Matrim Cauthon

Pronunciation: MAT-trim CAW-thon

aka: Mat, Thom Grinwell

A ta'veren. He was born and raised in Emond's Field. His father and mother are Abell Cauthon and Natti Cauthon. He has two sisters, Bodewhin Cauthon and Eldrin Cauthon. See below for more information about [Mat's dice].

Physical Description#

He has a wiry body and brown eyes. (TEotW,Ch1) He is long-limbed as a stork. (TGH,Ch3) He is about 5'11" or 6' and about 180 pounds.

Points of View#

See Mat's chapter points of view.

Chronology (Possible Spoilers)#

Childhood#

Beginning of Series#

Journey to Caemlyn#

Caemlyn#

The Ways, Fal Dara and the Eye#

Journey to Toman Head#

Falme#

Tar Valon#

Journey to Caemlyn#

  • Using Siuan's executive order, Mat and Thom get by the guard at the dock and board the Gray Gull. More Darkfriends try to kill Mat that night. (TDR,Ch32)
  • Mat and Thom arrive at Aringill and stay in the stable of The Good Queen. They are interrupted by Aludra and save her from an execution squad. She gives Mat a bundle of fireworks. (TDR,Ch40)
  • Mat and Thom make camp as they near Caemlyn. Mat experiments with Aludra's fireworks. They are attacked by a woman and three men, but kill their attackers and ride on. (TDR,Ch44)

Caemlyn#

Tear#

The Waste#

Other#

Ebou Dar#

Circus#

More#

Hinderstap#

More#

  • Mat talks with Aludra about her Dragons and Dragon Eggs. She will need enormous amounts of supplies. He plans to start working on them in Caemlyn. He makes elaborate plans for approaching Trustair, but then Verin arrives.
  • Verin negotiates with Mat. She first offers secret instructions, then time limits. She will open a gateway so he and the Band can Travel straight to Caemlyn. In return, he agrees to remain there thirty days before leaving. (TGS,Ch36)

Caemlyn#

The Tower#

  • Perrin bids farewell to Mat, Thom and Noal as they leave through the gateway. They open a door in the Tower with a bronze knife and make their way through the realm choosing passages by Mat's lucky rolls of the dice. They reach the chamber with fluted black columns. (ToM,Ch53)
  • They reach the Chamber of Bonds and Thom frees Moiraine. Mat trades his eye for safe passage from the Eelfinn, but he forgets the Aelfinn. (ToM,Ch54)
  • Noal stays behind to help them escape. Mat figures out that his ashandarei is the way out. He cuts a new doorway and he, Thom and Moiraine escape. (ToM,Ch55)

After the Tower#

Other References (Possible Spoilers)#

  1. In the Guide
    1. Tor Website Q&A - The foxhead medallion protects Mat's dreams from intrustion.
  2. In The Eye of the World
    1. TEotW,Ch8 - Moiraine tells Rand that he must leave Emond's Field and that Perrin and Mat must go with him.
    2. TEotW,Ch15 - Min has a viewing of Mat - A red eagle, an eye on a balance scale, a dagger with a ruby, a horn, and a laughing face.
    3. TEotW,Ch28 - Moiraine tells Nynaeve that she can find the boy who still has her token (Perrin) anywhere and she can find the other two (Rand and Mat) when she gets close enough.
    4. TEotW,Ch31 - Despite his paranoia Mat is partial to children and relaxed around them.
  3. In The Great Hunt
    1. TGH,Prologue - Ba'alzamon shows images of Rand, Mat and Perrin at the Darkfriend social.
    2. TGH,Ch2 - Elansu, the shatayan, and seven other women are collecting Rand's, Mat's and Perrin's clothing.
    3. TGH,Ch5 - Siuan and Moiraine plan to have Rand, Mat and Perrin take the Horn of Valere to Illian. They plan to Heal Mat of the Ruby Dagger.
    4. TGH,Ch19 - Rand refuses to leave the Ruby Dagger insisting on taking it to Mat and angering Selene. Loial did not know what was wrong with Mat.
    5. TGH,Ch24 - Else Grinwell runs away from home after meeting Rand and Mat.
    6. TGH,Ch25 - When Thom learns that Moiraine is not with Rand, he assumes that either Mat or Perrin was her real target.
    7. TGH,Ch42 - Min views things that link Egwene to Rand, Mat, Perrin and Galad.
  4. In The Dragon Reborn
    1. TDR,Prologue - Ordeith reports to Pedron Niall that Perrin, Mat and Rand are Darkfriends of the worst sort.
    2. TDR,Ch2 - Rand wonders if Mat is okay. Perrin assures him that he is probably safe in Tar Valon.
    3. TDR,Ch12 - Verin tells Siuan that Mat blew the Horn of Valere.
    4. TDR,Ch16 - Nynaeve worries that Siuan plans to let Mat die. She intends to try to Heal him herself.
    5. TDR,Ch17 - Sheriam comes to Nynaeve's room to bring the girls to Mat's Healing.
    6. TDR,Ch24 - Mat has two sisters. (This is a correction to be made in future printings.)
    7. TDR,Ch25 - Egwene dreams of Mat placing his own left eye on a balance scale, of Mat hanging by his neck from a tree limb, of Mat and the Seanchan (People) and of Mat speaking the Old Tongue.
    8. TDR,Ch30 - Mat's luck was always average at best. After Shadar Logoth his luck became very good. After his is Healed, it becomes phenomenal.
    9. TDR,Ch32 - In his dreams, Rand is visited by Shadowspawn in the guise of his loved ones including Mat.
    10. TDR,Ch33 - Perrin hopes Egwene and Mat are safe with Verin in Tar Valon.
    11. TDR,Ch37 - Egwene has several dreams of Mat. Mat with dice spinning 'round him. Mat being followed by a man who was not there. Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that he had to reach. Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about. An Illuminator she assumed.
    12. TDR,Ch48 - Egwene has more dreams of Mat. Mat dicing with the Dark One. Mat shouting at her, "I am coming."
    13. TDR,Ch43 - Perrin dreams of Mat dicing with Ba'alzamon.
    14. TDR,Ch52 - Mat feels the dice tumbling in his head as he prepares to take on the Stone of Tear. The first time for this feeling.
  5. In The Shadow Rising
    1. TSR,Ch3 - Rand and Perrin wonder if Mat was also attacked and if he is okay.
    2. TSR,Ch11 - Egwene dreams of Mat wrestling with a Seanchan (People) woman who ties an invisible leash to him.
    3. TSR,Ch28 - Perrin dreams of Mat, standing where a road forked ahead of him. He flipped a coin, started down one branch, and suddenly was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and walking with a staff bearing a short sword blade.
    4. TSR,Ch29 - Marin and Bran update Perrin and Rand's and Mat's families.
    5. TSR,Ch31 - Perrin tells Abell, Tam, Verin and Alanna that Rand and Mat are in Tear.
    6. TSR,Ch32 - Perrin tells Jac al'Seen and the others that he has no idea why the Whitecloaks are after Rand and Mat.
    7. TSR,Ch35 - Egwene is irritated because of all the rules she must follow when Rand and Mat do not seem to have any.
    8. TSR,Ch38 - Liandrin reminds Carridin of their meeting with Ba'alzamon where he showed them images of Rand, Mat and Perrin.
    9. TSR,Ch53 - Perrin dreams that Mat stood naked and bound, snarling; an odd spear with a black shaft had been thrust across his back behind his elbows, and a silver medallion, a foxhead, hung on his chest.
    10. TSR,Ch56 - Verin tells Perrin that she wishes she could split in three so she could study him, Mat and Rand at the same time.
  6. In The Fires of Heaven
    1. TFoH,Ch15 - Egwene dreams of Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled low so she could not see his wound, while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead.
    2. TFoH,Ch21 - Rand wonders about Mat's new knowledge and language. Mat will not say anything about what happened to him in Rhuidean.
    3. TFoH,Ch49 - Elayne and Nynaeve can hardly believe that Mat killed Couladin.
  7. In Lord of Chaos
    1. LoC,Ch1 - Bashere mentions the plan Mat and Rand have for taking Illian and wonders if Mat studied under Agelmar in Shienar.
    2. LoC,Ch4 - Rand tells Weiramon and the others to stay put until Mat arrives to take over.
    3. LoC,Ch8 - Lelaine quizzes Nynaeve about Rand, Perrin, Mat and Egwene.
    4. LoC,Ch10 - The Two Rivers girls ask Rand lots of questions about Mat, Egwene and Nynaeve.
    5. LoC,Ch10 - Alanna asks Rand too casually about Mat.
    6. LoC,Ch11 - Verin really wants to know where Mat is.
    7. LoC,Ch11 - Alanna thinks Rand, Mat and Perrin should all be bonded.
    8. LoC,Ch15 - Egwene dreams - Mat spoke strange words she almost understood - the Old Tongue, she thought - and two ravens alighted on his shoulders, claws sinking through his coat into the flesh beneath. He seemed no more aware of them than Perrin had been of the hawk and falcon, yet defiance passed across his face, and then grim acceptance. In another a woman, face shrouded in shadow, beckoned him toward great danger; Egwene did not know what, only that it was monstrous.
    9. LoC,Ch17 - When Rand arrives at the Sun Palace Berelain asks about Mat and Perrin.
    10. LoC,Ch19 - When Rand prepares to leave Berelain asks him to convey warmest wishes to Mat and Perrin.
    11. LoC,Ch48 - Elayne and Nynaeve consider Mat just a nuisance in their search for the Bowl.
    12. LoC,Epilogue - A Seanchan rider recalls Mat's comment in The Wandering Woman about the Daughter of the Nine Moons.
  8. In A Crown of Swords
    1. ACoS,Ch7 - Rand thinks he will trust Mat and Perrin and Min.
    2. ACoS,Ch10 - Egwene has a dream where Mat watches Illuminator's fireworks. He grabs one out of the air and arrows of fire shoot from his fist. Men will die because of this.
    3. ACoS,Ch12 - Egwene is startled when Bryne tells her Mat's army is now up to ten thousand. She thought it was half that at Salidar.
    4. ACoS,Ch13 - Elayne, Nynaeve, Aviendha and Birgitte plan to ask Mat to help them look for the Bowl of the Winds because he is ta'veren.
    5. ACoS,Ch13 - Mat promised Rand to bring Elayne to Caemlyn with Egwene and Nynaeve, then promised Egwene to keep Nynaeve and Elayne safe in Ebou Dar.
    6. ACoS,Ch15 - Carridin sees Mat outside his window and Ishamael's orders from the Darkfriend social play. He tells Sammael that Mat is in Ebou Dar.
    7. ACoS,Ch17 - Teslyn wants to take Elayne, Nynaeve, Mat, and Aviendha to Elaida.
    8. ACoS,Ch30 - When Mat leaves the Kin house, Nalesean misunderstands his shouting and reports to Elayne that he found the Bowl.
    9. ACoS,Ch41 - Rand has nightmares about begging Mat to find Elayne.
  9. In The Path of Daggers
    1. TPoD,Ch1 - Aviendha is worried about Olver but thinks that Mat will surely find him.
    2. TPoD,Ch2 - The gholam was ordered to kill Elayne, Nynaeve and Mat, but chooses to go after the women as they are an easier target.
    3. TPoD,Ch5 - Elayne truly regrets leaving Mat, Thom, Olver and Vanin in the hands of the Seanchan.
    4. TPoD,Ch15 - Egwene dreams of Mat weighing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on his decision depended...She could not say what; something vast; the world, perhaps.
    5. TPoD,Ch18 - Talmanes and others of the Band of the Red Hand feel that Mat needs them in the south so they will stay in Murandy.
    6. TPoD,Ch21 - Rand thinks Elayne and Mat are with the Salidar Aes Sedai in Murandy.
  10. In Winter's Heart
    1. WH,Ch11 - When Rand thinks of Mat, there is a flash of color in his head that resembles Mat's face.
    2. WH,Ch12 - When Rand finds out that Mat is not in the Royal Palace, he assumes that Mat is with Egwene. Elayne and Aviendha do not correct him.
    3. WH,Ch21 - Bayle Domon tells Egeanin that he will recruit Mat and Thom to help them escape Ebou Dar.
  11. In Crossroads of Twilight
    1. CoT,Ch20 - Egwene dreams of Mat destroying thousands of people. An Illuminator is involved.
    2. CoT,Ch24 - Rand sees swirling colors when he thinks of Thom and Mat.
  12. In Knife of Dreams
    1. KoD,Ch3 - Moridin issues orders that Rand is his but Mat and Perrin must die.
    2. KoD,Ch4 - When Perrin thinks of Mat he sees a swirl of colors then an image of Mat talking to a small, dark woman.
    3. KoD,Ch13 - Elayne wonders how Thom, Mat and Olver are doing.
    4. KoD,Ch18 - When Rand thinks of Mat he sees swirling colors then an image of Mat talking with a small, dark woman and leading a line of folks through forest.
    5. KoD,Ch24 - Egwene has some fine dreams about Rand, Mat, Perrin and Gawyn.
    6. KoD,Ch33 - Birgitte says they will need Mat Cauthon's luck to defend Caemlyn against Arymilla.
  13. In The Gathering Storm
    1. TGS,Prologue - Moghedien and Cyndane spend their time rallying Darkfriends to kill Mat and Perrin.
    2. TGS,Ch5 - Rand sees a vision of Mat tossing dice before some men on a road outside a city.
    3. TGS,Ch7 - Nynaeve thinks Rand still gets in trouble like he and Mat did in Emond's Field.
    4. TGS,Ch9 - Perrin thinks Faile is good with people, like Rand and Mat.
    5. TGS,Ch15 - Rand recognizes Moridin from the images similar to those of Mat and Perrin.
    6. TGS,Ch19 - Even though she is now among her faithful guards, Tuon curiously feels no safer than she did with Mat.
    7. TGS,Ch31 - Rand sees an image of Mat riding through Caemlyn with Thom.
    8. TGS,Ch35 - Tuon tries to distract Rand by bringing up Mat. When she says he is a bit of a rogue, Nynaeve angrily defends him.
    9. TGS,Ch39 - After learning that Sheriam is Black Ajah, Egwene is concerned that she was part of the circle that Healed Mat.
    10. TGS,Ch44 - Rand tells Nynaeve that he knows about Perrin because he, Perrin and Mat are connected.
    11. TGS,Ch47 - Rand sees a vision of Mat with Thom in Caemlyn.
  14. In Towers of Midnight
    1. ToM,Ch3 - Rand seems earnest to Egwene, not solemn like Perrin or wild like Mat.
    2. ToM,Ch4 - Perrin has a vision of Mat fighting against himself, a dozen different men wearing his face, all dressed in different types of fine clothing, never seeing the shadowy figure behind him with a bloody knife.
    3. ToM,Ch11 - Elayne, Dyelin and Birgitte discuss reports when they receive Mat's letter.
    4. ToM,Ch21 - Balwer returns from scouting Cairhien with pictures of Perrin and Mat. Someone badly wants them both dead.
    5. ToM,Ch28 - In the wolf dream, when Perrin arrives at the Tower of Ghenjei, Hopper tells him the mind of someone connected to him is focused on it.
    6. ToM,Ch47 - Fortuona wonders if Matrim will be loyal to her.
    7. ToM,Ch52 - Elayne wants more of the foxhead medallions but she has had limited success making them after giving the original back to Mat.
    8. ToM,Ch53 - Faile thinks Mat is a bad influence. Perrin then sees an image of him walking along a river.
    9. ToM,Epilogue - Olver opens Mat's letter from Verin and discovers a warning about a Shadowspawn invasion of Caemlyn through the Waygate.
  15. In A Memory of Light
    1. AMoL,Prologue - Talmanes feels more empathy for commoners since knowing Mat. He wishes he could be as inspirational as Mat.
    2. AMoL,Ch6 - Perrin grins and realizes that Mat actually did rescue Moiraine and when he does so, sees an image of Mat riding on a dusty road tinkering with something in his hands.
    3. AMoL,Ch7 - Elayne tells Perrin and Faile that the Horn must also safely get to Mat and they were planning to do by using the supply runs to hide it.

The Dice in Mat's Head (Possible Spoilers)#

Mat often feels dice tumbling in his head. It is not exactly clear what triggers them to start, but they usually stop at a crucial event or decision. Here is a list of references.

  1. In The Dragon Reborn
    1. TDR,Ch52 - Mat feels the dice as he plans to enter the Stone of Tear.
  2. In The Fires of Heaven
    1. TFoH,Ch42 - Mat feels the dice as he plans to leave Rand's camp near Cairhien before the battle with the Shaido.
    2. TFoH,Ch44 - Mat feels the dice as he leads his small group through the battle.
    3. TFoH,Ch51 - Mat feels the dice as he leads the Band against Andorans in Cairhien. It is almost like a warning that there is a fight over the next hill.
    4. TFoH,Ch51 - Mat feels the dice after he kills Melindhra.
    5. TFoH,Ch54 - Mat feels the dice as Rand prepares to Skim to Caemlyn.
  3. In Lord of Chaos
    1. LoC,Ch47 - Mat feels the dice in Mol Hara Square outside the Tarasin Palace. He knew that sensation well. "Sometimes he felt it when his luck was running strong in the gambling. It was always there when a battle was in the offing. And it seemed to come when there was a vital decision to make, the sort where the wrong choice might well get his throat cut." They stop when he enters The Wandering Woman.
  4. In A Crown of Swords
    1. ACoS,Ch14 - Mat feels the dice after he follows Shiaine to the Chelsaine Palace and learns that Carridin is staying there.
    2. ACoS,Ch16 - "The last time he had felt the dice rolling so hard in his head was just before he found himself with three hundred of the Band, a thousand of Gaebril's White Lions on a ridge to his front and another thousand coming hard up the road behind him, when all he had been trying to do was ride away from the entire mess. That time he had avoided the chop by the grace of other men's memories and more luck than he had a right to. The dice almost always meant danger, and something else he had not figured out yet. The prospect of having his skull cracked was not enough, and once or twice there had been no possibility of such, yet the upcoming likelihood of Mat Cauthon dead in some spectacular fashion seemed the most usual cause." The dice do not stop when he meets Teslyn and Joline. The dice do not stop when he meets Tylin.
    3. ACoS,Ch17 - The dice do not stop when he returns to The Wandering Woman. The dice do not stop when he is attacked.
    4. ACoS,Ch21 - The dice thunder when he returns to The Wandering Woman. They do not stop when he meets Birgitte.
    5. ACoS,Ch22 - The dice finally stop when he agrees to move into the Tarasin Palace.
    6. ACoS,Ch28 - The dice start again the third morning in the Tarasin Palace.
    7. ACoS,Ch29 - The dice continue to tumble when he follows Solain.
    8. ACoS,Ch37 - The dice thunder as he goes to the six story building.
    9. ACoS,Ch39 - Back in the Tarasin Palace the dice still tumble. The dice stop as the wall collapses on him.
  5. In Winter's Heart
    1. WH,Ch15 - The dice start up again when Mat thinks about leaving with Valan Luca.
    2. WH,Ch17 - The dice crash to a stop when Mat meets Tuon.
  6. In Crossroads of Twilight
    1. CoT,Ch1 - The dice start up as Mat leaves Ebou Dar. They stop when Beslan and the Windfinders begin their attack.
    2. CoT,Ch2 - The dice start up again when Mat decides to talk to Tuon.
    3. CoT,Ch3 - The dice stop when Tuon and Mat agree to terms that she will not try to escape.
    4. CoT,Ch28 - The dice start up when Tuon rides past Seanchan (People) in her wagon. They stop when Mat agrees to take her into town the next morning.
    5. CoT,Ch29 - The dice start up again the next morning. They stop when Mat orders Harnan to kill Renna.
  7. In Knife of Dreams
    1. KoD,Ch6 - The dice start up, three sets this time though he does not realize it yet. "The dice had never before signaled a fight--battles, yes, but never a dust-up in the street--yet he walked very carefully indeed. The dice said something was going to happen, something fateful to Mat bloody Cauthon, but what? There had been times when the dice stopped and he still had no idea what happened."
    2. KoD,Ch8 - The dice stop when Aludra agrees to accompany Mat and make Dragons' Eggs for him. Another set stop when Mat gives Tuon the razor.
    3. KoD,Ch10 - The final set of dice stops when Mat agrees to help Thom rescue Moiraine.
    4. KoD,Ch25 - The dice start up again after they leave the road outside of Maderin.
    5. KoD,Ch36 - The dice stop when Tuon completes the marriage ceremony.
Categories: Category.Characters | Category.M Characters | Category.C Characters | Category.TEotW Characters | Category.TGH Characters | Category.TDR Characters | Category.TSR Characters | Category.TFoH Characters | Category.LoC Characters | Category.ACoS Characters | Category.TPoD Characters | Category.WH Characters | Category.CoT Characters | Category.KoD Characters | Category.TGS Characters | Category.ToM Characters | Category.TEotW Characters
Copyright (c) 1998 by Gary Kephart