Breakbone Fever: Construct or Not?

[William Seahill]

Quote

It’s terrible to watch, breakbone fever. The child was soaked in sweat, groaning and twisting until I could not understand why I didn’t hear her bones snapping.

 

- Nynaeve EotW ch. 21

 

Hey everyone,

 

What are your theories about breakbone fever? Is it a construct? If so, then did Aganor create it? If he didn’t, then who did? (It certainly seems like something he’d do.)

Edited March 16, 2022 by William Seahill
Formatting, clarity

[Andra]

2 hours ago, William Seahill said:

 

Hey everyone,

 

What are your theories about breakbone fever? Is it a construct? If so, then did Aganor create it? If he didn’t, then who did? (It certainly seems like something he’d do.)

There is a real-world illness with the common nickname "breakbone fever."  Dengue Fever.

But the reason for its name is because of the joint pain it can cause, rather than its severe muscle contractions.

The symptoms described in the story more closely match Tetanus, which in extreme cases can actually cause fractures, as described in the show (but not the book).  Tetanus also has a significantly higher mortality rate than Dengue Fever (like the show, but not the book).

 

It's at least somewhat likely that the disease in the book/show is an invention, based on both.  With the book more like Dengue Fever, and the show more like Tetanus.

 

It's certainly possible that in addition to creating Shadowspawn, Aginor dabbled in creating diseases.  But it doesn't seem terribly likely that he would create something as non-lethal as the disease in the book. 

The version in the show?  That sounds much more like him.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Andra

[Platypus]

I feel like it could also be a case of RJ saw something that would be something interesting to add to the world and did just that. I know that I've done that very thing with my own writing.

[Juan Farstrider]

7 hours ago, Andra said:

There is a real-world illness with the common nickname "breakbone fever."  Dengue Fever.

 

That he was in Vietnam might be a reason for him to bring this into his world. I don't think I'm saying what I mean very clearly though. 

[William Seahill]

Gathering from what everyone’s said so far, I’m thinking failed experiment of Aginor’s on Dengue Fever pathogens. 

[Andra]

12 hours ago, William Seahill said:

Gathering from what everyone’s said so far, I’m thinking failed experiment of Aginor’s on Dengue Fever pathogens. 

Warning:  Some of what I refer to below appears after the point you have said you've gotten to in the books.  I won't spoiler them, because I don't think mentioning them actually gives anything away.

 

I'd say it was more just another instance of Jordan drawing parallels with the world he knew, but altering them for his world.

As examples:

We know what linen, wool, silk, oak and pine (among others) are because we have them.

We know what tabac, zemai, oosquai and algode (among others) are because their names are close to their real-world equivalents, and their descriptions match.

We're not certain what bitemes, leatherleafs, sweetgum or lionfish (among others) are because their names don't match anything we know, but their descriptions sound familiar.

We do know that some things we are certain of have been changed in his world - like peaches.  In our world, peach pits are toxic.  In his world, the entire fruit is poisonous.

But what is Avendesora?  What are the Great Trees?  What is goat's tongue or loversknot?

 

It wouldn't be in any way contrary to expectation for Jordan do invent a disease that was entirely natural for his world, but resembles one or more that he knew about here.  No need to pull an artificial cause into the mix.

Edited March 18, 2022 by Andra