Hemalurgy in a Death Rattle? (Minor Warbraker spoilers too)

[MDA65 she/her]

So, I was watching a Youtube video about TWOK where spanish streamer Alexelcapo points out to the chapter 57 epigraph, which is this Death Rattle:

"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."

He then says the 'breath' could be refering to BioChromatic Breath.

If this is right, then the POV character of the Rattle is about to kill a newborn to get their Breath. But there are some inconsistencies. We know that normally one can't steal Breath, nor even give it by accident, it has to be given with intent (Intent?), which is something a baby can't do.

So, is it possible that the knife in the Rattle is to be used as a hemalurgic spike? The 'let the blade slip' part could mean 'pierce' instead of 'cut their throat'.

What I imagine is a scenario in which a group is in dire need of magic to survive something that has already killed many, but their only source of Investidure is the Breath of a newborn who, unable to talk, is unable to use it. So the leader of the group faces the desicion of whether or not to take away their Breath through hemalurgy to save the rest.
 

[datalaughing he/him]

That is a dark and deep dive into what I always thought was a cryptic, though simple, death rattle. I can't imaging a situation where one breath would make such a big difference, but interesting idea, certainly.

[MDA65 she/her]

It's unlikely, but if it was a Divine Breath?

1 hour ago, datalaughing said:

I can't imaging a situation where one breath would make such a big difference, but interesting idea, certainly.

Thank you!

[Knight of Iron she/they]

We do know that babies can be Returned, and as per the follow WOB, Divine Breath can be spiked. The only part I don't get is the somewhat creepy aLL WhO LIvE wiSH mE To LeT tHE BlADe sLIP but other than that i think the theory has validity.

Quote

Questioner

Could one, using a Hemalurgic spike, acquire a Divine Breath from one of the Returned?

Brandon Sanderson

...This should be possible.

The Great American Read: Other Worlds with Brandon Sanderson (Oct. 25, 2018)

[Elsecaller_17.5 he/him]

It's fun to think about but I'm saying no. Every example of creating a hemalurgic spike we've seen required it to be driven through the heart.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Elsecaller_17.5

[Karger he/him]

I agree.  You also would want to stab rather then slice. 

[Halyo_Alex he/him]

20 hours ago, Karger said:

I agree.  You also would want to stab rather then slice. 

Well, so far it works with stab, rather than slice.

Maybe there's a technique for slice-hemalurgy.

[Karger he/him]

1 minute ago, Halyo_Alex said:

Maybe there's a technique for slice-hemalurgy.

If there is we don't know it.

[Frustration]

It's interesting that the death rattle specifies spilling blood on ones hands, so maybe we could be dealing with an unmade?