Death Rattles

[Procrastination]

In the Stormlight Archive, Death Rattles are a big part of the Diagram's "telling the future" thing. I've noticed a lot of people trying to interpret what they mean, but they're scattered around, and hard to find. So this is dedicated to searching for and interpreting the Death Rattles that appear so often in the books. You can look at the ones at the start of the chapters, but there are also many in the chapters themselves, like when Maps dies on a bridge run in TWoK. Anyways, I hope you can find some good ones!

...........

I basically just sent you on an Easter egg hunt for words spoken in dying delirium.

Edited March 12, 2021 by rosharian_cat

[Procrastination]

Also, if your interpretation turns out to be correct when there's an answer to it, you can throw yourself a party and announce it to the world. Now go off and search!! 

[Bejarden]

RoW spoilers

“So the night will reign because the choice of honor is life...” (WoK 916)

My guess is this refers to the champions duel in SA 5 

Its Kaladin ( yes even though Dalinar said he wouldn’t)VS Gavinor

And Kaladin refuses to kill Gavinor because the choice of honor is life which lets Odium reign ( he’s called the night of sorrows)

Also supported by “ I hold a suckling child in my hands...” death rattle 

And then Kaladin acends to Honor

[Procrastination]

2 hours ago, Bejardin1250 said:

 

Also supported by “ I hold a suckling child in my hands...” death rattle

Interesting theory!! It sounds like it could work. I wonder if the "suckling child" might actually refer to Kaladin having to make a choice to kill Elhokar or protect him in WoR. The full Death Rattle says:

Quote

"I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw."

The "I hold the suckling child in my hands" could be referring to how Kaladin men were guarding the king, and so they were in charge of his safety. Elhokar is often referred to as a "child" and acts like one often, especially in TWoK. The child's could also refer to how Elhokar is innocent, like a child. The knife could refer to how Kal could choose to let them kill Elhokar. "Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw" maybe refers to how if Elhokar died, Dalinar (even though we find out he wouldn't later) would be king, and he would lead better and make things better, and give them more time to prepare.

[Procrastination]

I'm also thinking that Kaladin might be Odium's champion. 

That would be cruel though...Kaladin has been one of my favorite characters (besides Lift and Rock) and I really don't want him to die but he prob will. Brandon Sanderson has a talent for killing off main characters.

Spoiler

As in Karata, Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Hrathen, (who was a great character especially at the end), Lightsong, Blushweaver, Tia, Elhokar, (though he was more of an important side character), Dockson, Raboniel, Teft, and many more.

I hope he doesn't die. He probably won't get a happy ending, though. Maybe he could, I don't know, swear the 5th Ideal during the Contest and he decides to not fight instead of being consumed by TaravOdium.(Taravangian + Odium)

I hope it's not him vs. Gavinor, that would be cruel to send a tiny 3 year old against a professional soldier and Knight Radiant. But that might be just what Odium needs to do to win...

[Chaos]

Please remember Rhythm of War spoilers are NOT allowed outside of the RoW boards. I have moved this topic there.

[Bejarden]

7 hours ago, rosharian_cat said:

I'm also thinking that Kaladin might be Odium's champion. 

That would be cruel though...Kaladin has been one of my favorite characters (besides Lift and Rock) and I really don't want him to die but he prob will. Brandon Sanderson has a talent for killing off main characters.

  Reveal hidden contents

As in Karata, Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Hrathen, (who was a great character especially at the end), Lightsong, Blushweaver, Tia, Elhokar, (though he was more of an important side character), Dockson, Raboniel, Teft, and many more.

I hope he doesn't die. He probably won't get a happy ending, though. Maybe he could, I don't know, swear the 5th Ideal during the Contest and he decides to not fight instead of being consumed by TaravOdium.(Taravangian + Odium)

I hope it's not him vs. Gavinor, that would be cruel to send a tiny 3 year old against a professional soldier and Knight Radiant. But that might be just what Odium needs to do to win...

Well I would have said that Pre End of RoW 

At the end when Kaladins eyes turn yellow it seems like he is about to turn to Oduim

Odium even says “ I’ve lost another champion” ( paraphrased RoW) when talking to Taravangian 

Then he rufuses and turns to Honor

So I think he’s out for the champion bit

[Omar Alm81]

On 3/13/2021 at 0:38 AM, Bejardin1250 said:

RoW spoilers

“So the night will reign because the choice of honor is life...” (WoK 916)

My guess is this refers to the champions duel in SA 5 

Its Kaladin ( yes even though Dalinar said he wouldn’t)VS Gavinor

And Kaladin refuses to kill Gavinor because the choice of honor is life which lets Odium reign ( he’s called the night of sorrows)

Also supported by “ I hold a suckling child in my hands...” death rattle 

And then Kaladin acends to Honor

1- Odium has lost Kal as Champion per RoW ending.

2- Suckling child means a very young child, or a child that still takes milk, so I think that excludes Gav from this rattle. 

 

[Bejarden]

Sorry for being unclear I meant that Kaladin is Dalinar champion and Gavinor is Odium

Also these aren’t taken completely literally suckling child could refer to someone who is completely helpless or young

[Omar Alm81]

“Above the final void I hang, friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces, and the words I must speak spark in my mind. The old oaths will be spoken anew.”

 

in the coppermind it says this rattle is about Kal before saving Dalinar. Only that he says “friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces. 

So are the singers/listeners friends to Kal?

[Omar Alm81]

3 minutes ago, Bejardin1250 said:

Sorry for being unclear I meant that Kaladin is Dalinar champion and Gavinor is Odium

Also these aren’t taken completely literally suckling child could refer to someone who is completely helpless or young

I took it literally lol

[Frustration]

3 hours ago, Omar Alm81 said:

“Above the final void I hang, friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces, and the words I must speak spark in my mind. The old oaths will be spoken anew.”

 

in the coppermind it says this rattle is about Kal before saving Dalinar. Only that he says “friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces. 

So are the singers/listeners friends to Kal?

Dalinar's army is ahead, though the placing of feast I must drink is wierd

[Bejarden]

Could be a weird way of saying Dalinar needs help like he needs to help it’s his sustenance 

or that their fighting Parshendi who have Stormlight in their beards 

It would make sense but then the “friends before” would be different people then have “the feast I must drink” which doesn’t make sense

[Omar Alm81]

14 hours ago, Frustration said:

Dalinar's army is ahead, though the placing of feast I must drink is wierd

Bejardin1250

Exactly, who does "The feast I must drink clings to their faces" refer to, the only ones are the Singers/Listeners. in the sentence before it just mentioned friends so the "their" must refer to the "friends"

I don't know if its important or not and because English is not my first language it just bothered me ever since I read it.

[Omar Alm81]

"Victory! We stand atop the mount! We scatter them before us! Their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms! And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn." 

Does this have any connection to the humans coming to Roshar and taking it from the Singers/Listenrs. The place that is hollow and forlorn might refer to Ashyn.

[Bejarden]

6 minutes ago, Omar Alm81 said:

Bejardin1250

Exactly, who does "The feast I must drink clings to their faces" refer to, the only ones are the Singers/Listeners. in the sentence before it just mentioned friends so the "their" must refer to the "friends"

I don't know if its important or not and because English is not my first language it just bothered me ever since I read it.

That was my exact problem with it so it doesn’t make to much sense that it is the Parshendi 

Another person can be Dalinar “The feast I must drink” could be metaphorical for someone who needs help and Kaladin needs to help

( Also you can ping anybody by wrighting @ before their name)

[Infinity Sliver]

20 hours ago, Omar Alm81 said:

1- Odium has lost Kal as Champion per RoW ending.

2- Suckling child means a very young child, or a child that still takes milk, so I think that excludes Gav from this rattle. 

could suckling child be....oroden?

 

[Omar Alm81]

2 hours ago, Infinitysliver said:

could suckling child be....oroden?

 

 

@Bejardin1250

Like this, lol 

 

I don’t know, I wasn’t a big believer in the child champion theory until I remembered the conversation between Dalinar and Taravangian about morality then T ascended and now I look at the conversation a different way

Edited March 15, 2021 by Omar Alm81

[bnel21]

4 hours ago, Bejardin1250 said:

That was my exact problem with it so it doesn’t make to much sense that it is the Parshendi 

Another person can be Dalinar “The feast I must drink” could be metaphorical for someone who needs help and Kaladin needs to help

( Also you can ping anybody by wrighting @ before their name)

'The feast I must drink clings to their faces' refers to Kaladin pulling all of the Stormlight out of the gems they had woven in their beards.  

[Bejarden]

The problem with that is it says “Friends behind Friends before” Immediately after it says “The feast I must drink clings to their faces”

Narratively it makes sense to be Parshendi but grammaticaly it doesn’t make much sense because why would the Parshendi be Kaladins friend it’s Pronoun problems

You could say he didn’t like killing them but that doesn’t make them his friends

[Frustration]

7 minutes ago, Bejardin1250 said:

The problem with that is it says “Friends behind Friends before” Immediately after it says “The feast I must drink clings to their faces”

Narratively it makes sense to be Parshendi but grammaticaly it doesn’t make much sense because why would the Parshendi be Kaladins friend it’s Pronoun problems

You could say he didn’t like killing them but that doesn’t make them his friends

Death rattles are not one hundred percent accurate.

[Bejarden]

7 hours ago, Frustration said:

Death rattles are not one hundred percent accurate.

That’s the best answer, right?

But it just doesn’t seem...nice

Edit: I’ve just reread that part and you are right there is no way it is not a reference to the Parshendi 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Bejardin1250

[Omar Alm81]

Quote

The day was ours, but they took it. Stormfather! You cannot have it. The day is ours. They come, rasping, and the lights fail. Oh, Stormfather!

Might this be the end of book 5?

Has there been any Desolation where Odium's forces "take the day"? 

 

I find the Rattles fascinating, it's like hey do you want some straight up foreshadowing? Well, here you go, have fun. 

[Echa]

Probably one of my favorite parts about the death rattles is that like half of them say things that are probably about the past. 

"The burdens of nine become mine. Why must I carry the madness of them all? Oh, Almighty, release me."

When I read this at first I kinda thought it referred to the Unmade (cause 9) but then I remembered the first prologue in WoK. I'm pretty sure this is in reference to Taln, after the "Final" Desolation.

It's still a little bit of foreshadowing because of "carry the madness of them all". It foreshadows the Heralds all being insane.

[Bejarden]

7 hours ago, Echa said:

Probably one of my favorite parts about the death rattles is that like half of them say things that are probably about the past. 

"The burdens of nine become mine. Why must I carry the madness of them all? Oh, Almighty, release me."

When I read this at first I kinda thought it referred to the Unmade (cause 9) but then I remembered the first prologue in WoK. I'm pretty sure this is in reference to Taln, after the "Final" Desolation.

It's still a little bit of foreshadowing because of "carry the madness of them all". It foreshadows the Heralds all being insane.

My favorite interpretation of this is that Taln was “carrying” most of the madness of all the Heralds but when he broke they all got worse in the madness

This is backed up by Kalak saying “we’re getting worse we weren’t supposed to be getting worse” (Paraphrased)

But it doesn’t fit the timing of when Taln broke allegedly (end of WoK) Because Ishar was already crazy then

Although there is a ton of weird stuff about Taln breaking