When one person saves another, but the saved person has nothing to give their savior in return, the Law of Surprise is invoked.
There are numerous ways to use the Law of Surprise, with the choice of words serving as the primary variable. Others ask for "what one finds at home that one does not yet expect," while some people ask for "the first thing that comes to greet you."
Regardless, the Law of Surprise is essentially a game of chance. The Savior has no idea what they might obtain by using it. Sometimes the reward is as simple as an eager dog, and other times it may be an unborn child.
The Law of Surprise was a strategy used by witchers in The Witcher book series to entice new students to their witcher schools. Of course, there weren't always "Child Surprises," as they were called in the books. However, readers are introduced to Princess Cirilla as a "Child Surprise" in Geralt's story.
It's an ancient idea in the world of The Witcher that is slightly related to real mythology of Slavic and Polish origin, two folk histories that Andrzej Sapkowski's books and the show frequently refer to.
When was the “Law of Surprise” invoked in The Witcher?
"Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials," the fourth episode of The Witcher season one, tells a story about Princess Pavetta, the daughter of Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May). The story is before the birth of Princess Cirilla, Pavetta’s daughter, and Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) is a little less enraged by a world that views him as a mutant and doesn't pay him even when he gets the job done.
Calanthe has grand plans for her daughter's hand in marriage, but when a knight named Duny (Bart Edwards), a charming man with a hedgehog head, shows up to claim Pavetta as his bride, he invokes a law known as the Law of Surprise to do so, and Calanthe is shocked. It turns out that Duny, the gentleman hedgehog, had earlier saved King Roegner's life. "By tradition, I chose the Law of Surprise as payment," Duny says.
The men at the banquet are instructed to kill Duny by Pavetta's mother, Calanthe, who is unconcerned with ancient laws. However, the Law of Surprise ultimately triumphs, helped along by Geralt, who joins the fight to defend Duny, effectively rewriting everyone's fate. The power of the law ultimately lies in the fear of interfering with that destiny, which is why it is such a revered practice.
However, it was later revealed that Duny and Pavetta were already in love. before Pavetta was received as Duny’s payment through the Law of Surprise. They're merely formalizing their union by means of the Law of Surprise. Duny's hedgehog curse is lifted when Calanthe finally consents to the marriage, and he is turned into a normal man.
How did Princess Cirilla become Geralt’s child surprise?
When saving Duny in the fourth episode of The Witcher season one, "Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials," Geralt almost jokingly suggests that he should be compensated with the Law of Surprise.
However, no one is aware at the time that Pavetta is already carrying Duny's unborn child. Ciri, their infant, is now owed to Geralt as a "child of surprise" because he used the law. Even though Geralt declines to accept Ciri as payment, the law ultimately links their fates.
Who is Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher?
The protagonist of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series of short stories and novels is a fictional character named Geralt of Rivia. He is a "witcher," a monster hunter with magical enhancements, and his mutations have given him superhuman abilities. After making his debut in the books, Péter Apor described him as a figure representing "the neo-liberal anti-politics" spirit of Polish popular culture in the 1990s.
Visenna, Geralt's mother, gives him away shortly after he is born so that he can receive training at Kaer Morhen, the witchers' stronghold, and eventually become one of them. Geralt undergoes mutations and gains a variety of witcher traits during the Trial of the Grasses, including high resistance to harm, poison, and diseases, as well as slowed aging and infertility (all witchers are infertile).
He holds off the Trial of Grasses' "changes" better than most. This encourages his creators to subject him to even riskier experimental techniques that will cause him to completely lose all body pigmentation. He is also referred to as "Gwynbleidd" or the White Wolf in the Elder Speech due to his white hair and pale skin.
He masters swordplay and gains proficiency with the witchers' basic spells, known as "signs," through their rigorous training. Despite his name, Geralt is not from Rivia. Master Vesemir advises young witchers to invent surnames to make their names sound more reliable. Geralt's first choice was Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde, but Vesemir dismissed this as silly.
He receives his Wolf medallion, which is the emblem of Kaer Morhen, after completing his witcher training, and then sets out on his horse, Potka (literally, "Roach"), to become a monster slayer for hire.
FAQs
Q. What is the “Law of Surprise” in The Witcher?
A. According to an old custom known as the "Law of Surprise," when someone saves the life of another and has nothing to offer, the law of surprise can be invoked. It is more of a gamble regarding what one will gain.
Q. Who portrays Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher?
A. The Geralt of Rivia is portrayed by Henry Cavill, however, he is replaced by Liam Hemsworth for season four of The Witcher, which is under production.
Q. What is the net worth of Henry Cavill?
A. The net worth of Henry Cavill is estimated to be $50 million, as of 2023.
Q. What did Geralt of Rivia choose as his full name to be?
A. Geralt initially chose Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde as his full name, but Vesemir rejected it.
