Crowns...Thick as Thieves

[kiscakat.livejournal.com]

I don't post often, but I have a question and I am wondering what you all think: on the cover of TaT, their are FIVE crowns.  I have differing theories for four of the crowns, but not five.  At least, the only one I can come up with...well, I don't like it.  (And yes, while I don't own the newest edition of the books with the new covers, I realize that there is a different crown on each book.) So, who/which country/what do you think each of them represent?  Any ideas?

Comments

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I wasn't seeing five crowns on the cover of TaT, until I looked at the back cover. Are those the ones you're talking about?

My shoulder-cynic says the five crowns are just stylistic devices representing each of the 5 books in the series so far, and probably intended to Game-of-Thrones-it-up for marketability.

My better-self enjoys them, for the sake of shiny!-ness, pure and simple. They are each quite lovely and unique. If I had to assign them to characters... hmm, just for fun:

Top middle, silver: Gen's crown, which is highest (annux, king above all others) as well as central (as Gen is central to the series). Also kind of shadowy, befitting a thief-king.

Left, silver, starry: Irene's crown, because it matches Gen's, but is more feminine, while also being kind of pointy/scary-looking, much like Irene herself.

Far left, gold, fleur-de-lis (ish): Helen. Because she's gold. And yet not too showy. And because it matches...

Right, gold, masculine: Sophos. A crown befitting a lion. Tower-like design, perhaps because Sophos is a safe-keeper of everyone's hearts. AWW.

And finally...

Far right, silver, leafy: This one is princely, somehow, rather than monarch-y, and reminds me of the laurels used to crown Roman athletes. A symbol of victory. And since this is the one also featured on the front of TaT, I'm going to say it's the sort of thing Gen would bestow on Costis after he successfully fulfilled his mission. All the better if Costis feels thoroughly self-conscious and foolish while having to walk around wearing it! I can hear Aris snickering, while the other guards estimate how many rounds it would buy at the wine seller's...

:) What are your theories?

[kiscakat.livejournal.com]

Yes, those were the ones that I was talking about!

My theories are similar to yours:
1. They don't mean anything except decoration (but why put them there and make each so unique?)
2. One is for: Eddis, Sounis, Attolia, and Attolis (as rulers of kingdoms) and one is for the Mede Empire - which they are going up against... Alternatively, that last crown is for the Braelings...though they are hardly mentioned, they are still in on the scheme at the end... (as I said, I don't LIKE my theories)
So, so, so. I really have no good ideas. It just bothers me - nothing with these stories is random or chance. I keep thinking there must be something to the crowns - I just haven't figure out what!

Crowns

[(Anonymous)]

Always have loved those different crowns! First seems to be for Eddis, simple and not showy, star crown is Attolia, beautiful and uncomfortable and pointy you would need a lot of hair, third is pointy again Attolia’s can handle it though, fourth one megarons =Sounis, leafy one is more a reward for a job well done. Last one on the new book is a lion and a griffin facing each other and each holds a lily! A perfect one for a snarky Annux!

Re: Crowns

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, I hadn't even looked closely at the new crown on the cover of Return of the Thief. The imagery there is definitely more obvious. I hope it means good things for all our favorite monarchs. :)

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I don't know if there's any hidden meaning in the crowns, but I'm sure the artist had some sort of thought process when designing them, and I'd love to hear more about it. :)

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Remember how poor Sophos got smacked around in Conspiracy of Kings? Remember how one tooth had to be pulled? I think that another one got broken, and so it now has a crown. That's the mysterious extra crown. ; )

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I had a few conspiracy theories about the five crowns when TaT first came out, but now, I'm pretty sure each one is meant to represent a book in the series. TaT is the fifth book, so five crowns on the back cover.

That doesn't stop them from having other meanings, though...