The Enigmatic Connection Between Quaithe and Elissa Farman
The A Song of Ice and Fire series has become a sprawling landscape populated with a wealth of mysterious characters that, in turn, cause for wide speculation. Among these, the enigmatic Quaithe and the adventurous Elissa Farman stand out, shrouded in speculation and lore. A theory that has captivated fans posits a fascinating possibility: Could Quaithe, the shadowbinder from Asshai, be none other than Elissa Farman, the Westerosi adventurer who vanished into the annals of history?
The Journey of Elissa Farman
Even though we know fairly little of his, Elissa Farman left an undeniable mark on the world of Westeros. As a young woman, she stole three dragon eggs from Dragonstone and vanished without a trace (well, not exactly without a trace, but we’ll tackle that later). Farman’s actions may turn out to have had far-reaching consequences, potentially even influencing the birth of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons. Her insatiable drive led her to sail west from Westeros, seeking the unknown, only to disappear from all known records after discovering three unnamed islands in the Sunset Sea and naming them after the Conqueror and his sisters.
by Kristina Carroll
Quaithe: The Mysterious Shadowbinder
Enter Quaithe, a figure of mystique and prophecy, appearing to Daenerys in Qarth. Masked and cryptic, she speaks in riddles and prophecies, guiding and warning Daenerys with phrases like, “To go north, you must journey south, to reach the west you must go east.” Her knowledge of distant events and places might indicate a wisdom gained through extensive travel and perhaps even the dark arts.
The Sighting of Farman’s Ship
Elissa’s ship, the Sun Chaser, was most likely spotted in Asshai by Corlys Velaryon. The fact that the ship is observed to be “old and weathered” would place Elissa in the dark city at about the right time. In Fire and Blood, Archmaester Gyldayn writes:
“On his second voyage, Ser Corlys sailed even farther east, and became the first Westerosi ever to reach Asshai-by-the-Shadow, the bleak black city of the shadowbinders at the edge of the world. There he lost his love and half his crew, if the tales be true… and there as well, in Asshai’s harbor, he glimpsed an old and much weathered ship that he would swear forevermore could only have been Sun Chaser.”
-Fire and Blood Volume 1
Weaving the Threads: The Theory
The theory connecting these two women is as intriguing as it is speculative. It hinges on the idea that Elissa Farman, in her uncharted journey, may have circumnavigated the globe. Setting off from the west she sailed across the Sunset Sea only to arrive in the far east city that is Asshai, thereby having sailed around the world. This odyssey could have transformed her (in knowledge as well as in spirit), putting her on the path to become the shadowbinder Quaithe. The parallelism in Quaithe’s advice to Daenerys (to go west, she must go east) mirrors Farman’s own journey and may hint at a deeper connection.
The link between the three dragon eggs Elissa stole and Daenerys’s eggs (likely sold in or around Pentos to finance her fleet) adds another layer on top of this theory. The math holds up, and the fact Dany’s eggs are petrified suggests they are very old. So the timeframe would be correct as well. Perhaps Elissa had some type of foresight of the Mother of Dragons or Aegon’s Prophecy when she stole the eggs. Or perhaps it was revealed to her after she landed in Asshai and became versed in things like the dark arts and prophecies…
In the case of the former, it is likely she moved to Asshai with great purpose. This young woman would have sought to learn all the arts required in order to support Dany in her ascendance. In case of the latter, she was steered onto her current path by whatever revelation she came upon in the dark city. Either way, the evolution of becoming a master of magic in Asshai fits her character of profound curiosity. As a city, Asshai is a place shrouded in mystery and known for its dark sorceries, and I think that if there is one city that could be the crucible for her transformation, Asshai would be it. Even though it can be a place of great peril with its poison river and blood mages and whatever other demons lurk there, an adventurous spirit like Elissa would likely have been able to brave its dangers. Thus honing her skills in magic, her knowledge of the esoteric, and achieving mastery of arcane artifacts such as glass candles.
The Magic of Longevity
A significant hurdle in this theory is the passage of time. Born in 29 AC, Elissa would be 300-ish (261 to be exact) in the current (as of writing this) timeline of 299/300 AC. So for Elissa Farman to be Quaithe, she would have had to extend her life through magical means. Though this is a concept not alien to Planetos. Characters like Melisandre have shown such feats to be very much possible. And what was the city that our dear friend Mel was based out of again? Oh, that’s right. Asshai. Quaithe’s ever-present mask could be more than a symbol of her profession; it might be hiding the longevity of her true age, or it might just be to hide her identity (though who would recognise her after all those ages remains a mystery).
Quaithe’s Mystical Communications
Quaithe’s ability to reach out to Daenerys across vast distances has been a subject of both debate and fascination. As mentioned before, it is widely speculated among fans that she uses a glass candle, an object of immense power known to enable communication over long distances and even through dreams. The Valyrians did not derive their power solely from mastering dragons, I’d venture that for them, everything started and ended with an extensive reliance on sorcery. Doubtlessly their armies used these “candles” to communicate with each other over immense distances. Communication on this scale would make their ability to coordinate wars of conquest over great swathes of the map almost akin to our modern day IRL militaries. But because the knowledge behind the ancient Valyrian (blood) magic that powers them appears to have been lost ages ago, these objects remain incredibly esoteric, with only a precious few aware of how to correctly utilize them (looking at you Euron… Marwyn).
All Things Considered
So, everything together: Farman’s disappearance, her potential arrival in Asshai, the sighting of her ship and Quaithe’s emergence as a guide to Daenerys right around the time she gained three petrified dragon eggs paints quite the picture. These events just by time and location alone suggest that Elissa Farman could very well have transformed into Quaithe through her extensive journeys and arrival in Asshai. In this new guise she would likely use a glass candle to guide Daenerys. Even though Quaithe’s motives remain unclear in the larger picture, it could be a way of atonement, the fulfilling of a prophecy, or perhaps as a part of a larger plan involving Dany and her dragons in the inevitable wars to come.
Conclusion
As of now, these are all things of pure conjecture. Though George often encourages reading between the lines of his work, dropping subtle hints, then leaving it up to the reader to put two and two together. What we do know, is that in this world he has created, everything seems to be connected. We’ll keep puzzling with the pieces George has thrown us until he favors us with some much needed new material to scratch our heads over. Though in honesty, I personally would be kind of shocked if Elissa=Quaithe theory proves untrue. But whether any of the predictions and theories put forward will be vindicated or disproven remains a thing only George himself is lucky enough to know (for now!)
by Doug Wheatley
