Mat Cauthon

Matrim "Mat" Cauthon is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.

Mat was something of a black sheep in Emond's Field. Though he, Rand al'Thor, and Perrin Aybara got into trouble quite a bit, Mat was generally the force behind it. A jokester and prankster, he can be very charming with women, and is fond of drinking and gambling; he also swears a lot. He was led away on Winternight with Moiraine Damodred and his friends, and it was revealed that he, Rand and Perrin were all ta'veren, the focal points around which the Wheel weaves. On their journey, they stopped in Shadar Logoth to lose the Trollocs chasing them. While the three explored the city, Mat's greed got the best of him and he took a jeweled dagger, not knowing everything in the damned city was poisonous, even the pebbles on the ground.

Later, in Fal Dara, Padan Fain stole the Horn of Valere and Mat's dagger. Mat needed the dagger to rid himself of its poison, but also to survive until the Aes Sedai could cure him. He journeyed with Rand, Perrin, Verin, Loial, and Ingtar to Falme. On his journey, he discovered that Rand was the Dragon Reborn, and felt estranged from his old friend. In Falme, about to be overrun by the Seanchan, he blew the Horn of Valere, summoning Heroes from beyond the grave to fight for him. He is now bound to the Horn; it will work for no other as long as he is alive. He is destined to blow the Horn at Tarmon Gai'don. He journeyed to Tar Valon with Verin, Nynaeve al'Meara, Egwene al'Vere, and Elayne Trakand. When he reached the White Tower he was almost dead from the dagger's blight, but the Aes Sedai broke the bond between him and the knife, though Mat almost died in the Healing. When he awoke, he found that he had many holes in his memory.

He left Tar Valon soon after his healing and went with Thom Merrilin to Caemlyn, where he happened to overhear Rahvin, disguised as Lord Gaebril, plotting to kill Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve in Tear. He and Thom left for Tear, aided Rand in taking the Stone of Tear, and saved the three girls from the Black Ajah. After Rand had secured Tear, Mat, wandering through the Stone's collection of angreal and ter'angreal, went through a freestanding red stone doorway, which took him to the land of the Aelfinn, snakelike creatures with oracular powers. They prophesized he would: A) die and live once more as a part of what once was, B) marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons and C) give up half the light of the world to save the world. A bit unnerved, he followed Rand to Rhuidean along with Egwene, Moiraine and Lan. In the valley of Rhuidean, while Rand discovered his Aiel heritage, Mat found another red stone doorway, which brought him to the land of the Eelfinn, who resemble foxes. He was, however, expecting to get answers from the snake-people, so when the fox-people offered him wishes, he rather squandered them: he wished to A) have the holes in his memories filled, B) be free from Aes Sedai channeling and C), return to Rhuidean. All this came true. Mat now has the memories of countless historical military leaders, including a lot more than just battles; he has a foxhead medallion that causes flows of saidar and saidin to simply dissolve when applied to him; and when Rand finished his own business, he found Mat hanging by the neck in Rhuidean, suspended from a black-hafted spear set across two tree branches. The incident was not fatal, though Mat still has a scar around his neck; he also decided to keep the spear, eventually revealed to be an ashandarei, and it has been his signature weapon ever since.

Because his memory is filled mostly with those of soldiers and generals, he remembers battles and strategies that have been lost for centuries. Mat is also extremely lucky at random chance. At games like dice, he wins 80% of the time. It must be random chance, though; for games of skill, like Stones, he must rely on his memories for help. (Rand and Perrin are also known to alter chance, but generally not to their favor; a man near Rand may fall out a fourth-story window and land without a scratch, but another may trip on a tuft of grass and break his neck.)

Just before the Battle of Cairhein against the Shaido, Mat attempted to leave Rand's company permanently; but luck, chance and (alarmingly) a sense of responsibility drew him increasingly and unwittingly into the fight; in the end, his luck and battle lore took him to the forefront of the conflict, where he personally slew Couladin, the Shaido leader, and brought victory to the Dragon Reborn. He also gained the allegiance of a number of soldiers who would follow him into the Pit of Doom if he led them; this new army is known as Shen an Calhar, the Band of the Red Hand, and is personally loyal to Mat, believing that while he is at their head, they cannot be beaten.

Mat was roped into traveling to Ebou Dar with Elayne, Nynaeve and Aviendha. Queen Tylin quite enjoyed Mat's "company", although the feeling was not exactly mutual. He escaped Ebou Dar after it was conquered by the Seanchan, with Thom, Egeanin and Bayle Domon. For use as a hostage, he managed to obtain a Seachan noblewoman named Tuon--finding out too late that she is the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the woman he is fated to marry.

Rand may be the central character of the story, but Mat and Perrin are only slightly less important. They are critical parts of Rand's battle against the Shadow and should not be underestimated. For this reason, it should not be surprising that the books have begun to follow Mat's and Perrin's adventures independently of Rand's; at the time of Book 10, the three ta'veren all run their own major plotlines and campaigns. Mat, like Rand, has changed enormously over the course of the story. Originally the quintessential charming rogue, he has found himself in situations of more and more responsibility, most notably in the Battle of Cairhein where, attempting to simply leave the area and strike out on his own, he eventually becomes the a field general and singlehandedly secures victory for Rand's forces (Rand at the time has been knocked unconscious). He has discovered what Rand and Perrin already know--that the three of them must lead, and that the Wheel will push them into positions of authority no matter what they themselves want. He is now more comfortable with responsibility, though he is still struggling against that final ball and chain, his fated marriage to Tuon. Regardless, though, he remains probably the funniest character to simply read, as the situations he gets himself into, and the way those situations are expressed on paper, are rarely short of amusing. ("Nervous. Ha! Decent woman. Ha!")