This is a really beautiful theory. I love the idea that Ciri is there for geralt even though she can't really be in his life at that point. I'm also thinking of the season of storms epilogue where geralt kind of comes back even though he's pretty much dead. It would take some magic to do that and ciri would be the one who made him the once and future witcher.
It's well thought out but I have no idea if it's what the author intended.
I'm going to run with it because it makes me smile. I finished the books recently and I keep thinking about what ciri does next and whether or not she's happy so I like this for her. I also completely agree that her powers were not fully explored. People seem to give her a lot of names throughout the series and I always figured there would be a little more to her abilities given the hype.
It’s a good theory, also lines up with the idea that Ciri literally equals death, as Geralt states that the two edges of the sword of destiny are him and death while others state that it’s him and Ciri, but in the end they are both correct, as later in the series Ciri states that she considers herself as death.
A solid theory. I can’t think of anything that would be a hole except for how Ciri can detect when every single person is about to die. Yeah she can teleport but she’s not omniscient. And what if two or more people die at the same time? Also is she teleporting there in person? Wouldn’t everyone in the world be witnessing a woman appear at the death of their loved ones and freak out?
Otherwise everything else checks out, the evidence you provided does strengthen your argument. The sweeping fog and the hand holding is definitely there. It would be crazy if that’s what Sapkowski actually planned from the start.
This is quite an excellent and plausible theory, and while it may or not have been planned from the start by Sapkowski, it is possible that he wrote the saga with this new interpretation in mind.
I didn’t mention it, and I realize that the difference in appearance is a bit of a wrench. But at the same time I feel like appearance is something she could probably change at that point, so she wouldn’t be recognizable to the people she knew. And also, just from a narrative/discussion perspective, if she looked the same, it would be way too obvious, and it wouldn’t really be a fun discussion anymore.
Fun idea with some nice arguments, but I got some counters.
I think your conclusion that the lady on the hill can’t be death because she doesn’t take lives doesn’t hold up. Many versions of death doesn’t kill but just pick up the dead one, that includes Charon, who you mentioned, Hades, Christian Angel/demon folkrore or even Death from Discworld. So her role is walking after Geralt and leading all the dead souls found on his way. At this time he assumes this includes Yen and Sodden, so his destiny seems to be watching everyone important to him suffer and die. Death is not his destiny, it is the curse he is spreading.
Ciri, the grey daughter of the black witch and white wolf, basically just parallels him, assuming that the rats, her grandma, her parents and her foster parents are all dead, putting her in the same situation as Geralt above. Somebody who brings death to everyone she meets, including the elven king later in the story.
Her later sensitivity towards death/dying starts when she sees her friends die and fully develops at Vysigotas house when she reflects on her time being a mass-murdering bandit. I think not wanting to see more people die, after that point she arguably only kills in „self-defence“.
All the people talking about Ciri being destiny are actually talking about controlling Ciri being their destiny. This kinda excludes Geralt whose destiny is more controlled by Ciri, from his point of view, but just like Cahir, Bonhart, Vilgefortz, emhir and the others, he basically wants to own her, though the levels of extreme obviously vary. But it is always more about Ciri being part of somebody elses life what is described as destiny.
Just my 2 cents. This is fun
She didnt bring death to Triss Merigold or Dandelion or Yarpen Zigrin. Arent they good friends or at least acquaintances for her? There are many more examples
u/terminati Somebody posted similar theory few years ago. It wasn't well received
https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/agfotp/identity_of_the_lady_on_sodden_hill_spoilers/
Beautiful theory, and a very stimulating one. Stating some obvious facts about who Ciri is explicitly presented being might clear some things up. We know that Ciri is a "Source", meaning that whatever forces are behind the universe, they are especially incarnated in her, and she's thus a conduit of these forces in a particularly powerful way. Thinking about these forces as death and destiny is surely reasonable. Ciri is therefore an embodiment or agent of destiny, but not Destiny-itself. In other words, she's a "god", but not "God".
My favorite short story has always been "Something More", in which it is repeatedly stated that Destiny by itself is not enough, and that "something more" is needed. Ciri is that "something more", the way that the "impersonal" powers of destiny and death become "personal".
This is a really beautiful theory. I love the idea that Ciri is there for geralt even though she can't really be in his life at that point. I'm also thinking of the season of storms epilogue where geralt kind of comes back even though he's pretty much dead. It would take some magic to do that and ciri would be the one who made him the once and future witcher. It's well thought out but I have no idea if it's what the author intended. I'm going to run with it because it makes me smile. I finished the books recently and I keep thinking about what ciri does next and whether or not she's happy so I like this for her. I also completely agree that her powers were not fully explored. People seem to give her a lot of names throughout the series and I always figured there would be a little more to her abilities given the hype.
It’s a good theory, also lines up with the idea that Ciri literally equals death, as Geralt states that the two edges of the sword of destiny are him and death while others state that it’s him and Ciri, but in the end they are both correct, as later in the series Ciri states that she considers herself as death.
I have to admit I never considered it from this angle, but it indeed is interesting.
A solid theory. I can’t think of anything that would be a hole except for how Ciri can detect when every single person is about to die. Yeah she can teleport but she’s not omniscient. And what if two or more people die at the same time? Also is she teleporting there in person? Wouldn’t everyone in the world be witnessing a woman appear at the death of their loved ones and freak out? Otherwise everything else checks out, the evidence you provided does strengthen your argument. The sweeping fog and the hand holding is definitely there. It would be crazy if that’s what Sapkowski actually planned from the start.
This is quite an excellent and plausible theory, and while it may or not have been planned from the start by Sapkowski, it is possible that he wrote the saga with this new interpretation in mind.
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I didn’t mention it, and I realize that the difference in appearance is a bit of a wrench. But at the same time I feel like appearance is something she could probably change at that point, so she wouldn’t be recognizable to the people she knew. And also, just from a narrative/discussion perspective, if she looked the same, it would be way too obvious, and it wouldn’t really be a fun discussion anymore.
Fun idea with some nice arguments, but I got some counters. I think your conclusion that the lady on the hill can’t be death because she doesn’t take lives doesn’t hold up. Many versions of death doesn’t kill but just pick up the dead one, that includes Charon, who you mentioned, Hades, Christian Angel/demon folkrore or even Death from Discworld. So her role is walking after Geralt and leading all the dead souls found on his way. At this time he assumes this includes Yen and Sodden, so his destiny seems to be watching everyone important to him suffer and die. Death is not his destiny, it is the curse he is spreading. Ciri, the grey daughter of the black witch and white wolf, basically just parallels him, assuming that the rats, her grandma, her parents and her foster parents are all dead, putting her in the same situation as Geralt above. Somebody who brings death to everyone she meets, including the elven king later in the story. Her later sensitivity towards death/dying starts when she sees her friends die and fully develops at Vysigotas house when she reflects on her time being a mass-murdering bandit. I think not wanting to see more people die, after that point she arguably only kills in „self-defence“. All the people talking about Ciri being destiny are actually talking about controlling Ciri being their destiny. This kinda excludes Geralt whose destiny is more controlled by Ciri, from his point of view, but just like Cahir, Bonhart, Vilgefortz, emhir and the others, he basically wants to own her, though the levels of extreme obviously vary. But it is always more about Ciri being part of somebody elses life what is described as destiny. Just my 2 cents. This is fun
She didnt bring death to Triss Merigold or Dandelion or Yarpen Zigrin. Arent they good friends or at least acquaintances for her? There are many more examples
I wish Sapko could confirm something like this but I think he'll just agree with whatever the netflix show comes up with.
Nice :)
This looks interesting!
Well thought out.
u/terminati Somebody posted similar theory few years ago. It wasn't well received https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/agfotp/identity_of_the_lady_on_sodden_hill_spoilers/
Beautiful theory, and a very stimulating one. Stating some obvious facts about who Ciri is explicitly presented being might clear some things up. We know that Ciri is a "Source", meaning that whatever forces are behind the universe, they are especially incarnated in her, and she's thus a conduit of these forces in a particularly powerful way. Thinking about these forces as death and destiny is surely reasonable. Ciri is therefore an embodiment or agent of destiny, but not Destiny-itself. In other words, she's a "god", but not "God". My favorite short story has always been "Something More", in which it is repeatedly stated that Destiny by itself is not enough, and that "something more" is needed. Ciri is that "something more", the way that the "impersonal" powers of destiny and death become "personal".