Goatborn he/him Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi guys! I've done a bit of searching, and I don't think this has come up before... (I have been wrong in the past, though) I think that Odium combines elements of music and chaos to produce an intent/being that is focused on change, possibly for the sake of change. The thought that sparked this was comparing Odium to the character of Loki (specifically from the Marvel universe - the turning into a horse thing was a bit weird in the actual mythology). In the Marvel Universe, Loki is the go-to bad guy, especially in the movies, but for someone so smart, he is always thwarted by heroes, and will generally net a positive result. (Thor movie: Thor realises his destiny, becomes better person; Avengers: Avengers are formed to fight high level threats, etc) With Odium in play, I can see his purpose as to bring about change and oppose stagnation. Honor's ideals would probably lead to a civilisation where everyone acted the same, spoke the same and generally got along great. Boring, right? You wouldn't have any growth or true creativity in that world. So, Odium starts smashing toys. The actions of Odium may not be inherently evil, like the actions of Ruin. They just serve a purpose. If Honor were to turn around and start destroying things everywhere, I think Odium would oppose him by trying to bring order. Just as it would seek to make Cultivation's life difficult. When it comes to Odium shattering other Shards, this could be an extension of that opposition, or an influence by it's human host. Now, for some reason these ideas make me think of music. Over the years, you can observe trends and ideas that recur in music - boy bands will always crop up, no matter how hard we try to educate youth in how terrible they are. Country music will never die, and sometimes singers leave a huge impact, like Elvis, The Beatles, or Queen (foreshadowing my own post!) Throughout these common aspects, there is always change - dubstep, techno, and eventually inserting Christmas beetles into one's ear canal have all cropped up to produce new concepts that push the definition of music. Over time, Odium is producing new ideas regarding life and how it should be lived. Some will stick, and leave an impact, but others will fall by the wayside. This theory is why I believe that the Parshendi are of Odium, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Their WoR chapter talks about how music influences their forms and pushes them to new highs or lows, much as music will produce an emotional response. Once we get a good look at the timeline since the Oathpact, I think we'll see a sort of rhapsody - a composition that shifts style frequently, yet it's beauty can be derived from this constant flux. Each individual piece may not make sense on it's own, but as a part of the whole... One last note: the name Odium is one that I assumed was a nonsense word, but if you split it, you'd get Ode-ium ("of music?") Seeing as the last few paragraphs started with "O" I was going to go back and change them all so they'd do the same. But I think the chaos flowing into consistency helps my point. What do you all think? Have I finally come up with a solid theory? Hopefully there's some discussion points in there! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter he/him Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Odium is defined as hatred as well as being worthy of hatred. The theory is neat but it doesn't fit Odium's Intent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug he/him Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Crap. My mom teaches piano. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HydrogenAlpha he/him Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Crap. My mom teaches piano. Well, you should take care. After all she could be a servant of Odium, just waiting for you to make a mistake .. like reading this thread. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Aztec Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Odium is defined as hatred as well as being worthy of hatred. The theory is neat but it doesn't fit Odium's Intent. Biber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver he/him Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Maybe it isn't connected to Odium, but music does seem to be a big part of the background of Roshar. There were the dawnsingers, besides the whole music song thing that the Parshendi practice. Actually... I wonder if this will have any kind of reference to the Silmarillion? The central image of creation in that was fantastic, of the gods singing the world into existence, and one of them did end up being the Dark Lord mark I. Maybe this could be Brandon's version of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isomere Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 The Power of creation does have wave properties, like frequency and wavelength. I've kinda been assuming its similar to light, but sound might be related more than we know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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