Theory: Gavilar's Still Alive

[Aether]

Dalinar gave the set he won to Adolin. I think Elhokar's set was Gavilar's.

This is incorrect. Dalinar gave the shards he won to Elhokar so that he could in turn bestow them on some champion of the war-effort. Adolin's Shards were inherited from his mother's side, which it says right on the first page of chapter 12.

[Aleksiel]

This is incorrect. Dalinar gave the shards he won to Elhokar so that he could in turn bestow them on some champion of the war-effort. Adolin's Shards were inherited from his mother's side, which it says right on the first page of chapter 12.

 

Ah, you're right. My bad. Then I have absolutely no idea here Gavilar's shards went, probably to his son though I haven't compared the descriptions of the said sets. Are the shards Dalinar gave to Elhokar those that can be rented for a price?

[kobain]

I just need to put my two cents on this topic. I think the theory has some merit. Brandon is too clever to give us Tearim wearing Gavilar's shards on that scene, when he didn't have to. No one knew who Tearim was, and it just seems like a waste if he's just giving us this information to not use it somehow, so in my opinion, I think Branson is hinting at something here.

[18th Shard]

Maybe Tearim will become important later.

[Tarion]

 

I didn't read all comments, so it might have already been said, but the theory suggests illusions stay after death or at least for a really long time. Many people had seen Gavilar's body including his own family, it's not like Gavilar's body was buried in the ground five minutes after his assassination.  

It's worse than that, I'm afraid. 

Lighteyes have their bodies Soulcast into statues after death.  Unless there's something specific we don't know about illusions or Soulcasting, I don't see it working. 

Which is a shame, because I like the idea of Gavilar surviving.  

Galivar is dead. If you read the chapter from WoR where Dalinar is acting as an observer, then you will notice the info on bonded shard blades. The person it is bound to can summon it away from the person it has been lent to for use. When Galivar died his shard blade coalesced and dropped to the ground. I.e. He was the bond holder and died.

There are, however, curiousities. What happened to his plate and blade? I seem to recall Dalinar giving elhokar a set he won on the plains or ,was that just an extra set?

I could see an argument for Gavilar being further along the path to Knighthood than Dalinar, to the extent that he's recently given up his Shards to his bodyguard.  Maybe.  If he had already attracted a spren, it might have been distressed by his Shards, as Syl was.  

 

In fact, if Gavilar did survive, I'd picture him wandering his kingdom, living the lessons of Nohadon.  

 

As for his Shards, here's what we're told about them

 

 

 he wore glistening blue armor made of smoothly interlocking plates. Unlike common plate armor, however, this armor had no leather or mail visible at the joints—just smaller plates, fitting together with intricate precision. The armor was beautiful, the blue inlaid with golden bands around the edges of each piece of plate, the helm ornamented with three waves of small, hornlike wings...

 

an enormous Shardblade six feet long with a design along the blade like burning flames, a weapon of silvery metal that gleamed and almost seemed to glow.

 

 

It's worth noting that "almost seemed to glow" is used precisely three times in the book.  Here, when "Gavilar" fights Szeth.  When Dalinar catches the claw.  And the eyes of the Radiant who heals Dalinar in one of his flashbacks.  You could definitely interpret this as Gavilar being Radiant-ish, but if that's the case, it would have been him in his armour.  If it was his bodyguard in the armour, he was most likely a Surgebinder.  

 

If Gavilar were a Surgebinder, he could well have survived (provided it's possible to summon your blade to somewhere not your hand).  Szeth doesn't actually say that he sees him die.  He "fell still", and then his blade appeared.  It could, at a real push, be similar to the trick in Allow of Law

Of Wayne dropping his bubble to give him time to heal

Szeth assumes he's dead, because it's a wound that should be fatal.  Gavilar than takes in Stormlight and heals

 

 

As for where Galivar's Shards are now, there's nothing in the text that I can find.  Elhokar's armour could have been repainted, but his Shardblade sounds distinctly different to Gavilars

 

The king was resplendent in his golden Shardplate—of course, Plate could make any man look regal.

his Shardblade—Sunraiser—springing from mist into his hand. It was long and thin with a large crossguard, and was etched up the sides with the ten fundamental glyphs.

EDIT: Actually, glancing through the Way of Kings, there is another Shardblade that sounds similar to Gavilar's.  The Shardbearer Kaladin kills: 

 

Like a god carrying a majestic blade that should have been too big to use. It was engraved and stylized, shaped like flames in motion.  

 

No idea how to explain his blade ending up there though.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Tarion