The Rooster Crown (spoilers all RotE books)

[Farseer]

Aside from this specific WP/Realder reincarnation aspect, which I hope to belatedly back up and address with my other RC thoughts one of these days, I would like to raise the question of reincarnation, and even incarnation, in general within the RotE.

While we are firmly given many afterlife-like examples of memory stone, liveships, the Skill River and Wit-bonds with animals as ways humans have of "living on" beyond the grave/a physical death, evidence of true "reincarnation" is much harder to find. Even so, I do believe that it exists within the RotE.

The BAD thing is that I can't refind the one passage/reference that clearly confirms it (at least to my way of thinking!). It's making me CRAZY that I can't place it after losing all of my notes due to a computer virus and despite a great deal of searching. I can't even remember which book it was in (!!) but it is definitely in either the Farseer or TM series as I recall it being specific to the Six Duchies.

While the only other passage that comes to my mind is a reference made by Nighteyes about having to always run ahead of Fitz to show him the way (this is just before he dies in FE, Chapter Twenty-Six, "Sacrifice"), though this latter passage may not conclusively point to "reincarnation" as such? Whatever it means, it certainly suggests to me that Nighteyes is talking here about running ahead to show him the way to their next shared life or form or SOMETHING, as he often had to do during their recent time together as well as in other past lives? Or do you think he is merely showing Fitz the way to death...that death is the way it should be and Fitz should embrace and accept it, not seek to prolong his life beyond its living?

Anyway, I thought I'd put it out there as one of you may remember the other reincarnation-suggestive passage and have something to contribute, or you may come across it while I am still looking. Tomorrow I plan to start yet another re-read of all books just so I can find it...this doing it in spits and spurts isn't working !

Right! It's taken me, what, a bit over seven months and I have finally found at least one other passage that may or may not suggest reincarnation within the realm....but I don't think it likely. Here I am in the midst of AQ during an entire RotE re-read (for the sole purpose of confirming the theory that reincarnation exists!) and where do I find it? In LST/SOM, while looking for something altogether different!

To set the scene, Wintrow is ashore in Cress and he has come across the female slave who is fettered and bleeding from the loss of a child, and who requires the "comfort of Sa".

He positioned his fingers on the sides of her neck, spreading them until each one found its proper point. 'This is not death,' he assured her. 'I but free you from the distractions of this world so that your soul may prepare itself for the next. Do you assent to this?'

This continues as Wintrow hands over control of the woman's body to herself and she then chooses "to stop".

So, is this evidence of reincarnation?

The problem here for me is that Wintrow says next 'world', not next 'life' so it could be suggested that the lady is actually letting go and thus simply being absorbed into the Skill River (another world)...not unlike how Althea almost chose to let go while locked in Vivacia's cabin under Kyle's command, despite otherwise being in good health. I bring this Skill River possibility up as I believe Wintrow is using the Skill here (though he believes it to simply be the giving of Sa's comfort), to hand over the lady power over her own body. What she then does with this power is up to her. In this instance she chose to die but such a power is similar to that which Skilled ones have to heal themselves etc with, like Kettle.

If this is the case, while it is an after-life state, it can't really be a "true" (?) reincarnation as when one is lost to the Skill River, one is not truly aware so cannot be said to be living another life?

If it's not the case...?

I am sure there is something in Farseer or Tawny Man that does firmly state that reincarnation exists so...on with AQ!