imre in Belenay-Barren, and the Edema Ruh in their origin story travel toward Belenay, knitting the Adem stories to those of the Commonwealth. The identification sits uneasily with Skarpi's plain telling, in which Lanre betrays Selitos and burns Myr Tariniel, placing him squarely among the traitors.

Evidence§

  • The enemy poisoned seven others. You see it? Seven poisoned by the One, but the one who remembered the Lethani is of the Seven.
    OP's core premise: the faithful figure is among the seven the enemy poisoned. — u/Smurphilicious
  • One remembered the Lethani, and did not betray a city. That city did not fall. … One of them remembered the Lethani and the empire was left with hope.
    Shehyn's account of the lone faithful one whose city stood. — u/Smurphilicious
  • They defended Belen from a surprise attack, saving the city from a foe that should have overwhelmed them. … They hoped for peace, and they hung those flickering hopes on Lanre.
    Skarpi's Lanre saved an unfallen city and carried hope, matching Shehyn's one. — u/Smurphilicious
  • But seven names are remembered. The name of the one and of the six who follow him. … But the One who remembered the Lethani is still a traitor, just not for the same reasons as the others. His is a betrayal of the heart.
    Ties the faithful one to the seven remembered traitor-names as their leader. — u/Smurphilicious
  • Lanre, a Lord among his people, stood alone against the Blac beast of Drossen Tor. He remembered the Lethani. He saved his city, and his first school became what is now known as the University. His is the traditional path, mastery of the wind.
    Links Lanre's saved city/school to the University and the wind-naming path. — u/Smurphilicious
  • Are you saying Skarpi lied that Lanre betrayed Selitos and Myr Tarinial?. Even in Denna's song he burns the city, and i assume claims to behind burning the others, which puts him in the category of traitors.
    CounterCounter: Skarpi's telling makes Lanre a betrayer who burned the city. — u/TheLastSock
  • I always thought the one city was Imre/Amyr
    CounterCounter: alternative identity for the one unfallen city. — u/SpiderSolve

Book refs: WMF, NOTW

Tier reasoning§

central claim (Lanre kept Lethani) differs from Cthaeh-worm-enemy theory; speculative identity, fringe holds

Contributors§

Source threads§