Maruman - an enigma. Where does he come from? How does he seem to know so much? Is he really as crazy as Elspeth thinks he is? In this theory, I hope to unravel a little of the mystery surrounding Maruman's existance.
Theory
The most important part of this theory is that Maruman, we learn in TKP, is seliga - a beastspeech word that means "half-there" or something (in TKP Elf can't interpret it properly).
I can't remember if IC said this, or if I'm dreaming, but seliga has something to do with Maruman's constant travelling - which Elspeth assumes is to the blacklands during "fits of madness". What I propose is that Maruman's periods of madness, his seliga-ness is the time when Maruman travels on the ashlings to Cassy's time - the Beforetime. Which raises an interesting question - Which timeline is Maruman actually from? Cassy or Elspeth's?
I believe he's from Cassy's time. (Think about the implications of this. The Beforetime Tril could star Maruman, leading Cassy along the right paths, too?)
Maruman's state of mind when he returns from his fits of madness in - I think it can be explained by remembering, if he IS seliga, than his trueform is in Cassy's time - all the time. How can this be, since he spends such long periods of time in Elspeth's timeline? The ashlings are the key - he can make himself come through and be seen in Elspeth's time. Remember how in TKP, Maruman tells Elspeth that she won't be seen unless she wants other people to see her (on the ashlings)? Similar thing with Maruman. His body is contained somewhere in the Beforetime, perhaps at a govanmen institute where they are testing on animals with mental powers - similar to how we know they're testing on the Agyllians in Cassy's time for their mental abilities. So, when he disappears in his times of madness, it's because his physical form is under such great peril, he needs his mind back with himself to focus on the attack.
His apparent madness, I believe, comes from travelling from timeline to timeline so frequently that he can no longer tell the differences between times, and it's all a blur. That, along with the strain he's under at the govamen institute.
Evidence of this physical toil can be seen in the very first book - one of the first times we meet Maruman. He has a fit, right in front of Elspeth, and mentally screams "the flies!", then passes out. What on earth is that all about? Why include it at all? It's giving us a clue. Maruman's really in two places at once. His mind is with Elspeth, his body is with the govamen. At that point, I believe he's being tested/tortured. The physical and mental toll on the poor cat is too much for him, and he has to retreat to his real body to focus on the attack.
If any of this is true, it raises even more questions. What is the Agyllian's true role in all of this? We know the Agyllians, and the Eldar Atthis, existed in Cassy's time (at least in mind, we hear Atthis talk to Cassy in one of Elspeth's ashling travels). Why are they manipulating Maruman to do all their work? Can Agyllians not travel the dreamtrails? Did they pick Maruman because he's got so much mental strength?
As usual, picking a theory and running with it raises many more questions. I don't expect we'll learn the truth about Maruman for a long time...but it's interesting to speculate
Post TSK edit: You know, I think this theory is almost confirmed in TSK. We see a dream sequence of someone who looks like a young Hannah Seraphim (either her daughter, or Hannah herself?) playing with a kitten called Merimyn, who Elspeth recognises as Maruman.
If Maruman was born, and raised in Hannah's time, he certainly could not have survived the Great White to be in Elspeth's time. The time-travel / seliga seems all the more likely now, doesn't it?
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Theory Posted on Wednesday 21 April 2010 - 17:06:11 by Min
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