KKC Theory Wiki

Stealing the Moon Symbolises Men's Role in Childbirth and Human Creation

fringe symbolism · popularity 73 · 1 source thread

Iax stealing the moon is an allegory for introducing the male role in childbirth, explaining Adem beliefs and Kvothe's lineage.

About: Iax, The Moon

Also involves: The Adem, Selitos, The Creation War, Lyra, Haliax, The Fae, The Cthaeh, Aleph, Laurian, Kvothe, The Boy Who Stole the Moon

The theory§

This theory reads the myth of Iax stealing the moon as an allegory for the introduction of the male role in procreation, the act that created humankind, and uses it to explain the Adem's denial that men have any part in childbirth. It draws on the moon's long association with fertility, on suggestive names (Selitos One-Eye, the original Jackless), and on the mysteries surrounding Kvothe's lineage and the sealed Lackless box. In its strongest form it even equates Selitos with Iax. The chain runs aground on chronology: Iax's theft of the moon sparks the Creation War, while the butchering of Myr Tariniel and the side-by-side stand of Lanre and Lyra come late in that same war, so the deception and the births cannot be one event. The supporting wordplay also fails on inspection: 'Iax' is spelled with a capital I in both of its appearances, not a lowercase L, and the Alveron 'lax' line is unrelated context about a dying lord without an heir.

Evidence§

  • My standing theory has been that Jax/Iax stealing of the moon was actually Iax instilling the male's roll in childbirth, creating humans. This would explain the Adem's wonky thoughts on childbirth.
    OP's core claim: moon theft allegorises the male role in procreation, explaining Adem beliefs. — u/Ragnanicci
  • This stems from parallels to Persephone/Melinoe, numerous dick jokes (Selitos One-Eye, Jackless), the moon's relation to fertility/childbirth throughout mythology, and the mysteries concerning Kvothe's lineage.
    Lists supporting strands: mythic parallels, suggestive names, moon-fertility link, Kvothe's lineage. — u/Ragnanicci
  • Selitos = Iax (The ever changing eye, spectacles, sight... Selene Lithos = Moon Rock), and Selitos was in love with Lyra. He did something with her / decieved her inside the Faen realm which sparked the creation of humans and Fae
    Equates Selitos with Iax via name etymology; his deception of Lyra creates humans and Fae. — u/Ragnanicci
  • Many, but not everyone, knows that in Name of the Wind, Iax is actually spelled with a lower case L rather than an I. This is why theLastSock calls him Lax so often. But here is a quote from Alveron in book 2 … "I have been lax in one regard. I have no family or heir."
    Wordplay claim: Iax spelled 'lax', linked to Alveron's heirless line as a hidden Easter egg. — u/Ragnanicci
  • One more thing to add. Copper is an important element in male fertility and in fact copper deficiency is a leading cause of infertility in males.
    OP adds copper-fertility link as further supporting evidence in comments. — u/Ragnanicci
  • And that bit about Iax actually being Lax was fascinating... until I checked for myself. The I is definitely an uppercase I. His name is only mentioned twice -- once by Skarpi and once by Bast -- but it's the same spelling in both instances.
    CounterCounters the wordplay: name is uppercase I in both appearances, not L. — u/Kit-Carson
  • Youre forcing together too many things... its a cool thought experiment but there is a lot of holes and it looks a bit like you just searched for the only time they use that word in the whole book and made it fit...
    CounterCounter: theory overfits, cherry-picking the single 'lax' usage; the Alveron context is mundane. — u/carlos_6m
  • Why would Selitos need an heir if the society and fundamental biology at the time was female based? Why would it be a problem for him/how did he come up with the idea?
    CounterCounter: internal logic gap; in a female-based biology Selitos's desire for an heir makes no sense. — u/satin_worshipper

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier unchanged; symbolic wordplay leap, lowercase-L claim debunked

Contributors§

Source threads§