Fate and weaving

[shadow]

We see Jacob spinning thread and weaving a tapestry. Just before he was killed, Jacob makes a comment that it took a long time, but he finally finished.

In Greek Mythology, the three fates were believed to control the birth and death of all beings. Clotho would spin a thread representing life. Lachesis would assign the life to a being. Atropos would cut the thread, choosing a being's time and method of death.

Does Jacob's actions and comments about the tapestry mean that he knew what "Locke" and Ben were going to do and that he put everything he needed done in motion before his death?

Maybe the reason he sent certain people back to 1977 was that he needed them to cause/prevent the incident to save himself in 2007?

[grizn0]

I was interested in that tapestry too. I would like to know what it said.

[zeekloveslost]

I was interested in that tapestry too. I would like to know what it said.

From Lostpedia:

Jacob wove a tapestry of thread he spun himself in his chamber in the plinth of the four-toed statue during his many years on the Island.

His tapestry depicts a pair of wings outstretched from an encircled eye, and what appear to be seventeen long arms emanating like rays out from the eye. The hands at the ends of the arms grope for human figures who appear to be at the mercy of the hands, while a king sits in a throne and observes.

Across the top of the tapestry is emblazoned quote from from Homer's Odyssey in upper case ancient Greek: ΘΞΟΙ ΤΟΣΑ ΔΟΙΞΝ ΟΣΑΦΡΞΣΙ ΣΗΣΙ ΜΞΝΟΙΝΑΖ. The original sentence, in lower case is θεοὶ τόσα δοι̂εν ὅσα φρεσὶ σῃ̂σι μενοινᾳ̂ς (transcribed as theoi tosa doien hosa phresi sêisi menoinais) belongs to Book 6, line 179 and means: may the gods grant thee all that thy heart desires.

The tapestry also depicts numerous other figures laboring, and what appear to be geometric designs along the bottom.

[lostieloo]

Maybe the reason he sent certain people back to 1977 was that he needed them to cause/prevent the incident to save himself in 2007?

I like this idea!

[grizn0]

That is very interesting. Seventeen hands eh? Sounds like an odd number. Could it relate to the characters involved in Jacob's plan? How many are there? I compiled a list of seventeen names off the top of my head.

jack
locke
hurley
sawyer
kate
sayid
ben
richard
ilana
frank
sun
jin
daniel
miles
ellie
charles
chang

I was also thinking Chang or Charles could be swapped with Charlotte or Bram. Maybe I'm reading to far into it.

[monkeysarecheeky]

Did anyone notice the torn bottom left corner on the tapestry?

was the missing piece what Illana found in cabin?

[vickilynn]

Looks like the right size and shape...when I watch again today I will look to see what side the ragged edges were on.

[Maxor127]

So... if Jacob supposedly believes in free will, then why is he making a tapestry of fate?

[vickilynn]

The piece left in the cabin was from the tapestry from what I can tell. The left edges were finished, like the tapestry, and the right was jagged like it was cut away. I guess Jacob told Ilana to find him in the cabin...perhaps he really was "trapped" there by the ash. The object on the torn piece is the statue...so it was a message to Ilana on where to find him. Bram and Ilana seem to know a lot about the lay out of the island. When Ilana shows Bram the torn piece, he says that they know where to go. I really want to know who these people are.

[cookieshoes]

I liked Jacob's line where he mentioned that it took a very long time to make the "thread".

I took that to be an extension of the metaphor that Daniel had made about time being a "string". And notice that the man-in-black is searching for his own "loop" hole. Again, a reference to thread.

So, I see it somewhere along the lines of Jacob being the weaver of the string of time.  At least, on the island. Which would explain his tapestry having images of the entire saga. To which, he is aware of how it all plays out, and how time needs to be manipulated so that the outcome is what it needs to be. So, to him, he can go forward or backward as much as he wants. The difference appears to be that he can't do anything about changing time himself, only recruit people throughout time to do it for him.

[DirtyMaggieMae]

i see that the eye has been considered the eye of horus, or ra.  but isn't it actually reversed, marking it the symbol of thoth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
this god seems to be the balance between the man of science, man of faith, and MAY be more directly related to the show.

[LostinLock]

i see that the eye has been considered the eye of horus, or ra.  but isn't it actually reversed, marking it the symbol of thoth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
this god seems to be the balance between the man of science, man of faith, and MAY be more directly related to the show.

ergo the black and white theme

[grizn0]

i see that the eye has been considered the eye of horus, or ra.  but isn't it actually reversed, marking it the symbol of thoth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
this god seems to be the balance between the man of science, man of faith, and MAY be more directly related to the show.

ergo the black and white theme

Makes a lot of sense. Man, the pilot episodes (part 1 and 2) are just full of foreshadowing to the conflict between Man In Black and Jacob. Its actually pretty amazing.

[LostinLock]

i see that the eye has been considered the eye of horus, or ra.  but isn't it actually reversed, marking it the symbol of thoth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
this god seems to be the balance between the man of science, man of faith, and MAY be more directly related to the show.

ergo the black and white theme

Makes a lot of sense. Man, the pilot episodes (part 1 and 2) are just full of foreshadowing to the conflict between Man In Black and Jacob. Its actually pretty amazing.

I just had a long discussion with Mrs. Hume about this and frankly there are some things that are just pointing us in the right directions.
Wasn't man of Scientce and Man of Faith in season one, so do Jack and Locke end up being the new Jacob and the MN2 would make sense after all they have been at conflict since season one.  And I still think that Locke is Jacob's son, but that is a thought .  Nothing that holds water all speculation.  How many times did Jack want to kill Locke?

[grizn0]

i see that the eye has been considered the eye of horus, or ra.  but isn't it actually reversed, marking it the symbol of thoth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
this god seems to be the balance between the man of science, man of faith, and MAY be more directly related to the show.

ergo the black and white theme

Makes a lot of sense. Man, the pilot episodes (part 1 and 2) are just full of foreshadowing to the conflict between Man In Black and Jacob. Its actually pretty amazing.

I just had a long discussion with Mrs. Hume about this and frankly there are some things that are just pointing us in the right directions.
Wasn't man of Scientce and Man of Faith in season one, so do Jack and Locke end up being the new Jacob and the MN2 would make sense after all they have been at conflict since season one.  And I still think that Locke is Jacob's son, but that is a thought .  Nothing that holds water all speculation.  How many times did Jack want to kill Locke?

A few times at least haha. But, Man Of Science, Man Of Faith was the title of episode 1, season 2.