[split] What does the name "Farseer" really mean? SPOILERS ALL BOOKS

[Farseer]

I am also intrigued by a comment made by the Fool to Fitz regarding the House of Farseer, and how Farseer was a name from the future, reaching back down to the past to be gifted to Fitz himself, as opposed to a surname that he had merely inherited from his earlier ancestors eg Chivalry, Shrewd etc. It makes me think (or at least HOPE) that there's still more for Fitz to do yet, to fully earn this name of Farseer...when I find the passage , I'll share it!

I finally found it, so, am sharing it ! It's way back in RA:

"...'And all because the line of House Farseer failed. That is the future as it is woven. But wait! Farseer!' He cocked his head and peered at me, considering as a gore-crow. 'Why do they call you that, Fitz? What have your ancestors ever forseen afar to gain such a name? Shall I tell you how it comes about? The very name of your house is the future reaching back in time to you, and naming you by the name that someday your house will deserve. The Farseer. That was the clue that I took to my heart. That the future reached back to you, to your house, and named you so. I came here, and what did I discover? One Farseer, with no name at all. Unnamed in any history, past or future. But I have seen you take a name, FitzChivalry Farseer. And I shall see that you deserve it.' "

Love it AND, again, I continue to be of the opinion that, though Fitz has been through so much already, there is still much left for him to do to earn such an honour !

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I never was able to make much sense of that passage, but perhaps it has something to do with the Realm of the Elderlings' timeline apparently being cyclical?

[Nuytsia]

I agree Farseer, at least, I don't think Fitz has really done much to earn it so far (sorry Fitz). So it MUST be still to come! Yay more books!!!!!

Heh, well that passage does explain things to me a bit - I never saw any real Far Seeing from any of Fitz's ancestors ........

[Mervi]

I had always assumed that farseers were named so after their ability to use the Skill - they are able to "see" far in space, if not in time. However, the Fool seems to think that the name should mean seeing far ahead in time, and maybe he also means that Fitz has earned that title because he sees the future through the Fool's predictions?

IDK, IDK.

[Witted Bastard]

Fitz chose to restore the dragons to the world. Not a shortsighted choice by any means.

[Farseer]

I did really want to have a discussion about this but wasn't sure if a new thread was the way to go so THANKS for deciding to split it from the username thread, mervi ! Be back soon!

[Nuytsia]

Hmm I guess I just took the passage fairly literally, meaning future Farseers will really be the far sighted ones!

As to Fitz and his actions regarding the dragon Icefyre, I just think he did it for the Fool, not because he really cared or understood about the implications of dragons coming back into the world.

[Farseer]

Fitz chose to restore the dragons to the world. Not a shortsighted choice by any means.

Agreed! Not only did his choosing life for Icefyre mean that Icefyre would live but, in the end, that the Pale Woman would fail and the Forging of Six Duchies folk would cease (remembering that it was Forging that was the ‘stain down the shirt of the Six Duchies’ and the event that, as a consequence of there being no Farseer heir on the throne, began the destruction of the entire world as Fool had seen in and foretold Fitz from his visions).

As to Fitz and his actions regarding the dragon Icefyre, I just think he did it for the Fool, not because he really cared or understood about the implications of dragons coming back into the world.

I disagree with this in that Fitz didn’t free Icefyre just for Fool. He actually looked at various options before making his choice, like, “If I make this move, this will happen...what will happen after that?” and, in this way, used a similar strategy to that which he would have used in a stone game. By being able to sift through the outcomes of his actions in this instance, I think he did ‘see far’ and honoured his Farseer name. Certainly he didn’t look at it simply from a ‘What will happen if dragons come back into the world?’ perspective, but he definitely tried to see all of the various personal, political etc consequences of his actions and make a choice from there, despite having to lose Beloved and seemingly going against Chade, Dutiful, his family/blood etc in the making of that choice.

As for the meaning of Farseer, I can’t help but think of Fool in Fool's Fate when he was about to give away the Rooster Crown as payment for taking Fitz's memories back for him. Fool had been reminding Fitz of their time in the plaza, when they first saw the Rooster Crown together in AQ:

Fool: ‘You looked far back that day, to see a White Prophet clowning on top of a Skill-pillar. Did you see all that?’

Fitz: I blinked slowly. It was like awakening from a dream, or perhaps returning to one. His words seemed to wake memories I could not possibly hold.

In this I wonder if the title is not possibly linked more to his being able to see far back into the past (like drowning in the memories) rather than into the future, as all futures are based on pasts. As I have mentioned elsewhere recently, it is this looking at the past, the threads and the lives and choices that are woven into the already-made tapestry of life, that Fool attributes his ability to 'forsee' or guess the future as a White Prophet. Possibly it is the same for Fitz?

Fitz speaking of memories he could not possibly hold makes me also think of dragons and their ability to hold such long-lasting memories...as a Skill-ability is a consequence of having ‘the stuff of dragons enter your family line’ or from having ‘Elderling blood’, it would stand to reason then that Elderlings and their descendants would also experience an increase in their ability to withhold memories?

As an extension of this, I agree that the name is also linked, but not exclusive to, to his ability to Skill as a Skill-ability has certainly allowed Fitz to see past events eg in Kelsingra, along the Skill Road etc. It has also literally enabled him to see things from afar as they have happened eg what happened between Amber and Lavoy aboard Paragon and Molly's escape from the events at Siltbay through Skilling via Shrewd, for a couple of examples. Despite this link to Skilling, I think it has to be a more personal name-giving than just the Skill as the name Farseer was given to Fitz...if it was exclusively for the ability to Skill, then it could just as easily have been given to Verity, Shrewd, Wisdom etc, as they were all also Skilled. Though they DO share the name, it was still gifted to Fitz.

That’s enough for now!

[NeverBeenWise]

Oh goodness, I just thought of something that might have been in the plot for the next trilogy with Fitz, if it ever comes into existence. It relates, I promise! I'd originally just thought of the Skill ability as the origin of the name. Maybe the Fool's comment refers to the first Skilled Farseer's gift coming forward in time to grace Fitz with the same gift? But I really like the other theories a lot.

But what if the name refers not only to Fitz, but to Fitz's descendants as well? So far he only has one daughter, Nettle. But now that he's married to Molly he might have other heirs as well.

What if one of them is the next White Prophet? That would mean Fitz would have to take the kid to Clerres to find the Fool so the child could have a proper tutor. It would probably also mean he'd have to go through Chalced, Jamaillia, and Bingtown, and possibly meet some characters from the Liveships Trilogy, and maybe have an unfortunate little stopover in Others Island once again. Then the name 'Farseer' would apply literally to the child Prophet: he or she would see far, far into the future. We'd all learn more about White Prophets, possibly about their anatomy, and joy of joys - we'd see the Fool again! Who would be Fitz's kid's Catalyst? Would it be Fitz himself? Interesting concept... hm....

[Nuytsia]

Sounds like fun to me !!

I wondered what would happen if a while prophet was born in the 6 duchies...... cos apart from Fitz and maybe a few other people no-one really knows much about them so the kid would never go to the school ...???
I guess I assumed the requisite genes must be centred in the race that lives in and around Clerres (although it must extend over a pretty wide area, as I think the Fool indicates that his biological family is quite a long way from there..... )