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I was rereading GoTM and something sparked my mind, and it's probably a crazy theory but who knows, do you remember the scene when Crone disguised as Baruk's sickly hound when Councilor Orr came to visit, and to everyone else except Baruk saw Crone as a dog? What if Kruppe is doing that same illusion? I really don't think Kruppe can be a mortal, it just doesn't fit for some reason. Kruppe was acting really strange in this book. During scenes in the Phoenix Inn, Kruppe would always predict who was just about to come into the door, usually with something like "Oh, a happy reunion awaits" or something along those lines. I think Kruppe is an ascendant in disguise.
I have some questions as well about some strange symbolism or what I am almost sure is symbolism. There is a scene which I haven't seen before in Erikson , where something in the prologue is the last scene in the book. This whole book is a flashback almost, in that respect. It's when Kruppe and K'rul are talking, and some subtle hints have been given apparent only on rereading:
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“Kruppe ever expects the unexpected, old friend. Why, could you ever expect otherwise? Kruppe is shocked. Yet, a thought arrives, launched brainward by a tug on this handsome beard. K’rul states he is not in the war. Yet, Kruppe suspects, he is nevertheless its prize.”
“Only you understand this, my friend,” the Elder God said, sighing. Then cocked its head. "I had not noticed before, but you seem sad."
"Sadness has many flavours, and it seems Kruppe has tasted them all."
"Will you speak now of such matters? I am, I believe, a good listener."
“Kruppe sees that you are sorely beset. Perhaps now is not the time.”
“That is no matter.”
“It is to Kruppe.”
K'rul glanced to one side, and saw a figure approaching, grey-haired, gaunt.
Kruppe sang, “‘Oh frail city, where strangers arrive … and the rest?"
The newcomer answered in a deep voice, "… pushing into the cracks, there to abide.’”
And the Elder God sighed.
“Join us, friend," said Kruppe. "Sit here by this fire: this scene paints the history of our kind, as you well know. A night, a hearth, and a tale to spin. Dear K’rul, dearest friend of Kruppe, hast thou ever seen Kruppe dance?”
The stranger sat. A wan face, an expression of sorrow and pain.
“No," said K'rul. "I think not. Not by limb, not by word.”
Kruppe's smile was muted, and something glistened in his eyes. "Then, my friends, settle yourselves for this night. And witness.”
“Only you understand this, my friend,” the Elder God said, sighing. Then cocked its head. "I had not noticed before, but you seem sad."
"Sadness has many flavours, and it seems Kruppe has tasted them all."
"Will you speak now of such matters? I am, I believe, a good listener."
“Kruppe sees that you are sorely beset. Perhaps now is not the time.”
“That is no matter.”
“It is to Kruppe.”
K'rul glanced to one side, and saw a figure approaching, grey-haired, gaunt.
Kruppe sang, “‘Oh frail city, where strangers arrive … and the rest?"
The newcomer answered in a deep voice, "… pushing into the cracks, there to abide.’”
And the Elder God sighed.
“Join us, friend," said Kruppe. "Sit here by this fire: this scene paints the history of our kind, as you well know. A night, a hearth, and a tale to spin. Dear K’rul, dearest friend of Kruppe, hast thou ever seen Kruppe dance?”
The stranger sat. A wan face, an expression of sorrow and pain.
“No," said K'rul. "I think not. Not by limb, not by word.”
Kruppe's smile was muted, and something glistened in his eyes. "Then, my friends, settle yourselves for this night. And witness.”
The first, is that I think Kruppe is saddened by Anomander Rake's death. So, at this point, everything in the story has happened.
I'd like to focus on this part:
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“Join us, friend," said Kruppe. "Sit here by this fire: this scene paints the history of our kind, as you well know. A night, a hearth, and a tale to spin. Dear K’rul, dearest friend of Kruppe, hast thou ever seen Kruppe dance?”
The stranger sat. A wan face, an expression of sorrow and pain.
“No," said K'rul. "I think not. Not by limb, not by word.”
Kruppe's smile was muted, and something glistened in his eyes. "Then, my friends, settle yourselves for this night. And witness.”
The stranger sat. A wan face, an expression of sorrow and pain.
“No," said K'rul. "I think not. Not by limb, not by word.”
Kruppe's smile was muted, and something glistened in his eyes. "Then, my friends, settle yourselves for this night. And witness.”
Kruppe's words echo the words that start off the series, the quote at the beginning of GOTM:
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Now these ashes have grown cold, we open up this old book.
These oil stained pages recount tales of the Fallen,
a frayed empire, words without warmth. The hearth
has ebbed, it's gleam and life sparks are but memories
against my dimming eyes --- what cast my mind, what my
thoughts as I open the Book of the Fallen
and breathe deep the scent of history?
Listen, then, to these words carried on that breath.
These tales are the tales of us all, again yet again.
We are history relived and that is all, without end that is all.
These oil stained pages recount tales of the Fallen,
a frayed empire, words without warmth. The hearth
has ebbed, it's gleam and life sparks are but memories
against my dimming eyes --- what cast my mind, what my
thoughts as I open the Book of the Fallen
and breathe deep the scent of history?
Listen, then, to these words carried on that breath.
These tales are the tales of us all, again yet again.
We are history relived and that is all, without end that is all.
So what does this say? I believe that we have a case of this series being recorded by someone else and we are just reading the retelling of it, more or less, and maybe each book within the book, is an entry by someone. I don't know, it all sounds crazy, but the connections between that scene and the beginning poem are interesting. I think one of the overarching themes of this series is cyclical nature of the world. The theme of convergence is repeated often, and to me it seems like these immortals like Rake, Kallor, Envy, Spite and so on throughout the Pantheon, are just fighting the same battle over and over again. Also, there is a quote in GOTM that may give some hints about the whole cyclical thing in the quotation preceding chapter 10:
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Kallor said: "I walked this land when the T'lan Imass were but children. I have commanded armies a hundred thousand strong. I have spread the fire of my wrath across entire continents, and sat alone upon tall thrones. Do you grasp the meaning of this?"
"Yes," said Caladan Brood, "you never learn."
"Yes," said Caladan Brood, "you never learn."
People don't heed the warnings of history, they don't learn. I also find some sort of tragic symbolism in Icarium, he almost represents humanity in the way that he is this big, lumbering, powerful person searching for his past yet constantly forgetting it. He doesn't realize the monster he can be, which many people don't until it's too late. But by then we usually forget.
I don't know, I think Kruppe knows so much more than he lets on, even to someone like K'rul. I think he can see a person and look into their mind, and know their story. In this book, there were scenes where it was almost like a montage, narration was poetic, and it was usually detailing with small blips of what a certain character through the book is doing inside Darujhistan(sp?). I for one, at least believe that portions of this book were narrated by Kruppe, and maybe this whole series is the collection of a few character's stories, I can see Onos Toolan knowing Trull's story and Toc's and maybe he will surivive the series and contribute his knowledge, I can see other contributors like Kruppe, Bard, Duiker, Fiddler, Paran possibly, K'rul, maybe even someone like Coitillion, Mappo maybe, and Karsa perhaps. All of these people I can see as surviving the series and contributing their knowledge of these events, since they know of the histories and a lot of the characters in the book, through their being involved with a lot of the events.
Anywho, there's my crackpot theory.
