(no subject)

[kd7sov]

Hello, all you lovelies. I just had a thought, and this seemed to be the place for it.

In SYWTBAW, when Nita is reading the Manual, there is special mention that "No one should take the Wizards' Oath who is not committed to making wizardry a lifelong pursuit. The energy invested in a beginning wizard is too precious to be thrown away. Yet there are no penalties for withdrawal from the Art, apart from the knowledge that the Universe will die a little faster because of energy lost…"

Somehow, something I hadn't fully realized before struck me: it's not getting the Manual that makes someone a wizard, it's taking the Oath. The candidate is given a choice, and if they do not take the Oath there is no loss. Now, obviously, most people would go for it, but what about those who don't?

I suspect that there are two possibilities. Either, like former wizards, they gradually forget what they know, or - more interestingly - they are in a unique position to know about and help wizards in more mundane ways. People like Millman, perhaps, although he could have a situation more like Carmela's.

Do any of you have thoughts on this matter?

Comments

[pepperjackcandy.livejournal.com]

Icon love!

Also, I wonder what would happen if someone quit being a wizard and then changed hir mind? Would ze be able to?

[computersherpa.livejournal.com]

That's a very interesting idea.

I think about how quickly Tom and Carl forgot all about wizardry when they lost their magic in Wizards at War. Those guys had been Seniors in charge of a fairly large area for a long period of time (years), and they forgot within how long, a few days? I think the knowledge of wizardry must be particularly hard to hold onto, probably because it doesn't mesh very well with day-to-day reality.

It's my opinion that Millman must be a very special person. He's literally the only person on Earth that we know of who knows about wizardry and is not (as far as we know) directly related to one.

Actually. Hmm, there's an interesting idea. Perhaps Millman is the father of a wizard who was killed in action? (Powers know we lose a few of them.)

Somebody should write a fic about that.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

It's my opinion that Millman must be a very special person. He's literally the only person on Earth that we know of who knows about wizardry and is not (as far as we know) directly related to one.

Hm. I don't know though (I've often speculated, for the record, that he is married to a wizard, or that he knows Tom and Carl). For one thing I think DD is pretty egalitarian about these sorts of things, and you don't have super-special unique people (I mean, some, but.) I agree with you that knowledge about wizardry doesn't mesh well with day-to-day life on a sevarfrith planet, but I think this is a noticing/believing thing that's actually different to the way wizards forget - wizards forget because they have to, because it would be emotionally and psychologically too hard to retain it. Everyday types forget because they just don't believe it, it's an impossible thing - most of the time they probably don't even see it. I'm almost sure there are more people who know about wizards, but aren't wizards, who don't necessarily have intimate relationships with them. I mean, for one thing both the Callahans and the Rodriguez' have been pretty okay about having the knowledge, it's not some weird special thing, you know?

I think if your child who was a wizard was killed, it's the kind of thing you might forget about/talk yourself out of believing. I hope Millman has had a more positive experience :-/

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

For those wizards who, like Nita, pick up a book - I don't think they realise what they've got, and they probably never do. Nita has a good feeling about it all, but she doesn't really believe she's going to be a wizard until she sees her name in the book after she takes the Oath. (I mean, I think she believes in a way, I think you would have to for your Oath to stick, but in a way that would probably fade.)

I do think fic about Harry getting offered the Oath would be interesting, though. He says, in HW or DW, that if someone had offered him the chance to be a wizard he would have jumped at it. And Nita thinks, not likely, or you would have been. Which sort of indicates that only people who are going to say yes get offered the Oath (although I think it's likely more complicated than that, since I don't think YWverse is deterministic.) However, fic about him being offered it, and not believing or not accepting - that would be interesting. Sad though, maybe.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

I think they forget, to be honest. Though I also think you don't get offered unless there's a high chance you're both suitable for it, and going to say yes.

The knowledge that wizardry exists doesn't seem connected to being offered the Oath in any way. After all there are whole planets who are aware of wizardry and use the Speech. I think if you get offered the Oath in one of those cultures, and turn it down, you remember turning it down. Likewise, if you're from a wizardry family on Earth, and you get offered and turn it down, you probably remember.