Matrim Cauthon
From A Wheel of Time Wiki
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Matrim "Mat" Cauthon is one of the main characters of the series. Many of his changes through the story reflect a strong connection to the Norse god Odin.
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[edit] Appearance
He has long limbs and a wiry body. He is 5'11.5" and has brown eyes, which usually twinkle with mischief.
[edit] Family Tree
| Natti Cauthon | Abell Cauthon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eldrin Cauthon | Bodewhin Cauthon | Mat | ? | ? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
? - Unnamed sisters
[edit] Youth
Mat was something of a black sheep in Emond's Field. Though he, Rand al'Thor, and Perrin Aybara got into trouble quite a bit, Mat was generally the force behind it. A joker and prankster, he can be very charming with women and people in authority when he wants to be, and is fond of drinking and gambling; he also swears a lot. He was led away on Winternight with Moiraine Damodred and his friends, and it was revealed that he, Rand and Perrin were all ta'veren, the focal points around which the Wheel of Time weaves. On their journey, they stopped in Shadar Logoth to lose the Trollocs chasing them. Mat takes Perrin and Rand to explore the city looking for treasure. While exploring, they met a man calling himself Mordeth, claiming to be a treasure hunter in need of help to carry a large amount of treasure. Heedless of the danger, Mat followed Mordeth immediately, and Perrin and Rand, unwilling to leave him behind, were forced to follow after. After Mordeth led them to a room full of various treasures, Rand realized that Mordeth lacked a shadow. Upon announcing this, Mordeth quickly reverted to his true form and vanished through a wall. Unnoticed by Perrin or Rand, Mat picked up a ruby-hilted dagger which he carried with him on the flight from Shadar Logoth not knowing everything in the damned city was poisonous, even the pebbles on the ground. Later, the dagger made Mat increasingly sick, as well as inflaming his paranoia and hostility. On this journey the others also notice that he is able to speak the Old Tongue, but assume that it is due to his Manetheren blood. What that theory doesn't explain is how Mat gave the battle cry of Manetheren, in the Old Tongue.
[edit] Poisoned
Later in Fal Dara, Padan Fain stole the Horn of Valere and Mat's dagger, having become tainted by Shadar Logoth's evil himself. Mat needed the dagger to rid himself of its poison in order to survive until the Aes Sedai could cure him. He journeyed with Rand, Perrin, Verin, Loial, and Ingtar first to Cairhien where Rand had secured the Horn until darkfriends stole it back. The journey then led them to Lord Barthanes Manor where Loial found the waygate, and it became clear that Padan Fain had gone to Falme. In the beginning of the journey, Mat discovered that Rand was the Dragon Reborn, and felt even more estranged from his old friend. In Falme, which had been overrun by the Seanchan, Mat blew the Horn of Valere, summoning Heroes from beyond the grave to fight for him so he and his companions could escape. He became bound to the Horn: it will work only as a regular horn for anyone other than Mat; he is destined to blow it at Tarmon Gai'don. He journeyed to Tar Valon with Verin, Nynaeve al'Meara, Egwene al'Vere, and Elayne Trakand. Upon reaching the White Tower he was almost dead from the dagger's blight, but the Aes Sedai broke the bond between him and the knife, almost killing him in the process of Healing. When he awoke, he found that he had many holes in his memory.
[edit] Death and Rebirth
He left Tar Valon soon after his healing to take a letter from Elayne to her Mother in Caemlyn. Thom Merrilin, whom Mat found in an inn, decided to join Mat for no other apparent reason other than that it fit his mood. In Caemlyn, Mat overheard Rahvin, disguised as Lord Gaebril, plotting to kill Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve in Tear—most notably Elayne, in order to aid his plot to secure the throne of Andor. After delivering Elayne's letter to Morgase, he and Thom left for Tear. Incidentally, they aided Rand in taking the Stone of Tear, and saved the three girls from the Black Ajah, without receiving a proper thank you. After Rand secured Tear, Mat - who had also taken to gambling with young Tairen nobles - wandered through the Stone's collection of angreal and ter'angreal, and decided to enter a freestanding red stone doorway about which Egwene had told him. The ter'angreal doorway took him to the land of the Aelfinn, snakelike creatures with oracular powers. After answering Mat's questions, and possibly in a panic about mulitple ta'veren inside their world (Rand - as well as Moiraine - passed through the doorframe during this same time period), they prophesied he would:
- Go to Rhuidean, die and live again, and live once more a part of what was.
- Marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons.
- Give up half the light of the world to save the world.
He thereafter learned that Rand required an interpreter in the world of the Aelfinn. Mat, however, was able to understand the dialect of the old tongue the Aelfinn were speaking.
A bit unnerved, he followed Rand to Rhuidean along with Egwene, Moiraine and Lan. When Rand was granted permission to enter Rhuidean, Mat also asked to enter. Only after Rand told the Wise Ones that if he were to enter, then Mat could enter as well, did they consent. In the city Rhuidean, while Rand discovered his Aiel heritage, Mat found another red stone doorway. Still feeling cheated concerning the answers he received from the Aelfinn, he decided to enter. However, this redstone ter'angreal brought him instead to the land of the Eelfinn, who resemble foxes instead of snakes. He was expecting to get answers to more questions from Aelfinn, so when the Eelfinn offered him wishes instead, Mat glared at them, feeling cheated. His wishes were:
- To have the holes in his memories filled,
- To be free from the One Power and Aes Sedai,
- To be away from the Eelfinn and return to Rhuidean if they would not answer his questions.
Since Mat did not set the price, the Eelfinn set a price for him, apparently taking delight whilst calling him a fool. As granted, Mat now has the memories of countless historical military leaders, thus privy to over a thousand years of cultural and military knowledge; he has a foxhead medallion that causes flows of the One Power to simply dissolve when applied to him; and Mat was found by Rand hanging by the neck in Rhuidean, suspended from a black-hafted spear set across two tree branches. Rand managed to revive Mat, although it's not clear if he was actually dead for a time (thereby breaking the link with Horn of Valere); Mat still has a scar around his neck. He also decided to keep the spear, actually a naginata-like weapon called an ashandarei, which has become his signature weapon. A side effect of his filled-in memories is that he is now fluent in the Old Tongue, although often with varying accents. Mat died once more during Rand's invasion of Caemlyn; he was killed, along with Aviendha and Asmodean, by Rahvin's channeling. However, shortly afterwards, Rand killed Rahvin with balefire, thus reversing the deaths. This almost certainly fulfills the first Aelfinn prophecy.
[edit] Quandaries
Mat's hanging has caused fans to question whether the first Aelfinn prophecy (that he would die and live once more as a part of what once was) has yet come to pass. Though his historical memories could be considered "living as a part of what once was," fans are not sure if mere clinical death counts as having died—especially since author Robert Jordan insists that Mat was still alive, if barely, when Rand found him[1]. Mat also died during the attack on Caemlyn in The Fires of Heaven, struck down by Rahvin's channeling, but he was restored to life when Rand retconned Rahvin's actions with balefire. Mat's death (or lack thereof) bears particularly on his status as Hornsounder: if either of these deaths count, the Horn of Valere is no longer linked to him, and can be blown in its hero-summoning capacity by anyone.
Mat's memories also raise questions as to the nature of reincarnation through the Wheel; Mat remembers dying, "more times than he could count" (The Fires of Heaven), due to his memories being from many individual lives of adventurers that went to the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, whether through the doorways or the Tower of Ghenjei or perhaps his own previous lives (the books make many references to people being "spun into the pattern" many times, such as Birgitte Silverbow or, obviously, the Dragon Reborn).
[edit] General
—Mat
Despite having a substantial aversion to being a warrior, Mat is now a Marshal-General to the Band of the Red Hand as a result of the dead men memories. He remembers battles and strategies which have been lost for centuries. He is also extremely lucky at random chance. At games like dice or cards, he wins almost all of the time. However, the situation and/or game must be random chance; in games of skill and order, such as Stones, he must rely on his memories and own wit for help. It should be noted however, in certain cases, Mat can lose if it is the best outcome. Rand and Perrin are also known to alter chance as ta'veren, but the effect is not so consistently in their favor; a man near Rand may fall out a fourth-story window and land without a scratch, but another may trip on a tuft of grass and break his neck. Mat's memories raise questions as to the nature of reincarnation through the Wheel; Mat remembers dying, "more times than he could count" (The Fires of Heaven), but whether his memories are from many individual lives, or are the memories of a single person who has been re-woven into the Pattern many times (most recently as Mat Cauthon), has not been established. It's also possible that the memories are those who previously received wishes from the Eelfinn, as they rummage through the sensations of their visitors.
[edit] Band of the Red Hand
Just before the Battle of Cairhien against the Shaido, Mat attempted to leave Rand's company permanently; but luck, chance and (alarmingly) a sense of responsibility drew him increasingly and unwittingly into the fight; in the end, his luck, battle lore, and sense of duty to those in danger took him to the forefront of the conflict, where he personally slew Couladin, the Shaido leader, and helped bring victory for the Dragon Reborn. He also gained the allegiance of a number of soldiers who would follow him into the Pit of Doom if he so led them. This new army is known as Shen an Calhar, the Band of the Red Hand, and is personally loyal to Mat, believing that with his luck at their head, they cannot be beaten.
The original Band of the Red Hand dates back to Manetheren, and was a unit of legendary heroes during the trolloc wars. They were the last to fall, guarding King Aemon when Manetheren died. The huge battles during the trolloc wars, accompanied by armies of 300,000 men or more, required a detailed command structure to keep everyone and everything from falling apart. The detailed structure consisted of:
- A Banner, commanded by a Banner-General--each banner approximately 1500 horse or 3000 infantry
- A Legion, commanded by a Lieutenant-General--generally 5 banners of horse or infantry
- A Great Legion, commanded by a Captain-General
- A Marshal-General, who commanded the entire army
[edit] Daughter of the Nine Moons
After doing a lot of organizing and plotting for Rand, Mat traveled to Salidar to "save" Egwene if she wanted it and hand a letter to Thom which Rand have given to him (the letter from Moiraine), but more importantly to see Elayne safely to Caemlyn so she could take up the throne of Andor. Aviendha accompanied him to Salidar as she had toh to Elayne and desired to see it ended. However, once he arrived to Salidar, he found Egwene to be the Amrylin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, and Elayne adamant about not going to Caemlyn as she had other business she felt was more important than the throne. Since Mat promised to see her safely to Caemlyn, he had nothing to do but follow her to Ebou Dar and keep her alive. Right before leaving, Mat recognized that the other Aes Sedai were not treating Egwene with the respect she was due, and so gave her every honor deserving of her title--something Egwene greatly appreciated. Mat then traveled to Ebou Dar with Elayne, Nynaeve and Aviendha, and aided them in recovering the Bowl of the Winds before they were forced to flee by the invasion of the Seanchan.
Queen Tylin quite enjoyed Mat's "company", although the feeling was not exactly mutual, as Mat was used to being the chaser and not the chased. He escaped Ebou Dar after it was conquered by the Seanchan, with Thom, Egeanin and Bayle Domon, and managed to rescue two Aes Sedai from captivity. However, before they were able to make a clean escape, Tuon, a Seanchan High Lady, encountered Mat, and they had a tussle. At first, Mat was simply going to tie her up and leave her in the stables. However, when Egeanin entered and named her Daughter of the Nine Moons, the woman he is fated to marry, he could not leave her behind. He named her his wife three times, unknowingly completing half of the Seanchan marriage ceremony. Tuon simply smiled and let herself be taken. Mat and his coterie escape Seanchan territory by means of Valan Luca's Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvels and Wonders. During their journey Mat began to court Tuon in earnest, seeming to finally accept his fate. Her responses were never anything less than opaque, though, and when they finally did marry during Knife of Dreams, just before her return to Ebou Dar, it seemed almost entirely a political match on her behalf, despite the fact that it was clear that Mat had sincere feelings for her. Mat aided her escape by distracting the armies sent against her using some of the Deathwatch guards as disguise. As the prince-consort of the heir to the Crystal Throne of Seanchan, Mat is now known amongst the Seanchan as the Prince of Ravens.
[edit] Importance
Rand may be the central character of the story, but Mat and Perrin are only slightly less important. They are critical parts of Rand's battle against the Shadow and should not be underestimated. For this reason, it should not be surprising that the books have begun to follow Mat's and Perrin's adventures independently of Rand's; at the time of Book 10, the three ta'veren all run their own major plot lines and campaigns. Mat, like Rand, has changed enormously over the course of the story. Originally the quintessential charming rogue, he has found himself in situations of more and more responsibility, most notably in the Battle of Cairhien where, attempting to simply leave the area and strike out on his own, he eventually becomes the field general and single-handedly secures victory for Rand's forces. He has discovered what Rand and Perrin already know--that the three of them must lead, and that the Wheel will push them into positions of authority no matter what they themselves want. He is now more comfortable with responsibility, though he is still struggling against that final ball and chain, his fated marriage to Tuon.
[edit] Mat's Fighting Skills
Within the course of the Wheel of time books we see Mat in many fights and his skill with his quarter staff is shown as exemplary. Because of his simultaneous defeat of Galad and Gawyn, and later of Couladin of the Shaido Clan (who is considered a fierce fighter, even among the Aiel), he is probably better than even the average blademaster, though he cannot be called a blademaster since he does not use a sword. The weapons he used are Quarterstaff, and later a ashandarei.
[edit] Odin References
- According to prophecy, Mat will give up "half the light of the world to save the world", and in Egwene al'Vere's dreams has been seen to place his eye on a balance scale. Odin was half-blind, giving up his eye for knowledge.
- Mat was hanged on Avendesora and his spear after bargaining to replace the holes in his memory; he says he was "hanged for knowledge". Odin hung himself to a branch of Yggdrasil to gain the knowledge of death and his spear pierced his side while he hung. Both Avendesora and Yggdrasil are iconic Trees of the World.
- Mat is a general, and one of Odin's divine domains is war.
- The Aelfinn called Mat "Gambler" and "Son of Battles," and he has developed a reputation of seldom losing. Odin was known as the Gambler and was also called Father of Battles and Bringer of Victory.
- Mat often speaks the Old Tongue, a very poetic and elegant language; he does so unconsciously, as though inspired. Odin was the god of poetry and inspiration.
- Mat's medallion protects him from the One Power, useful in dealing with the Aes Sedai. Odin was the god of magic in a society that considered magic a female pursuit, much like the world of the Wheel although for different reasons.
- Both Mat and Odin are very fond of wine, usually drinking it in spite of alternatives.
- Written on Mat's ashandarei is a poem bracketed by two ravens; the poem includes the line " ...thought is the arrow of time, memory never fades." Odin had two ravens, named Hugin and Munin: Thought and Memory.
- The symbol of the Seanchan, to whom Mat is now connected through marriage, is a pair of ravens just as Odin had.
- Odin was often portrayed as wearing a wide brimmed hat and carrying a spear, the same as Mat.
- Odin's hall of Valhalla was filled with honored dead heroes who waited there to fight for him in the last battle, Ragnarok; Mat is the sounder of the Horn of Valere, which calls long dead heroes back to fight for him at the Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don. Odin's slain warriors are called the Einheriar, and Mat's army is Shen an Calhar. Odin is associated with the concept of the Wild Hunt, a noisy, bellowing movement across the sky, leading a host of slain warriors (taken from Wikipedia)
- Both Mat and Odin were promiscuous (until Mat got married).
- Odin gained knowledge through speaking with the dead; Mat has dead men's memories.
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Protagonists |
Main:
Rand al'Thor · Matrim Cauthon · Perrin Aybara · Egwene al'Vere · Elayne Trakand · Nynaeve al'Meara · Thomdril Merrilin
Primary:
Aviendha · Faile Bashere · Min Farshaw · Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag · Moiraine Damodred · Lan Mandragoran · Loial · Birgitte Silverbow |
| Antagonists |
Dark One · The Forsaken · Padan Fain · Couladin · Pedron Niall · Eamon Valda · Mazrim Taim · Sevanna · Galina Casban · Liandrin · Alviarin Freidhen · Suroth Sabelle Meldarath
|
| Major Characters |
Siuan Sanche · Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan · Verin Mathwin · Leane Sharif
Other Allies:
Morgase Trakand · Juilin Sandar · Bayle Domon · Elyas Machera · Logain Ablar · Amys · Bair · Melaine · Rhuarc · Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron · Davram Bashere · Gaul · Bain · Chiad · Sebban Balwer · Gawyn Trakand · Galad Damodred · Gareth Bryne · Martyn Tallanvor · Lini Eltring
|
| Places | Items | Timeline | Concepts | |
