The Rooster Crown (spoilers all RotE books)

[Farseer]

Ah, my favourite of all 'things' in the Realm of the Elderlings books - the Rooster Crown.

I have lots to throw at you but I'm going to start out small and toward the end rather than the beginning! To set the scene, Fitz and Fool are near the market plaza beyond the Mountain Kingdom. Fitz has the completed crown in his hands and Fool is dead beside him...

"For a moment, my eyes lingered on the softened carvings of roosters' heads that ringed the crown....Tiny gems still winked in two of the carved eyes; the others were blank and empty."

We know that within the crown, there were five minstrels - a freckled girl/young woman, a bull-throated man, a toothless crone, a young man and a calm, husky-voiced woman. The gems can't represent them or else five gems would wink, wouldn't they, and not just two?

As an aside, the runes in the Aslevjal map tower which winked and "seemed to glow with an inner light...some bright, some dull" represented Skill-pillars.

So, what (or who !) do these gems represent? Why do only two wink and the rest do not? I have some thoughts...what are yours?!

['thul]

perhaps they do just represent eyes?

[Bink]

Perhaps the gems has nothing to do with minstrels at all. If I remember correctly, the minstrels are represented as being in the feathers and not in the crown at all. The crown merely serves as a conduit for the minstrels to collectively communicate to the wearer. This was the source of the minstrels' anguish as none of them could speak independently save through the Fool who used his blood to mend the crown.

As to why gems no longer 'wink', I would think the damage to the crown caused it.

EDIT: I remember now that each of the minstrels was indicated to be favoured of dragons, so much so that the dragons gifted them with 'womb wood' and they were to mix their blood well into the wood while thinking of a feather.

['thul]

From what these beings can recall, gems have not had any sort of memory effect in the realm of the elderlings. In other Fantasy series, gems and rings and such have had the ability to "store" knowledge and/or wisdom, but these beings cannot recall such in this realm...

[Nuytsia]

Bah I hate rooster crown

Hmmmm I don't know about the gems - this is after the feathers were put into the crown?
Do we know if the gems winked before the feathers were put in? Did they wink before the Fool put his blood on it?
(Probably not mentioned)

There are five minstrels - were there 5 feathers? (sorry can't remember)

The winking gem could indicate the presence of the Fool (didn't come from a feather) - but I guess two gems maybe indicates two presences (different from the ministrels)????

Do the winking gems have something to do with 'Skill' seeing other lit up gems indicated (presumably) working Skill pillars....?

[Farseer]

Will have to respond to these in the morrow! Coffee isn't working so I need some sleep but, before I go, I just HAVE to know:

Bah I hate rooster crown

Why ?!

Though I'm not a fan at all of minstrels and bards, I think the riddles and unknowns in relation to the Rooster Crown and Realder etc are brain-sappingly wonderful!

I love that you couldn't help but answer, despite hating the topic !

[Bink]

There are five minstrels - were there 5 feathers? (sorry can't remember)

Just checked Fool's Errand - yes, confirm that there are exactly 5 feathers. They were of course found on The Others island when Fitz and Dutiful were 'stranded' there.

[Nuytsia]

Yep I'm a glutton for punishment!

Oh I hate thinking of rooster crown because, as I understand it, most people reason that Fitz getting his memories back of his initial love for Molly lead to him going back to live in Buckkeep and marrying her....
And ya know how I feel about that little turn of events.

I want Fitz to live his life with all his difficult emotions packed away in little locked rooms like the rest of us god damn it!
Hah joking..... but I wish there was a solution rather than either of those two......!

I don't want to drag up speculations on the ending in this thread, but I just can't imagine my reaction to reintegrating difficult emotions relating to my first love affair being to ACTUALLY go back to my first love (20 years later) and marry them. It's a bit too literal for me. But makes me laugh hysterically when I think what would happen if say, I were to do that! I am pretty sure it would be a complete DISASTER. But more to the point, why would I even want that? Anyhoo, I guess I'm not Fitz. And maybe his life some time after Tawny Man finishes IS a complete disaster for all we know......

BUT as far as nutting out riddles, yeah bring it on!

Woops Bink posted while I was writing this. Thanks for that - ok 5 minstrels. Hmmmm well the two gems I guess are completely unrelated? The 5 feathers each contain a minstrel?

[Farseer]

Oh, no! I just deleted a HUGE post !! Will have to come back, again!

[Nuytsia]

oh i HATE that!