The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
[CD spoilers] Mother Winter, the Blackstaff, Death and the Raven Banner
Elegast:
--- Quote from: jyn8462 on December 07, 2012, 07:28:16 PM ---However while the name of Death does fit for MW, it's not even close for MS and she did say 'our' so the name has to fit both, and just saying life and death are two different things is both a cop out, and two DIFFERENT names.
--- End quote ---
You're right. The 'our' problem is really difficult. I would point that deadly plagues grow stronger near MS, and that MW says that death gives value to life, so it's not totally impossible. It's also the old Ying-Yang dichotomie after all.
And about two different names:
--- Quote from: American Oxford Dictionary ---Definition of life
noun (plural lives /līvz/)
the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: American Oxford Dictionary ---Definition of death
noun
the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism:
--- End quote ---
So I may be stretching the facts, but I'm not completely hallucinating... ;D
Rasins:
--- Quote from: Elegast on December 07, 2012, 02:26:19 PM ---No. MW is Death.
There are four horsemen of the apocalypse:
* Conquest
* War
* Death
* Famine
No matter how hard you try, there is no way you can match each set of teeth with one rider.
But if MW is Death, then she's one of the rider. And those riders are described in the book of the Revelations: here is the description of Death:
According to the Bible, Death has four ways to kill mortals during the Apocalypse: sword, famine, plague and wild beast. Try to match with the set of teeth, and you'll see it fits perfectly.
--- End quote ---
Actually the four horsemen are Victory, War, Justice, and Death. And death has four ways to kill ... sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.
I like the idea that she is Death, that her four sets of teeth represent these four ways to work, but don't confuse the Horsemen with the ways to kill.
Personally, I think Death ate Mother Winter, and took MW's mantle. Thus limiting himself, but still able to handle iron (and such). So I think the person who currently has the mantle of MW isn't fae, isn't (necessarily) human, but IS death. Maybe something (race-wise) different, like a dragon. (No, I'm not saying MW is a dragon.)
Elegast:
--- Quote from: Rasins on December 07, 2012, 09:01:16 PM ---but don't confuse the Horsemen with the ways to kill.
--- End quote ---
That was the distinction I was trying to make. I'll clarify my post.
--- Quote ---Personally, I think Death ate Mother Winter, and took MW's mantle. Thus limiting himself, but still able to handle iron (and such). So I think the person who currently has the mantle of MW isn't fae, isn't (necessarily) human, but IS death. Maybe something (race-wise) different, like a dragon. (No, I'm not saying MW is a dragon.)
--- End quote ---
Agreed.
cass:
--- Quote from: TheRaven on December 07, 2012, 05:39:31 PM ---Normally I lurk, but when I saw this, and I read about Mother Winter's false teeth I was instantly reminded of Baba Yaga who according to some legends has iron false teeth.
http://www.oldrussia.net/baba.html
--- End quote ---
That she's sometimes murderous and sometimes helpful is another link to Baba Yaga. Do you think she'll get around in a mortar and pestle? Since her walking stick is missing.
cmprostreet:
Elegast,
I'm with you on nearly every piece of this, but I had a different take on the Blackstaff.
My mind took:
MW's missing walking stick,
WOJ on the Blackstaff preventing insanity,
Outsiders/Nemesis' tendency to cause insanity,
Winter's current purpose (defending against Outsiders), and
Knnn's theory that the Laws of Magic exist to prevent Outsiders from gaining influence...
...and cooked up the FrankenWAGTM that the Blackstaff is specifically a defense against Outsiders' ability to exploit openings made by violations of the Laws of Magic (among other things).
The Blackstaff would seem alive because it's pulling the Outsider influence out of the user every time they're open to Outsider infestation. Note that the Blackstaff's tendrils pulling from Eb's arm are reminiscent of Mordite, and the anti-life feeling from Mordite is in turn very similar to the lack of soul in Harry's hand after his first use of Soulfire.
If this is the case, I doubt anyone on the WC knows MW's walking stick's true purpose (i.e. allowing Death itself to walk freely among the Outsiders without being vulnerable to their corruption), save maybe for Rashid. If Rashid had ever confronted Eb about returning the Blackstaff, that could explain the apparent breakdown in trust between them that Eb refers to in PG*.
Bonus factoid for MW's walking stick = Blackstaff in general:
This would mean MW would have extra cause to be upset by a mortal harming her by summoning her when she can't travel- the mortal who summoned her is the grandson of the one holding her walking stick!
*Also, in a rare double-whammy post, I don't believe that Eb created the Grey Council sometime between PG and TC in response to his conversation with Harry at the end of PG, as others have posted elsewhere. At the very beginning of PG, Eb tells Harry he's already begun organizing a group of people he trusts- I think the GC predates Harry telling Eb about the BC theory.
Lastly, if Mother Winter is Death, does that make Mother Summer Taxes?
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