The Moral of "Wandersail"

[Confused]

“[T]here shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again.”

 

- Exodus 11:6

 

 

The Wandersail story (WoK, Chapter 57) has a lot to teach us. To recap, Derethil goes looking for the “Origin of Voidbringers.” He finds the Uvara, “People of the Great Abyss,” who live on some islands surrounding a whirlpool. The Uvara brutally murder anyone who makes the slightest mistake, as they believe their emperor commands. When they discover that the emperor had been dead for years, the Uvara riot, committing even more atrocities, enraged and mortified that they themselves are responsible for their cruelty.

 

Kaladin interprets the story as meaning he must take personal responsibility for his life and not blame circumstances or others. As Wit says, that’s one way to look at it. But there are other interpretations that have meaning for SLA:

 

1. The Voidbringers are the Uvara. This view concludes that Odium’s influence leads people to do horrific things if they can avoid taking responsibility for them. “I was just following orders…”
2. The Voidbringers are also Derethil and his crew. This view looks at Derethil like the serpent in Eden: he brings knowledge of good and evil to the Uvara, showing them their emperor is dead and the murders are their own.
3. Could the “Origin” of Highstorms actually be the “origin of Voidbringers”? Very possibly (for reasons explained in another post I’m working on). The “Great Abyss” sounds like the “Void.” These are the People of the Great Abyss – people of the Void.
4. Could the Great Abyss be Odium’s Shardpool (assuming he even has one on Roshar)? Shardpools are speculated to be associated with the Cognitive Realm according to the Coppermind. They are also believed to be worldhopping conduits like the Cognitive Realm. I and many others think Hoid periodically emerges from Cultivation’s Shardpool in the Horneater Peaks. If the Great Abyss is Odium’s Shardpool, that would explain one way his investiture circulates into Roshar.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Confused

[ParadoxicalZen he/him]

I think it was rumored there are two Origins; one to the East, for highstorms; another to the West, in the case where the Wandersail went to and possibly the intended origin for the Everstorm. It is uncertain exactly how H&C + the species that came with them traveled to Roshar, but it could be speculated that the Highstorm Origin might be Honour's Shardpool

Edited August 10, 2015 by ParadoxSpren

[Patrick Star]

It's about Szeth murdering everyone because he thought he was Truthless.

 

And also helps to reinforce the hunch that Nalan is in the wrong (contrast what he said to Szeth with Wandersail).

[Confused]

Thank you, Patrick, for the metaphoric explanation of the tale. I am focusing on the "moral" of the tale - its allegorical implications. I think Brandon is explaining to us that ANYONE can be a "Voidbringer" if Odium influences them. This situation is the "moral origin" of Voidbringers, as Wit tells us.

 

But the description of the Great Abyss - the Void - into which drains the ocean may literally be true. Until further notice I choose to believe it is true for a variety of narrative reasons.

 

This all shows me I'm a pretty bad researcher...Before writing my OP, I searched under "Wandersail" and didn't see any references to your explanation or ParadoxSpren's.  Thanks to both of you for your comments!

[ParadoxicalZen he/him]

I'm having trouble finding the relevant WoBs and i can't for the life of me remember where they are (it may have been the coppermind and/or via WoB). The Eastern Origin might not even be a Shardpool and instead may have just been the point where the Yolen exodus arrived on Roshar

[Patrick Star]

Thank you, Patrick, for the metaphoric explanation of the tale. I am focusing on the "moral" of the tale - its allegorical implications. I think Brandon is explaining to us that ANYONE can be a "Voidbringer" if Odium influences them. This situation is the "moral origin" of Voidbringers, as Wit tells us.

 

Well, it's possible that Derethil's purpose for traveling there is actually what Szeth's research was.

 

Szeth could have been looking at the origins of the voidbringers, and possibly come very close to finding them before becoming truthless.

[legolasgalactica]

I also see a parallel to the current condition on Roshar.  Honor is dead, yet all the people continue as if he was alive and commit atrocities in his name, etc.  When Dalinar comes along like Derethil explaining how "God/Honor is dead..." what is everyone to think/do?