Another far-fetched theory of who Hoid was

[jag519]

Ok, so this is probably really far out there, but I wouldn't be surprised if this has come up in here before.

Has the possibility of Hoid being Adonalsium been brought up?

 

This would explain why he now does not have a shard and really isn't trying to get one but is trying to go around doing big things anyway. I had a specific thing in Words of Radiance that sparked this question but I dont remember what that was right now.

 

But in general it seems somewhat possible even though it isn't likely, and I wouldn't doubt if people have already proven it is a valid theory or proven it is 99.99% likely to be false

 

But yeah, my idea is he was Adonalsium, he was "shattered" and all that was left was a man with sDNA able to use each magic type, and the shards of his power that others took.

 

And lets be real, if you were Adonalsium, you wouldn't want to take a shard either, you'd either want to get your full power back or try and work something else out, you wouldn't want to just take one facet of yourself and be changed. 

[Moogle]

It's an interesting idea, but I think WoR basically disproves it. Here's a section from the reply to Hoid's letter in WoR:

 

Is not the destruction we have wrought enough? The worlds you now tread bear the touch and design of Adonalsium. Our interference so far has brought nothing but pain.

 

The letter author talking to Hoid as if he's not Adonalsium here would make it surprising if Hoid was Adonalsium. You'd think the dragon would know something like that.

[jag519]

But if he was Adonalsium that still could work, couldn't it? Like if Ati became a person again, you could still say that worlds have been touched by ruin, while talking to Ati. 

 

While I think this makes it more likely that Hoid and the dragon helped shatter Adonalsium, I don't think this line rules it out.

 

Hell, it could even be both, Adonalsium/hoid wanting to be more of a person instead of a god, him and the dragon split his power up, it spreads, him and the dragon realize that didn't go as planned.

 

But yeah, assuming he didn't split on purpose, if it is caused by the opposing force and Hoid and the dragon sent the 16 to different planets to not let the opposing force get the powers of Adonalsium, that could work too.

 

Those are like all hypothetical reasons why it might work, not necessarily what I think they might be. 

[Observer]

Hoid is not a Sliver and has never held/does not hold a Shard. Those two Words of Brandon basically sunk this theory when it came up a while back.

 

EDIT: And though this doesn't really mean a whole lot of anything, Hoid being able to use most/all magics isn't proven. He has breaths because anybody can have those if given, he has allomancy from Lerasium, built to give it, and as my biggest point here, he has Lightweaving because he's from Yolen, the planet that started it all. Even if magic is mostly planet-exclusive, being from the Shardic centerworld probably lets him use them all.

 

Also, in a postscript that means even less, Hoid was just some guy with Lightweaving abilities on Yolen, working as a quasi-storyteller. It doesn't mean much, but he 100% started as a normalish person, and I'm guessing that means him not being a Sliver can only still let this be true if Adonalsium holders are something else entirely.

Edited April 14, 2014 by Observer

[duladen]

I think I've seen WOB somewhere that says if a shard is left alone without a holder or long enough it will develop sentience. I have a sneaking fealing, though no evidence whatsoever, that Adonalsium did not have a holder. And I think all or most of the current Shard holders, Hoid, and his old reptile friend were involved in the shattering. I don't necessarily think they caused it, but they were involved.

[MistLord]

I think I've seen WOB somewhere that says if a shard is left alone without a holder or long enough it will develop sentience. I have a sneaking fealing, though no evidence whatsoever, that Adonalsium did not have a holder. And I think all or most of the current Shard holders, Hoid, and his old reptile friend were involved in the shattering. I don't necessarily think they caused it, but they were involved.

While not trying to fly in the face of your theory, it's interesting to note that the joining of Preservation and Ruin to form Harmony provides a certain counterpoint. 

[RShara]

Here you go.

 

Q:  If Endowment were killed, would the Returned still come?
A:  Somebody needs to hold the magic. If no one holds the magic, the magic will start to gain sentience. Interesting and bizarre things happen then, so I would say yes, but with the caveat that with whoever picks up the power or what happens with the power could end up changing that.

 

Q:  Was Adonalsium shattered intentionally, and if so, was the intention malevolent?
A:  Yes, and RAFO

[duladen]

Here you go.

@RShara to the WoB rescue once again, thanks!

[Shardmancer]

Hoid isnt even the most knowledgeable person in the cosmere, its hard for me to belive Khriss could know more of the comsere than Hoid- if he is adonlasium himself..

[Aether]

Hoid isnt even the most knowledgeable person in the cosmere, its hard for me to belive Khriss could know more of the comsere than Hoid- if he is adonlasium himself..

Hoid has his own motives and goals. Khriss is a scholar with an insatiable thirst for science and knowledge. I don't find it hard to believe that she would be more knowledgeable, as she would probably seek out and study the different worlds and their Investiture more actively than Hoid would. Hoid knows a lot, true, but I it seems that that is more because he's just been around for a long time (as well as showing up for the most important events) more than anything else.

[Shardmancer]

Of course Hoid has more expierence in realtion to events.. That point was made just to argue him being adonlasium. I feel we have not yet seen anything of true power in the cosmere- VIn gaining a fraction of shard power- the power of Harmony/ Odium.. These will problem even being minor issues in the latter years of the comsere novels

[Darkness]

Ok, so this is probably really far out there, but I wouldn't be surprised if this has come up in here before.

Has the possibility of Hoid being Adonalsium been brought up?

 

This would explain why he now does not have a shard and really isn't trying to get one but is trying to go around doing big things anyway. I had a specific thing in Words of Radiance that sparked this question but I dont remember what that was right now.

 

But in general it seems somewhat possible even though it isn't likely, and I wouldn't doubt if people have already proven it is a valid theory or proven it is 99.99% likely to be false

 

But yeah, my idea is he was Adonalsium, he was "shattered" and all that was left was a man with sDNA able to use each magic type, and the shards of his power that others took.

 

And lets be real, if you were Adonalsium, you wouldn't want to take a shard either, you'd either want to get your full power back or try and work something else out, you wouldn't want to just take one facet of yourself and be changed. 

Actually, I proposed that one back on Nov. 27, 2013 and was promptly shot down "because he is arrogant enough to believe he doesn't need it to do what he wants."

Seriously though, I was thinking of him going around to separate worlds to collect little bits of his former self.

I haven't found anything conclusively against this theory, but I think it is becoming less and less likely.

Also, I've seen the WoB saying Hoid does not currently possess a Shard, but I haven't seen the other one. If it says 'Hoid never held a Shard', then that is easy enough… Adonalsium was not a Shard, it was a Whole.