KKC Theory Wiki

The Mauthen Vase Depicts Kvothe's Future, Not the Distant Past

fringe prophecy · popularity 66 · 1 source thread

The eighth figure on the Chandrian vase is a future Kvothe, making the pot a prophecy rather than history.

About: Kvothe, The Chandrian

Also involves: The Amyr, The Cthaeh, Auri, Aleph

The theory§

This theory reinterprets the painted vase unearthed at the Mauthen farm not as a record of ancient events but as a prophecy of Kvothe's own future confrontation with the Chandrian. The eighth figure, which Kvothe takes for an Amyr of the Ciridae, is read as Kvothe himself: Auri repeatedly names him Ciridae, he is associated with blood imagery, and Nina recalls that this figure frightened her most of all. The biting dog and the dead tree are read as references to Kvothe, whose Adem name Maedre can mean the broken tree and whom the Cthaeh casts as a young pup sent after Cinder, while the angels Andan and Ordal weigh upon the lone Amyr's shoulders. Because magical dreams in stories foretell rather than recall, Nina's prophetic vision is taken as a signal that the vase shows things yet to come. The strongest objection is that the Mauthen farm bears unmistakable signs of the Chandrian's actual presence, blue flame, rotting wood, and a rusted-through iron handle, anchoring the massacre to known Chandrian signs rather than to a future tableau.

Evidence§

  • I believe the images on the vase the Mauthens dug up are a depiction of the future, specifically Kvothe's future encounter with the Chandrian.
    OP's core claim: the vase is prophecy of Kvothe's future, not history. — u/itstooblue
  • The pot is described to have a dog biting a mans leg and a dead tree. Both of those relate to Kvothe with his Adem name meaning broken tree and the Cthaeh talking about sending a young pup like Kvothe after Cinder.
    Vase imagery (dog, dead tree) maps onto Kvothe's name and the Cthaeh's words. — u/itstooblue
  • The eighth person on the vase was thought by Kvothe to be an Amyr, one of the Ciridae. Auri with some unknown amount of knowledge regarding the Amyr, calls Kvothe a Ciridae multiple times. Kvothe is also depicted with Amyr imagery (blood).
    Eighth figure read as Kvothe: Auri names him Ciridae and he bears blood imagery. — u/itstooblue
  • Nina also says the person Kvothe thinks to be an Amyr was the scariest out of them all.
    Nina's fear of the eighth figure cited as further sign it is Kvothe. — u/itstooblue
  • Nina receives dreams about the vase which allows her to paint it for Kvothe. Dreams are usually used as visions of the future or messages to have an impact on one's future, not really used for flashbacks.
    Prophetic-dream logic: dreams foretell, so the vase shows future events. — u/itstooblue
  • this is pretty damning evidence against my theory BUT I think it can be rebuked. Kvothe could become one of the Amyr (or pretend to be one) which would explain the symbol.
    OP concedes the burning-tower insignia is a problem, proposing Kvothe becomes Amyr. — u/itstooblue
  • I really like the idea you've posed btw, particularly where you point out that magic dreams aren't usually flashbacks in stories, but prophetic.
    Commenter endorses the prophetic-dream reasoning supporting the theory. — u/Jandy777
  • The names of angels were not on the vase. Nina thinks the Amyr and Chandrian are demons, so she cut a page out of the Book of the Path, to protect herself. … The art around the Chandrian could just show there signes. Actually that's what it was. Not a prophecy.
    CounterCounter: angel names came from the Book, and the art just shows Chandrian signs. — u/Imaterd005

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

fringe confirmed: reinterprets historical artifact as prophecy, speculative

Contributors§

Source threads§