mistranslation?

[greig]

Fortune rides like the sun on high

with the fox that makes the ravens fly

Luck his soul, the lightning his eye

He snatches the moons from out of the sky

 

just out of interest (i've not seen any mention of this so apologies if i've missed this) what if you replace fortune with fortuona? after all she's been known to ride on a raken

[aunt_pol]

Yeah gives it a nice double purpose alright... It's usually about Mat's famous luck... But you knew that.

Although with the way the verse is structured, it might make it a bit awkward, referring to her at the beginning that way, and at then end as if she'd not been mentioned... Like, if she's already riding with him, why does he need to 'snatch' her out of the sky?

I'm sure someone with excellent poetry skillz will come along and say what I'm trying to!

[greig]

didn't think of that but then again why reference the same thing twice (fortune and luck)? but then again i've never prophecied anything in my life so what would i know ?

[aunt_pol]

Haha me too... Silly us!

[aunt_pol]

Well then you could say the piece on luck is an elaboration, or clarification, even, on his Fortune??

[jdbond]

Well she was Tuon till she became empress.This will not end well, the Tuon/Mat thing. Mat's sister is a novice in WT.

[greig]

who knows maybe all the prophecies aren't about our "heroes" at all but about the animals? i mean who's telling their side of the story? blatant animalism if you ask me!

[aunt_pol]

That's it, she was fairly well 'snatched' by the time she became fortuona...

[jdbond]

^^So you are really 3000 years old?

 

 

And good call..Fortune in first line is not luck.

[greig]

i disagree with the snatched situation. if she didn;t want to be there tuon would not have been. she led him on a merry dance and decided for herself they would be married even though she wasn't exactly in love with him

[didymos]

didn't think of that but then again why reference the same thing twice (fortune and luck)?

 

Why not? Besides, it not like other prophecies and the like in the series don't use even more blatant repetition:

 

"Go to Rhuidean, son of battles! Go to Rhuidean, trickster! Go, gambler! Go!"

 

"The north and the east must be as one. The west and the south must be as one. The two must be as one."

 

"Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth."

 

"Into the heart he thrusts his sword; into the heart, to hold their hearts."

 

so on, so forth, et cetera.

 

Still, in this case, it almost certainly refers to Tuon.

 

ETA: Oh, yeah, by the way, there's an obscure and rarely used meaning of the word "fortune" (sorry, the link is to the OED, which requires a subscription):

 

7. Short for: A woman of fortune; an heiress.

 

1655 A. JOHNSON in Nicholas Papers (Camden) II. 251 The Lady Bath (one of the greatest fortunes here). 1676 D'URFEY Mad. Fickle III. ii, She's his Neece, a Widow, an approv'd fortune. 1711 STEELE Spect. No. 19 {page}2 He is secretly married to a great Fortune. 1752 FIELDING Amelia II. ii, She certainly was handsome..and a very considerable fortune. 1823 BYRON Juan XII. xxxii.

[drewk]

Hmm..."snatching the moons from out of the sky" could mean earning his place on her "level", or bringing her down to his (whatever that means). Daughter of the Nine Moons, Court of the Nine Moons, both things that set her apart as the heir to the Crystal Throne of the Empress herself. By snatching them down, he effectively brings her to his level. Though SHE might not like hearing this little analysis (and Selucia would probably slap me as if I was staring at her chest), I would be plenty happy to be on Mat's level. Dude is made of pure awesome.

[didymos]

i disagree with the snatched situation. if she didn;t want to be there tuon would not have been. she led him on a merry dance and decided for herself they would be married even though she wasn't exactly in love with him

 

Yes, but recall the Foretelling that made her go with him: "Beware the fox that makes the ravens fly, for he will marry you and carry you away." And "snatched" simply means "hurriedly or hastily obtained or taken" which is exactly what happened when Mat spontaneously decided to roll her up in a carpet and carry her away.

[jdbond]

i disagree with the snatched situation. if she didn;t want to be there tuon would not have been. she led him on a merry dance and decided for herself they would be married even though she wasn't exactly in love with him

 

 

Mat abducted her..

[greig]

forgot about that bit sorry

[dovien]

Isn't it interesting how Mat is all about luck and Tuon's name turns out to be 'Fortuona'? It makes me wonder just how far ahead RJ was thinking. That crafty old bast.. guy.