Six of Crows: A Comic Adaptation

Part 1, Chapter 3

Pages 21–22

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The Crow's age and general sweetness is really obvious when they kidnap Alys. Like, kidnapping is generally extremely serious due to the nature of the things done to kidnapees. Meanwhile the Ice Court Crew are wringing their hands, trying to feed her cookies and give her massages.

Kerch, Ghezenism, and the Van Eck Family

The title pretty much sums it up. This is a rather extensive analysis, and to be honest with you all it is 2,500+ words. So get into this absolute beast at your own risk!

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From my experience in this fandom, I've seen it discussed very frequently how important religion is in the Grishaverse. Not only is it very deeply developed, to the point where many of the different countries have unique beliefs - which I'm not sure is seen very often in newer literature - but the various religious systems are also deeply important to many major characters, such as Matthias and Inej. However, one aspect of Grishaverse religions that seems to be overlooked somewhat often is the Kerch religion of Ghezenism. This may just be me, but I have a lot of thoughts on it. A big reason for that is that Wylan is, and always has been, my favorite character, and the culture surrounding Ghezen is actually a very important part of his character for many reasons. When you look into it in the way that I have, you discover that there are a lot of peculiar aspects of Ghezenism that make it stand out, as well as many ties that it has to major aspects of the story.

Right away, one thing that makes Kerch religion different from the others is how deeply connected to the economy it is. So much so that a lot of aspects of the two subjects are one and the same. Given that Ketterdam is a city largely fueled by commerce, it makes sense that Ghezenism would heavily tie into Kerch culture as well. Symbols of Ghezen can be found in many places throughout the city, even beyond the Church of Barter. A very good example of this is Vellgeluk, the island where the Crows meet Van Eck expecting to get their reward from the Ice Court heist: “Smugglers called it Vellgeluk, “good luck,” because of the paintings still visible around the base of what would have been the obelisk tower: golden circles meant to represent coins, symbols of favor from Ghezen, the god of industry and commerce,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 44). This just goes to show how many people in Ketterdam, and the wider country of Kerch as well, put their faith in Ghezen. Vellgeluk is a chosen place for smugglers to do business, specifically because favors of Ghezen are still present there. 

Another interesting part of that passage is the fact that Ghezen is referred to as the god of industry and commerce. Kerch may have other gods, but as far as I can remember - and I may be wrong, but I don't think I am - we never hear about any of them. A similar situation can be found in Fjerda, where Djel is specifically the god of life, implying the existence of other gods. In Fjerda, it is very clear that Djel is mainly what they base their culture and belief system around. This makes perfect sense for a god of life, but isn't Ketterdam’s situation a bit more unusual? The most frequently discussed god, Ghezen, represents industry. We can assume Ghezen is the primary god within the Kerch religious system. Not to mention that their largest church is called the Church of Barter, barter obviously being a term that has much to do with economics. Ketterdam, if not the entire country of Kerch, seems to have no real concept of the separation of church and state. They quite literally hold auctions inside of the church; the auctioning of Kuwei is not a singular event.

The impacts of religion can also be seen in the culture and behavior of the people of Kerch, as seen in a brief section of Crooked Kingdom. “Kerch women—even the wealthy ones—didn’t bother with anything as frivolous as embroidery or needlepoint. Ghezen was better served by tasks that benefited the household,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 14). Obviously, things like this are much more typical of religion. But I would argue that even this holds traces of the same values expressed by the connection between Ghezenism and the economy. It is specifically mentioned here that Kerch women are encouraged to participate in tasks that will “benefit the household”. This displays one of the very prominent aspects of the Ghezenite religion, which is that one of the most important things a person can do is be productive, and create a prosperous life for themselves and their family.

In addition to direct ties between Ghezenism and the Kerch economy, occasionally the legal system is put into the mix as well. While considering what consequences his father might face after the events of the auction, Wylan reveals this piece of information: “Knowingly entering into a false contract for the purpose of subverting the market wasn’t just illegal, it was considered blasphemy, a blight on the works of Ghezen, and the penalties were harsh,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 41). Essentially what he means by this is that not only is tampering with the economy against the law, but it is also heavily frowned upon in a religious sense, and anyone who does so will face punishment from both sides. This is extremely unique, even within the Grishaverse. This single sentence also reveals another very interesting thing about Kerch society. The market, as it exists in Ketterdam, is believed to be a creation of god - it is referred to here as being a part of the “works of Ghezen”. That, more than anything, is concrete proof of just how interconnected the economy of Kerch is with its primary religion. This also means that committing a crime such as Van Eck did isn't simply illegal (which we can assume he has no issues with), it is also an act that goes against his own religion. But stop to consider for a moment: does he really have a problem with that either?

There are numerous examples throughout both books of Van Eck blatantly abusing the values of his own religion. On its own, the teachings of Ghezenism aren't inherently bad. After all, things such as tampering with the market for your own gain are actively discouraged using the threat of blasphemy, which I'd say is generally beneficial. The issue, however, arises when Van Eck in particular attempts to twist some of these values in order to justify his own actions. If there is one single quote from the duology that exemplifies this, it would be this one: “Ghezen shows his favor to those who are deserving, to those who build cities, not the rats who eat away at their foundations. He has blessed me and my dealings. You will perish, and I will prosper. That is Ghezen’s will,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). Van Eck openly believes that, since he is a member of the upper class, he is somehow more deserving of a blessing. He is insistent that “Ghezen's will”, or what he interprets as what Ghezen wishes for him to do, is to trample others in order to further his own success. 

It doesn't matter to him who stands in his way, and it never will, because his goal is only to make himself more wealthy; he simply hides this behind a thin veil of piety. This motivation is especially clear when he is speaking to Inej while he is holding her captive. “When I leave this world, the greatest shipping empire ever known will remain, an engine of wealth, a tribute to Ghezen and a sign of his favor. Who will remember a girl like you, Miss Ghafa? What will you and Kaz Brekker leave behind but corpses to be burned on the Reaper’s Barge?” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 7). He frames people less fortunate than him - in this case Kaz and Inej - as forgettable and unimportant. The only thing he considers truly important is wealth, which he equates to power. He even references Ghezen here, claiming again that all of his actions, as well as his empire and legacy, are meant to show his dedication to his religion. He also claims that his ability to attain this level of success is a sign that Ghezen favors him. That in particular is a display of his extremely warped view of Ghezenism. The truth is that his success can only be attributed to his unethical actions, but the fact that he claims it is due to Ghezen's favor means that he will never be able to be convinced that he is wrong. He has what he believes to be an airtight justification.

His classism is also extremely evident, while indirectly, in an exchange between Kaz and Wylan earlier on in Crooked Kingdom. ““Your father much for charity?” “No. He tithes to Ghezen, but he says charity robs men of the chance at honest labor,”” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 2). This shows that Van Eck is very protective over his wealth. Which, quite frankly, is more likely than not the exact opposite of what Ghezenism is intended to promote. Based on what we are shown from an outside perspective, it seems as though one of the main aspects of Ghezenism is to create a prosperous economy for everyone. However, what Van Eck seems to believe is that he is intended to simply accumulate as much wealth as he possibly can, and keep it all for himself.

It is incredibly clear that Van Eck doesn't care about the well-being of anyone other than himself when it comes down to it. It could be argued that he cares for Alys, and will care for their child when it is born, but this simply cannot be proven. Just look at the exact mirror of this situation: Marya and Wylan. Wylan states about his parents, “I think he really loved her. They fought all the time, sometimes about me, but I remember them laughing a lot together too,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 14). If we are to believe that this is true, and Van Eck truly did love Marya, that doesn't change the fact that he didn't hesitate to send her away as soon as he discovered that Wylan couldn't read or write. There is no evidence to say that he wouldn't do the same to Alys, under similar circumstances. 

And, of course, this all leads back to the matter of Wylan. When Van Eck decided that Wylan wouldn't be useful to him, he stopped caring about him very quickly. Near the end of Six of Crows, we hear more of the specifics on Van Eck's opinion of Wylan. “I have hired the best tutors from every corner of the world. I’ve tried specialists, tonics, beatings, hypnotism. But he refused to be taught. I finally had to accept that Ghezen saw fit to curse me with a moron for a child. Wylan is a boy who will never grow to be a man. He is a disgrace to my house,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). Van Eck believes that Wylan is a curse from Ghezen, purely because he thinks that Wylan will be incapable of producing profits for their business. This is perhaps one of the most egregious examples of his blatant abuse of his own religion, because he is entirely willing to abandon and even murder his own son in order to fulfill his goals, which he claims is all Ghezen's will.

There is no feasible way Wylan would be able to grow up being raised by Van Eck, and not be affected by his religious ideas in some way. In fact, there is evidence contained in the text that proves this rather thoroughly. There are even certain things that have already been cited within this analysis that can be circled back to, such as the quote just above. This quote exemplifies the sort of treatment Wylan was subjected to while growing up. This is mostly speculation, but it's safe to assume he was told at a very young age that his own father considered him a punishment from god. That is objectively terrible, and we know that by the age of eight his father was his only parent. The psychological impacts that that would have on a child that young are unimaginable. 

Additionally, we can return to this quote from Crooked Kingdom: “When I leave this world, the greatest shipping empire ever known will remain, an engine of wealth, a tribute to Ghezen and a sign of his favor. Who will remember a girl like you, Miss Ghafa? What will you and Kaz Brekker leave behind but corpses to be burned on the Reaper’s Barge?” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 7). While Van Eck is not talking to Wylan here, and Wylan isn't even present at the time, this passage still indirectly displays Van Eck's feelings about Wylan. Here he is expressing the fact that he maintains that if a person is not able to create wealth and prosperity for themselves, they are essentially useless. As we know from the previous example, he believes this of Wylan as well.

It is evident that Wylan was taught Ghezenite values from a young age. While examining the exterior of the Church of Barter, his thoughts include this: “He didn’t need to be able to read the words engraved over the arch. He’d heard his father repeat them countless times. Enjent, Voorhent, Almhent. Industry, Integrity, Prosperity,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 31). This is confirmation that Van Eck frequently encouraged Wylan to think about these values, and it can be inferred that it likely wasn't in a particularly positive manner. Industry, integrity, and prosperity are clearly the three main ideals of this religion, and we can easily be led to the conclusion that Van Eck is certain his son is capable of none of them.

It is also suggested that Wylan may even associate his father's disapproval with religion subconsciously as well. A good example of this is in Crooked Kingdom, after Wylan is taken to the Church of Barter. “Van Eck shook his head. “Every time I think you cannot disappoint me further, you prove me wrong.” They were in a small chapel topped by a dome. The oil paintings on the wall featured battle scenes and piles of armaments,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 31). While this is also simply meant to provide the reader with a description of the environment, the juxtaposition between the two halves of this passage cannot be an accident. What we can observe here is that after Van Eck once again expresses his ever-present disappointment with Wylan, emphasis is immediately put on the fact that they are in the church. This, along with the other passages listed, creates a clear link between Wylan's negative relationship with his father and the effects that their shared religion has had on it.

What I consider to be one of the most important quotes for this subject, despite also being the shortest one used, comes near the end of Six of Crows. After Wylan has played his role in foiling Van Eck's plan to trick the Crows, he says this: “Maybe you can pray to Ghezen for understanding, Father,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). This is sort of the first act of retribution that the reader sees from Wylan. He has just made his father look like a fool, and then he practically spits in his face by taking the thing that was used against him for so long - their religion - and using it against his father instead. Not only is this moment incredibly satisfying, it also marks the beginning of Wylan's growth as a character that eventually leads to him being able to stand up to his father in more ways.

Despite being arguably the least explored Grishaverse religion in online spaces, I find Ghezenism to be extremely interesting when it comes to the ways it ties into the themes of the story. It represents wider, more general themes found throughout the book, such as the idea that people often value their own success over the well-being of others, but it contains even more when examined under a closer lens. It opens the door to a completely new aspect of further analyzing the relationship between Wylan and his father, and introduces vital elements of in-depth characterization for both of them. The way Wylan and Van Eck each view the same religion is highly indicative of their individual values, and that is a very interesting thing to expand upon. It simply goes to show just how much thought went into creating both the culture of this world, and the characters who live within it.

*lies awake at night thinking about how important it is that Alys is always referred to as a girl not a woman because ultimately she’s still a child who was raised incredibly sheltered and is in a potentially volatile marriage whilst still completely naive of the world with very little understanding of what’s going on around her and at the end of the day it all comes down to remembering that “it’s not her fault her parents shoved her into a marriage to my father”, I don’t think Van Eck was mistreating her yet but I do think he’d been mistreating Marya for a long time before he sent her away and that he probably would have done so to Alys further down the line, remember “my father trusts himself first, Alys only so far” the emphasis on “only so far” is so important any emotion or care Van Eck feels towards anyone always has an expiration date*

When Inej is away, Kaz visits the Van Eck mansion almost daily. He's bored and lonely, but wouldn't admit it to anyone. And at some point, he finds Alys there.

Wylan thought it might be good for his mother to talk to someone, and Alys is the only person for that - that comes to his mind. He would've asked Inej or Nina, but both of them are away, and Matthias, who would've been a good choice too, is very far away.

Both Wylan and Jesper are away, so Kaz, not wanting to go back to Slat and his boring papers, sits there and at some point joins the conversation. Marya and Alys were talking about children and their hobbies, at some point Kaz feared Alys might start singing. Well, Kaz didn’t really join in, truth is, at some point, Maria simply began asking him questions and explaining some things that Alice, in theory, should have known.

And eventually, after the shock had settled, Kaz really joined in. Both women were telling him all the tea they knew, and Kaz became an expert in Ketterdam's high-class rumors and scandals. He knows why a merchant's wife attending a ball in the same dress she wore before is scandalous. Why young ladies cannot be in the same room as gentlemen alone. Why men calling off an engagement is a scandal, but a woman doing the same is fine.

At some point Kaz visits them almost every time Alys and Marya meet for tea. And they do it every week.

Sometimes Alys brings her dog, and Kaz tries to train it. Marya offers whistle but both Kaz and Wylan protest against it. Wylan because he doesn’t want to have a headache every time Alys and the dog are visiting, and Kaz because he doesn’t want the dog to be manipulated as easily as Smits dogs were.

Eventually the dog, a little Pomeranian, is trained. And Kaz to everyone’s surprise makes it do tricks and sometimes puts on a little act with the dog. He makes it jump through fire, disappear in a hat and appear later with a rose in his teeth.

The dog adores Kaz and Kaz adores the dog. Sometimes Wylan thinks that Kaz visits just to see the dog.

we don’t talk enough about how much of a dick jan van eck is.

He’s a fucking terrible father.

He’s a predator. (Alys is only a few years older than Wylan, making her about 18 or 19 and jan is like 45 or something)

HE KIDNAPPED INEJ (enough said)

He tried to outsmart kaz, which signifies he’s an idiot

there’s probably more but I can’t think of anymore

Joost this, Joost that, but what about the most important Grishaverse character? The one that gossip with Jesper Fahey, that got a foot massage from Matthias Helvar, that had Nina Zenik on the verge of homicide, that gained Kaz Brekker’s respect by showing her gold digging values, who made Inej Ghafa approve adultery and made Wylan Van Eck wish he was never born with just a note?

Oh you think I’m going to develop Stockholm Syndrome? Really? Just because you have trauma and no support structure. Ya know what no-

*Adopts you as I break out of captivity and takes you with me to be part of my found family. Don’t fight it. Resistance is futile.*

I think Jesper and Wylan would end up raising Alys' kid if Alys died. This is all headcanon for if she died either in birth or she got in an accident or got sick or something. Because think about it: Wylan is 17 years older than his half sibling (I'm going to refer to them as his brother because I personally headcanon a boy but that's just me). So he's way more mature.

There would hardly be a sibling dynamic because by the time that kid is 8 Wylan would have a fully formed amygdala, be on top of the merchers in Ketterdam, probably a prominent member of the Dregs (secretly) thanks to Kaz, and also have a very reputable gunslinger as his long-term partner/spouse. Like there's no way he's going to have a spat with this kid over who gets the bigger slice of cake it's just not happening.

So, Wesper as parents/brothers:

Wylan would spoil the hell out of him. Like this kid would have everything he wanted.

He would be the sweetest little thing because Jesper and Wylan would praise him for even the smallest things. I think Wylan would teach him to be humble while Jesper would balance it out with confidence and pride. And it would be less them teaching him and more indirectly leading by example.

Jesper would be the firm guardian because he only wants what's best for this boy and he wants him to be able to get take care of himself and be okay in the world.

Jesper would act more like his mom than his dad while raising him.

He would teach him a lot because Wylan's busy. Anything from cooking to shooting to reading.

He would be the one to scold him for making a mess while Wylan is trying to figure out how to make sure his brother doesn't get upset while also trying to put his foot down.

Jesper would be the parent to go to for advice.

Wylan would be the parent to go to for comfort.

I think as they get older they would really come into themselves that way. Jesper would get wiser and Wylan would get a better handle on other people and how to share feelings and trust and comfort. This would reflect in his brother.

This boy loves his brothers/dad's so much and honestly their dynamic would be very trusting. I can't imagine Jesper or Wylan not being open with this kid because they didn't have as open/loving/safe a household as they would have liked, so they provide that for Wylan's brother with honesty and love and care.

And of course he would learn so much from the other crows:

Compassion and joy from Inej.

Strength and trust from Matthias.

Instinct and intelligence from Kaz. (And lock picking even though Wylan said no).

Love and Power from Nina.

Tell me your thoughts 💭

alys VAN ECK 💜

I just realized something...

Kaz Brekker's past is a lot more important than you realize. Kaz himself is a lot more important than you realize. Had it not been for him and Jordie coming to Ketterdam, finding a job, realizing it was all a scam, be left on the streets with nothing, losing his brother, and his swim in the canal while using Jordie's body as a floatation device, Six of Crows in general would never exist. Jesper might have died due to debts and gambling, Inej might have died at the menagerie, Wylan would have died somewhere on the streets, Nina might have become a slave to Pekka Rollins, Matthias would have died at Hellgate, Colm Fahey would lose his farm, Van Eck might have terrorized the world, Marya Hendriks would stay at the asylum and never reunite with her son, Alys would forever be tied to a monster, Kanej, Wesper, and Helnik would never happen, and the world itself would have looked very different. The suffering of one character, Kaz Brekker, lead to so much good for the future. His suffering made him go down that path that would turn him into a monster but along the way, he met his fellow Crows and formed the gang, which changed the whole future significantly.

So in conclusion...

Kaz's miserable childhood = happy future for everyone else

Kaz's happy childhood = miserable future for everyone else

😭🥲🥹🙃

I am so broken now...

back from the dead to bust out this funky new conspiracy

was nobody gonna tell me that Jan van Eck is casually just real person?? Not just real but the CEO OF AN INVESTMENT FIRM?? does Leigh have beef with this guy or did she just come across him and thought that he seemed like a villain? I have so many questions

Happy International Women's day to the grishaverse women and all the gv fans

To the grishaverse women who went through so much and came out still amazing. Most gv women are so badass and are still shown to struggle.

To all the people (like me) who feel empowered and repsented by the grishaverse women and their struggles, their resilience, their bluntness, and feminine rage. It's so rare to get representation like we do in the gv women.

So thank you to Leigh for writing these amazing characters and for just existing, and thank you to our beautiful fandom

Van Eck, preparing for his trial: But money still talks…?

Alys: … 😬

Van Eck, horrified: Don’t tell me the courts are actually lawful now!?

Good morning SoC fandom.

I’m here to remind you that Wylan never viewed Alys as bad or evil, he never disliked her. She was most likely the closest thing to a friend he’d ever had before crows.

As a matter of fact, after crows, she out of all people would most likely be the person he would choose for Marya to talk to.

And while Wylan doesn’t see her child as his sibling, he most certainly thinks of them as his nibling.