Father of Humanity? (MoI and HoC spoilers)

[Holsety]

Alright, I was rereading Memories of Ice a few days ago, and I got a little curious about something. In House of Chains we found out that Kilava is apparently the link between imass and humanity. But in the prologue of Memories of Ice, we find out that while she recently gave birth (breasts swollen with milk and all that), her kids are dead, so it seems unlikely that onrack is the daddy. Has there been indication about who is?

[Fist and Faith]

I haven't read too far into my reread of HoC yet. Wow, I don't remember that about Kilava. I remember her having had kids, but didn't remember anything about the connection with humanity. Something to look forward to! Of course, that's why I'm rereading 1-4 before I go on.

[Holsety]

I haven't read too far into my reread of HoC yet. Wow, I don't remember that about Kilava. I remember her having had kids, but didn't remember anything about the connection with humanity. Something to look forward to! Of course, that's why I'm rereading 1-4 before I go on.

The thing about kilava gets revealed by the whirlwind goddess when she flashbacks towards the end of the book. I can find the quote if you are interested, I think I dogeared it (yes, I dogear cool and interesting stuff in my books -_-). There's a sort of corollary passage earlier which talks about Dryjhna; Mathok says something about how it's not supposed to be a reminder, not so much a prophecy or driving vision of the people of seven cities.

[Fist and Faith]

I also dogear. I dogear the hell outta paperbacks! At least a little of hc's. I'll have to find this spot, because I certainly would have dogeared it.

[Holsety]

I also dogear. I dogear the hell outta paperbacks! At least a little of hc's. I'll have to find this spot, because I certainly would have dogeared it.

The biggest problem I have with dogearing? Sometimes I decide not to dogear something that I don't think is quite as important, simply because I want to limit my dogears to something I can check fairly quickly.

[Fist and Faith]

I've been finding more dogear-worthy stuff with the second reading. But it's not a problem. I don't usually use them to find things when I need to. I just like to start at the beginning of a book and look at each page with a dogear, and see why I did that page. Heh. "Oh yeah! That's an awesome part!!"

[Nequam]

The thing is, she isn't the "mother" of humanity. Though I'm sure she helped. It was the Imass that never made it to the ritual that are responsible. They eventually turned into many different races such as the barghast, Trell, etc. After hundreds of thousands of years...POOF! You get humans.

I think there certainly is a lot more to it than that, but I think I got the main gist of it.

[Fist and Faith]

Here's the quote, btw. The Whirlwind Goddess' memories:

Her rage had not died with the Ritual, had not died when she herself - too shattered to walk - had been severed from the Vow and left in a place of eternal darkness. And every curious spirit that had heard her weeping, that had drawn close in sympathy - well, they had fed her hungers, and she had taken their powers. Layer upon layer. For they too had been foolish and stupid, wayward and inclined to squander those powers on meaningless things. But she had a purpose.

The Children swarmed the surface of the world. And who was their mother? None other than the bitch who had been banished.

And their father?

Oh yes, she went to him. On that last night. She did. He reeked of her when they dragged him into the light the following morning. Reeked of her. The truth was there in his eyes.

A look she would - could - never forget.

Vengeance was a beast long straining at its chains. Vengeance was all she had ever wanted.

Vengeance was about to be unleashed.

And even Raraku could not stop it. The children would die.

The children will die. I will cleanse the world of their beget, the proud-eyed vermin born, one and all, of that single mother. Of course she could not join the Ritual. A new world waited within her.

As usual, difficult to know with certainty what Erikson means. But it seems possible that he's saying Kilava is the mother of humanity, and Onrack the father. And the Imass that never made it to the Ritual that are responsible for the Barghast, Trell, etc.

[Orlion]

It seems like in MT, it's implied that

Spoiler

rats that devoured corpses at the last battle between the K'Chain Ch'melle and the Tiste are the forbearers of humanity

That's how I read it, any way...

edited to add: I'm not sure how I came to that conclusion... but I stand by it