(Theory) Jasnah knows Dalinar's secret.

[Fifth of Daybreak]

So in Jasnah's prologue, I found an interesting little tidbit that Brandon did his sneaky "I'll mention this is passing to make it seem like it's not important" trick on. It's right after her shadows are playing with her the first time on screen.

 

 

Jasnah composed herself. What did these episodes of hers mean? Superstitious folktales that she'd read said that misbehaving shadows meant that you were cursed. She usually dismissed such things as nonsense, but some superstitions were rooted in fact. Her other experiences proved that. She would need to investigate further.

 

Jasnah's other experiences? So what kind of experiences would Jasnah have had? The closest we know to other supernatural happenings around Jasnah is Dalinar visiting the Nightwatcher. This theory is pure conjecture, but I would have to assume that the statement here references that event. Otherwise I have no idea what experiences this would be pointing to. 

 

Then again, there's the book Shallan is reading in Chapter 3: Pattern. 

 

 

This makes it particularly difficult to study the Radiants and the place named Shadesmar. . . The volume was one of Jasnah's earliest published works as a full Scholar. Jasnah had not assigned Shallan to read it. Indeed, she'd been hesitant when Shallan had asked for a copy, and had needed to dig it out of one of the numerous trunks full of books she kept in the ship's hold.

Why had she been so reluctant, when this volume dealt with the very things that Shallan was studing? Shouldn't Jasnah have given her this right off? It--

 

So this snippet leaves me with a few questions. First off, I'm making it a rule to pay attention to every question Shallan asks. They always seem to be important and insightful (and usually aren't answered.)

 

If it was one of the earliest works Jasnah published, then I would have to assume that she wrote and published it before her foray into Shadesmar, so what made her want to study it and the KR?  

 

If that's the case, did she not want Shallan to read it because she had learned some information is false? Does it maybe hold the information about Jasnah's "other experiences?"

 

The other in universe book we know of Jasnah writing is about gender roles in the modern Rosharian society, which seems much more to Jasnah's character considering her thoughts on marriage and the subject. This book was read by Shallan a year and a half ago (Chapter 65 The One Who Deserves It.)

 

Now granted, we don't know when this book was published, but considering that her experience in Shadesmar was 6 years ago, and this was available to read, most likely widely available, I assume that it has been released for quite some time, but not overly old. 

So if the book on Shadesmar is one of the first published pieces, why the sudden topic change either from gender roles to superstitions, or superstition to gender roles?  These other experiences that Jasnah had seem very important to me, maybe they are the base that allowed Ivory to bond with her? 

 

What else does anyone supposed it could be, it not Dalinar's run in with the Nightwatcher. Jasnah seems like she'd be astute enough to recognize Dalinar's discrepancies relating to his wife, and the superstitions surrounding the old magic seem to be the ones that are the most verifiable, especially for Jasnah.

 

Later on in Chapter three during Jasnah's discussion with Shallan, they are talking about the Stormfather and the Almighty:

 

 

"For example, there is some slight proof that both the Stormfather and the Almighty are real creatures--simply powerful spren, such as the Nightwatcher."

 

So Jasnah admits that the Almighty and the Stormfather might be real, might be a powerful spren. Might be a powerful spren such as the Nightwatcher. Jasnah all but admits that the Nightwatcher is proven to be real. For a skeptic like Jasnah, I wouldn't expect this idea to be presented without Jasnah being completely sure. 

 

Anyone else have any theories on what Jasnah could have experienced before that confirmed some superstitions were based on fact? 

 

EDIT: Added third quote. 

Edited April 6, 2014 by EMTrevor

[Numb]

Definitely makes sense to me. Jasnah seems more like Dalinar's daughter than her own father from what we have seen. The two have this trust that we haven't seen Jasnah have with anyone else. She might have been the one to help him go to the nightwatcher even.

[Shardbearer]

I  took that little line as referring to some other event that we don't know about yet, but it could be Dalinar's visit to the Nightwatcher. Or it could be the early manifestations of her bond.

[Yamahako]

I think she wrote her first book based on research while dealing with her Atheism.  She wrote her book on gender roles in Rosharan society after a terrible personal experience as a way of coping with it.  That experience opened her up to investiture, and she met Ivory.  That led her back into study into the voidbringers and the desolations because she now had proof they existed.

 

I think its possible she knows Dalinar's secret as well, but its pretty established about the nightwatcher - almost everyone knows someone who went.  Jasnah is also clever enough to figure out what happened to Dalinar as well, so if she doesn't explicitly know, then she probably does through conjecture.  However, I can actually imagine Dalinar, Jasnah (and Amaram maybe?) going to the Nightwatcher together.

 

Do we know if Dalinar went to the Nightwatcher pre or post Gavilar's assassination? 

[Fifth of Daybreak]

I think she wrote her first book based on research while dealing with her Atheism.  She wrote her book on gender roles in Rosharan society after a terrible personal experience as a way of coping with it.  That experience opened her up to investiture, and she met Ivory.  That led her back into study into the voidbringers and the desolations because she now had proof they existed.

 

I think its possible she knows Dalinar's secret as well, but its pretty established about the nightwatcher - almost everyone knows someone who went.  Jasnah is also clever enough to figure out what happened to Dalinar as well, so if she doesn't explicitly know, then she probably does through conjecture.  However, I can actually imagine Dalinar, Jasnah (and Amaram maybe?) going to the Nightwatcher together.

 

Do we know if Dalinar went to the Nightwatcher pre or post Gavilar's assassination? 

 

I think it's established that there are some people who know and some people who are skeptical, I found some information in the Chapter where Dalinar tells Adolin, Renarin. 

 

". . .Or they could be suprenatural without being of the almighty."

"How could that happen?" Adolin said, frowning.

"The Old Magic," Renarin said softly, still sitting.

Dalinar Nodded.

"What?" Adolin said pointedly. "The old magic is a myth."

 

Even just Adolin's reaction compared to Renarin's, two very close brothers who most likely had extremely similar upbringings and educations, there's a discrepancy between known fact and legend. . Jasnah strikes me as more of the "believe what I experience for myself" persuasion. 

 

 

". . .When did you seek her?"

"It's been many years now," Dalinar said.

 

Well that's helpful Dalinar. 

 

 

"It might be important," Navani finally said.

"It was long ago. Long before the visions began. . ."

 

Still very vague, but it leads me to believe it's pre-assassination. 

 

Edit: Fixed typo

Edited April 6, 2014 by EMTrevor

[kari-no-sugata]

Referring to the OP, if you mean that Jasnah might have been involved with Dalinar's trip to see the Nightwatcher then I think you've got good evidence there. Nicely done.

[Argent]

Eh, I always figured this was just a way of saying that this was not the first time Ivory was making her see weird things, similarly to how Syl had taken special interest in Kaladin long before they had any meaningful interaction.

[Fifth of Daybreak]

I think I know when Dalinar visited the Nightwatcher.  Chapter 62 The One Who Killed Promises

 

"Roshone was a petty man who gained Elhokar's ear. Elhokar was crown prince then, commanded to rule over Kholinar wand watch the kingdoms while his father organized our first camps here in the Shattered Plains. I was . . . away at the time."

 

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I would assume this is when he visited the Nightwatcher, which places his trip sometime not too long before Roshone shows up at Hearthstone.