#bardposting

So @patroclusdefencesquad made a post asking about where Jaskier's lute was this season so I did a little deep dive. Get ready for a little chrononology of 'where tf is Jaskier's lute' (and what does it all mean?)

In ep 1, we can see it strapped to his horse. When they first make camp with Zoltan and the others, we can not see it while they're sitting around the fire at night, but in the morning we see Jaskier holding it while sleeping.

Then we get to the cow/pox scene and the lute is nowhere to be seen.

My theory is that it's on the waggon, there's a lot of clutter there and while it can never be seen there, I think it's a safe assumption. After all, there's enough space in there for Zoltan to bring his massive chair with him. And a lute is quite big and clunky and probably pretty uncomfortable to transport on a horse. Maybe he even gives it to the refugees so they can entertain themselves? Would be pretty cute if Beata learnt to play it a little!

In ep 2, the lute is nowhere to be seen, again I think because it's on the waggon. He doesn't even bring it into Regis's house though, which is a little odd.

Same for ep 3 and ep 4, no lute anywhere. Which makes sense, he didn't bring it to the refugee camp where he got captured.

(But during the fight scene in ep 4 when he gets injured, we see him holding and fighting with a sword which is wild and I don't think I've seen anyone talk about this?!?)

In ep 5 once again we don't see the lute. But the waggon is back! We see Jaskier sitting next to his pack and peeking out of it are his notebook and some manuscripts. Later in the episode, Geralt calls him Poet, not Bard. I think that means something.

In the flashback however, we get to see the lute. It's on the table while Valdo gets his makeover and what I find interesting: it's the only time this season we actually see the lute, not just the lute case. So, lute unpacked, Jaskier picks it up, clearly getting ready to strum it, but gets interrupted by Valdo doing his little dance. He then hands the lute to Valdo who puts it down on the table only seconds later. It is used as a prop but does not get played even once.

In ep 6, we get no hansa plot. So no lute by association.

Ep 7 begins with the strategy meeting, apparently after they've had to leave the horses and the waggon behind. And there is the lute again, leaning next to a bedroll!

When they walk into the swamp, we see Jaskier carrying it on his back for the first time this season. It remains there until they get out of the swamp.

We then see it leaning next to him when Zoltan and Percival give Geralt the Sihil.

When they meet with Yennefer, the lute is nowhere to be seen, but neither is the rest of their luggage, so I assume they've mostly finished packing up before that scene.

In ep 8, Jaskier is carrying the lute on his back right before and when they find the ferry.

On the ferry, we can see it in the back right corner with the rest of his stuff.

He brings it with him when they flee under the bridge, then puts it down and leaves it with Milva and Regis.

After the fight, at Queen Meve's camp, we see the lute leaning next to Cahir.

In conclusion: the lute does not get unpacked or even played. It's (probably) mostly on the waggon but Jaskier always brings it with him.

Over the course of s4 he begins to trust others with it, from holding it in his sleep in ep 1 to leaving it with Milva and Regis or Cahir.

But why doesn't he play it? I think it's because even he doesn't have the right words for songs during these times. Maybe he does sing and play sometimes to cheer others up but it wouldn't be shown on screen because it wouldn't fit the tone.

I think he's turning more and more to writing instead. In many scenes, we see him holding or writing in his notebook. He's trying to make sense of the world around him by chronicling what they're going through, trying to preserve their story, trying to leave a legacy. He kind of says so himself in ep 5.

Music by its nature is fleeting and gone as soon as it's over, to play music at this time would be almost an antithesis to that. As I mentioned, Geralt calls him Poet, not Bard in ep 5. Half a Century of Poetry, not Half a Century of Music.