"A bastard's bastard" The use of names in Realm of the Elderlings, part 4
looking into the children of fitzchivalry farseer
When someone asks FitzChivalry Farseer “How many children do you have”, he responds “Emotionally, biologically or spiritually?”. Since I already talked about Dutiful Farseer I will not mention him here, instead we will focus on the children that Fitz recognizes / accepts as his (I also don’t want to open that can of worms).
Part 4: A Bastard’s bastard.
My father’s raising was given over, all those many years ago, to my grandfather’s half-brother, Chade. In his turn, my father gave me over to his right-hand man to rear. And when I became a father, I entrusted that the same hand could best raise my daughter in safety. Instead, I took in another man’s son and made Hap mine. Prince Dutiful, my son and yet not mine, also came to be my student. And in time, Burrich’s own son came to me, to learn from me that which his own father would not teach him.
Each circle spins off a circle of its own. Each one seems a new thing but in truth it is not. It is just our most recent attempts to correct old errors, to undo old wrongs done to us and to make up for things we have neglected. In each cycle, we may correct old errors, but I think we make as many new ones. Yet what is our alternative? To commit the same old errors again? Perhaps having the courage to find a better path is having the courage to risk making new mistakes.
Understanding Fitz’s relationship with his father figures as well as his relationship with his own children is fundamental in order to understand his character as well as the series as a whole. Growing up, Fitz was constantly reminded of his bastard status and how that was reflected in his father’s honor, which resulted in Fitz having some very complex ideas regarding sexuality and marriage. During his childhood, he had two parental figures: his father’s best friend, Burrich, and a fellow Farseer bastard, Chade. These two men shaped him just as much as his biological father, and the way they raised him only worsened his complex about being a bastard. Unfortunately, his own bad decisions led him to commit the same mistakes his father did.
Nettle.
She has named my daughter Nettle, after the herb she loves, though it leaves great rashes on her hands and arms if she is careless when she gathers it. Is that how she feels about our daughter, that she brings pain even as she brings enjoyment? It pains me to think it is so.
Fitz’s first child is the result of his teenage romance with Molly. Despite the warnings of his family, Fitz gives in to desire, and they have sexual relationships before marriage. Fitz’s naive belief is that the crown will allow him to marry Molly eventually, so he sees no damage in the act, never thinking of Molly’s honor and status. Once Molly becomes pregnant and realizes that there is no chance for the two of them to live together openly, she leaves Fitz and goes on to live alone. She eventually gives birth and marries Burrich, Fitz’s father figure, who then acts as a father for the child, Nettle. Just like Fitz was a bastard raised by Burrich, now Burrich raises Fitz’s own bastard.
Nettle’s name, as explained above by Fitz, symbolizes the way that Molly sees her relationship with Fitz: she loved him, but that love brought her pain as well as happiness. Nettle also shows Molly’s stance on the Farseer family, by having a name that does not match the family tradition of virtuous names. She stands outside the Farseers, away from Fitz specifically. If Fitz’s name ties him completely to his biological father, the dishonored prince, Nettle’s name ties her to her mother, the humble candle maker who loves herbs. As an aside, I think it’s noteworthy that all of Molly’s children with Burrich do have names that represent virtue, but the ones she has with Fitz do not.
Nettle’s personality also matches the prickly and dangerous nature of the plant. While she can be sweet and gentle, Nettle has a strict side, as well as a lot of magical power, which allows her to face down a dragon. Nettle, like the herb, is better handled with care.
Hap Gladheart.
At the end of Assassin’s Quest, we find out that Fitz has taken in a boy named Mishap. The boy’s mother gave him to Starling Birdsong, who then gave him to Fitz to raise. At this point, Fitz has decided to live in solitude, away from all his loved ones. Starling gave Mishap to Fitz so they would keep each other company, and for the next decade, Fitz raised Mishap as his own child.
The name “Mishap” has a clear bad connotation; it marks him as unwanted, in the same way that Fitz’s own name marks him as a bastard everywhere he goes. It is extremely noteworthy, then, that the name Mishap is only used twice in the entire Tawny Man trilogy. First, as a small joke by Fitz, and then to point out that it was the name given to him by his mother. Importantly, both times it was said only in the narration, never out loud. Every other time, Fitz refers to him as "Hap," “my boy,” or “my son.”. Fitz, having been raised painfully aware of his bastard status, never does the same to his son. He took Hap in by choice, and he never makes Hap think that he regrets that decision.
In the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, we find out that Hap has renamed himself “Hap Gladheart," a name worthy of a famous bard. “And I was never so glad myself as when I heard that he had taken that name for himself,” says Fitz about it.
Bee.
My bees will not harm us. But injure one of us, and they will rise up and follow you and give you no quarter. You shall die of a million burning stings.
After getting back together with Molly, Fitz spends the last decades of his life in peace with her and her children. Despite their attempts, Molly didn’t get pregnant again until much later, towards the end of her life. Due to magical reasons, the pregnancy was incredibly irregular, taking years for the baby to be born, and then she was born small and pale, nothing like her father. We will skip the complicated parentage of Bee here; it suffices to say that she’s Fitz’s last child.
His second daughter was also named by Molly, and again, her name does not follow Farseer tradition but brings to mind nature and Molly’s work as a candle maker. I think it’s also interesting that, way back in Assassin’s Quest, Molly utilized bees to defend herself and Nettle from assassins. Bees produce honey and wax, but they are dangerous if you don’t know how to handle them. It’s very similar to Nettle’s name.
The fact that her name separates her from the rest of the family also ties into how the Farseers see Bee. They think of her as a weakly child, unlikely to live long (ableism is an important theme in Bee’s story). Later on, she gets recognized as a Farseer princess, but the title is one that doesn’t suit her well. It’s not the only title given to Bee; she’s also Bee the Destroyer, who comes to end the powerful city of Clerres. Her sting is strong indeed, even if she appears frail.
Despite his mistakes and failings, Fitz strives to do better by his children than was done to him. I believe it’s important to note that none of them have names that connect them to Fitz, and in the case of Nettle and Bee, their names create a divide between them and the Farseer household, bringing them closer to their mother. Hap especially stands out to me, as the one child who, while recognized and accepted as part of the family, gets to exist apart from it, free of the Farseer "curse." Nettle eventually settled into her role as part of the Farseers, but it remains to be seen if Bee will do the same.