Mat's Luck

[CUBAREY]

Suain, Leanne, Verin, Alanna, Sheriam, Serafelle(brown), Anaiya(blue), Brendas, a cool-eyed woman Egwene thought was a white (unless Brendas is the cool-eyed whte, then someone else) and a tenth unnamed sister.

 

Egwene, Elayne and Nyneave observed the healing but took no part.

 

The Dragon Reborn Chapter 18 (Healing).

[RobertAlexWillis]

Yet someone did give Mat extra luck, according to RJ

 

No.  The only things that are certain from that RJ quote are:

 

1) Mat does indeed have extraordinary luck.

 

2) Lanfear did not give it to him.

 

our alternatives are: Side effects from other processes.

 

Yep.  And the only event that fits the timing is (drum role please) picking up the Shadar Logoth dagger.

 

We have no idea what long term exposure to the dagger can do to a (relatively) normal person (Fain obviously isn't normal, since he has Mordeth's soul amalgamated with his own)... everyone else who comes in contact with it (usually on the business end) dies in short order.

 

It may be that the super-luck is a very rare and unlikely side effect, and that Mat's ta'veren-ness is the only reason he got that one.  I simply think that, with Jordan making that connection through Mat, and then providing no alternatives, there is no real reason to think that it is anything else.  All of the other scenarios proposed have much larger holes, based in things we actually have seen in the books.

[Tyrell]

On the whole "mat was known as a gambler in previous lives / he has a lucky soul" kinda thing; there is a bit in TDR when he has an old blood memory :

 

He was known as a gambler; it was time to toss the dice.

 

Thought I would throw that into the mix, as it wasn't a memory the finn gave him, so kinda classifies differently.

[cloglord]

I ran across something that I thought might throw another wrench into this.  Mat does not equate the dagger with his luck.  From TFoH CH 3

 

"Luck is a horse to ride like any other," Mat said to himself.  No matter where it came from.  Not that he knew where his luck came from; he only tried to ride it as best he could.

Emphasis mine

 

Mat, might tie the timimg of the two togehter,( I don't remember if RAW provided a quote for this or not,) but he clearly does not know where his luck comes from.

[Telzen]

Didn't read the thread but who says Mat's luck/dice in his head have to come from something that happened to him. Maybe its just something he has that awakened at some point. Like Perrin's wolfbrotherness or Min's ability. If Min can see parts of the pattern(or whatever they said about it) who says someone just can't have insane luck?