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“Foul times,” Velerad muttered, drinking deep from his tankard. “All sorts of filth has sprung up. Mahakam, in the mountains, is teeming with bogeymen. In the past it was just wolves howling in the woods, but now it’s kobolds and spriggans wherever you spit, werewolves or some other vermin. Fairies and rusalkas snatch children from villages by the hundreds.”
In “The Witcher” Velerad discusses how monsters have become a threat to humanity. This defines the ways that humans and monsters have come into conflict. Humans need witchers to protect them because so many different kinds of monsters threaten their existence. Compared to sylvans, elves, and dwarves, humans seem to be more troubled by monsters. Velerad explains that there are more monsters than in the past, and this poses an existential threat to people. Monsters and other magical creatures hunt humans and steal their children. Unlike wolves, monsters are not interested in easier prey like rabbits, and they are more difficult to defeat. The monster at the heart of this chapter, the striga, must devour human flesh to survive. Many attempts to destroy her were unsuccessful. Most importantly, this quotation asserts just how much more dangerous the world has become in Velerad’s eyes. However, it is hard to tell if this is accurate or if Velerad has an idealized view of the past.
“I’ve heard about witchers—they abduct tiny children whom they feed with magic herbs. The ones who survive become witchers themselves, sorcerers with inhuman powers. They’re taught to kill, and all human feelings and reactions are trained out of them. They’re turned into monsters in order to kill other monsters.”
In “A Grain of Truth” Nivellen explains how witchers become inhuman through their induction process. Nivellen is sharing rumors he has heard about witchers, but Geralt does not say they are untrue. Nivellen’s most important claim is that witchers lose their humanity through their training. According to Nivellen, their loss of humanity is what allows them to kill monsters. The irony of this is that Nivellen is physically monstrous. Nivellen and Geralt fall into a category of being that is more monster than human.
“Because how am I to know, dammit? When I cut my finger, I bleed. I bleed every month, too. I get a bellyache when I overeat, and a hangover when I get drunk. When I’m happy I sing and I swear when I’m sad.”
This quotation comes from Renfri in “The Lesser Evil.” One of this chapter’s central questions is whether or not Renfri is the monster she’s predicted to be by the Curse of the Black Sun. Geralt asks her outright whether she is because he, himself, can’t come to a conclusion on the matter. Renfri’s response offers concrete evidence of how she is like any other human. However, she admits that she can’t know whether she’s a monster because everything she knows is filtered through her subjective experience. Despite her uncertainty, each of the examples she gives is a marker of human experience, from singing for joy to the reality of menstruation. While Renfri cannot definitively prove that she’s not a monster, she forces Geralt to acknowledge her humanity by illustrating the ways she is all too human.
“It ought to be clear to you too, that you’re never going to be human, but you still keep trying to be one. Making human mistakes. Mistakes a witcher shouldn’t be making.”
In “Chapter Six: The Voice of Reason” Nenneke reinforces the difference between witchers and humans by pointing out the ways that Geralt has been falling short of what a witcher can—and should—be. Other characters have made claims that witchers are no longer human, and are even monsters. Nenneke builds on this idea. Her friendship with Geralt shows that she does not consider him to be a monster, but she is certain that he is not a human. She worries that Geralt’s makes dangerous mistakes when he attempts to be more human. In so doing, she confirms that Geralt is not human. Nenneke believes that Geralt is not living up to his potential because his desire to be human holds him back. She offers a different perspective on Geralt’s personhood, which other characters question throughout the book.
“You’re not a monster. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to touch this silver tray. And in no way could you hold my medallion.”
This quotation comes from the chapter “A Grain of Truth” when Geralt speaks to Nivellen over dinner. As a witcher, Geralt must be able to quickly tell whether a creature is a monster or something else. Silver is one of the fastest and most straightforward ways to make a determination. Because Nivellen is able to touch silver, Geralt knows that he’s a person rather than a true monster. This offers strong enough proof that Geralt is able to quickly cast aside any sort of judgment he made based on Nivellen’s physical appearance. Perhaps most importantly, it also reveals that Geralt is not a monster. Although he may not be exactly human, he wouldn’t be able to wear his silver medallion if he were more monster than person.
