The Bone Carver vs The God of Truth
The post I made initially musing about a potential connection between these two went down fairly well so I decided I might not be mad and to take a bit of a closer look at the two things:
“Legend has it that the Shadow Market was built on the bones of the god of truth.” “Well, they got the bones part right.” In every wall, skulls and bones were artfully arranged—and every wall, even the ceiling, had been formed from them. Even the floor at the foot of the stairs was laid with bones of varying shapes and sizes. “These aren’t ordinary catacombs,” Rowan said, setting down his torch. “This was a temple.” Indeed, altars, benches, and even a dark reflection pool lay in the massive space. Still more sprawled away into shadow. “There’s writing on the bones,” Aedion said, striding down the steps and onto the bone floor. Aelin grimaced. “Careful,” Rowan said as Aedion went to the nearest wall. Her cousin lifted a hand in lazy dismissal. “It’s in every language—all in different handwriting,” Aedion marveled, holding his torch aloft as he moved along the wall. “Listen to this one here: ‘I am a liar. I am a thief. I took my sister’s husband and laughed while I did it.’” A pause. He silently read another. “None of this writing … I don’t think these were good people.” ….
“Seems like this god of truth,” Aedion called from his wall, “was more of a Sin-Eater than anything. You should read some of the things people wrote—the horrible things they did. I think this was a place for them to be buried, and to confess on the bones of other sinners.” - Queen of Shadows - Chapter 50
I don’t know, personally, this reminds me a hell of a lot of how The Bone Carver in ACOMAF works. Consider:
Like the gates above, it was of ivory—bone. And in its surface were etched countless images: flora and fauna, seas and clouds, stars and moons, infants and skeletons, creatures fair and foul— It swung away. The cell was pitch-black, hardly distinguishable from the hall— “I have carved the doors for every prisoner in this place,” said a small voice within, “but my own remains my favorite.”
….. Never lie—that had been Rhys’s first command.
…… “Tell me a secret no one knows, Lord of Night, and I’ll tell you mine.”
……. The Bone Carver pointed a small finger at me. “Promise that you’ll give me her bones when she dies and I’ll think about it.” I stiffened, but the boy laughed. “No—I don’t think even you would promise that, Rhysand.”
……. The carver said nothing more. Waiting for another truth.
…… Silence. Expectant, waiting silence.
Rhys’s voice was hoarse as he said, “Don’t offer him one more—” ….. The carver picked up the bone Rhysand had brought him and weighed it in those child’s hands. “I shall carve your death in here, Feyre.” - ACOMAF Chapter 18
I’m not saying these two are necessarily one in the same but there are enough similarities to at the very least suggest a symbolic parallel and connection. The god of truth is the figure who’s temple of bone is dedicated to. A temple that people come to to confess their awful truths upon the bones of other sinners.
The Bone Carver in ACOMAF offers truth for truth. He hears the confessions of those who come to him, he takes their truths and in exchange he offers up some of his own and before they go to see him Rhys strictly informs Feyre never to lie to him.
The Bone Carver in general just sort of fascinates me. I want to know why exactly he’s in the Prison in the first place and the idea of him collecting significant bones, bones that have claimed lives like the bone Rhys presents him with and bones into which he carves death. I also wonder why Rhys is so insistent and seemingly shaken at the idea of Feyre offering him any more truths than she already has and whether this has any correlation to the ‘Sin-eater’ idea and whether he literally feeds on these truths.
This is an interesting theory and very likely considering that sjm has said that it is possible to open a portal between the tog and acotar worlds. Also it is mentioned that some of the creatures in the Prison might be from other worlds.
“…Though there are legends that claim when the world was born, there were… rips in the fabric of the realms. That in the chaos of Forming, creatures from other worlds could walk through one of those rips and enter another world. But the rips closed at will, and the creatures could become trapped, with no way home.” - pg194, acomaf
So maybe the God of Truth became trapped in the acotar world and then sentenced to the Prison where he became known as the Bone Carver.
This would be so exciting/awesome if it’s true! I love it when books from different series cross over, it makes the worlds/universes so much more complex and realistic.
