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Sanar and Ryelle stand together at the Binding of Orannis.

The Clayr are one of the three bloodlines which contain the Charter. The Clayr live in the Clayr's Glacier, which is north-west of Belisaere and has formed at the source of the River Ratterlin. The Clayr are almost all female, with dark skin, blonde hair and light blue or green eyes. Individually they have the ability to See flashes of the future, but when their Sight is concentrated, as with the Nine Day Watch and other larger gatherings of those with the Sight, they are able to See more clearly and for extended periods of time. The Clayr are currently the largest Charter bloodline, numbering over three thousand (according to Lirael). Because the vast majority are female, they typically reproduce through casual relationships with ordinary men who visit their Glacier.

When the Nine Day Watch first Sees a child (even doing something so mundane as sleeping), the child is permitted to celebrate their Awakening. They wear the clothes of an adult, have a special ceremony and are occasionally called to be a part of the Nine Day Watch. They are now viewed as adults, whatever their age. It is at about this time that they begin their adult jobs (such as serving in the library or the bursar's office) in addition to their Sight training. Most Clayr Awake while they are young, normally around 12. Some Awaken earlier and some much later. Sanar and Ryelle are some of the oldest on record to celebrate their Awakening, their Sight coming at the age of sixteen. It is said amongst the Clayr that the later a Clayr awakens, the more powerful their Sight is likely to be. However, it is possible to be born into the bloodline of the Clayr without having the Sight.

The power to See into the past is exclusive to the combination of the Clayr and Abhorsen bloodlines, though not all people with such lineage are able to do so; while Lirael (daughter of Abhorsen Terciel and Arielle of the Clayr) is a Remembrancer, Elinor (great great great granddaughter of Abhorsen Jeremiel and granddaughter of Myrien of the Clayr) is only able to see the future, and Sabriel (daughter of Abhorsen Terciel and Elinor Hallett) is only able to enter death.

Symbol[]

Golden star on a green field.

Notable Clayr[]

The following characters are Clayr or part Clayr, and who have been named in the books.

Trivia/Theories[]

  • Many fans think Mosrael gave itself to the Clayr bloodline, as their Sight is said to "awaken."
  • Theory of Male Clayr: If the Sight is exclusive to the XX chromosome pairing, then it's probable that male Clayr are XXY, or what are known as Kleinfelter males. That means one in every 3,000 or so births are male, and that male Clayr are generally sterile. (While this theory hasn't been officially confirmed by Garth Nix, it was posted to Twitter and Garth hit "like.")
    • This theory was disproven in a June 2020 interview with The Guardian, in which Garth clarified that a Clayr can choose the gender of her child before birth, and most simply choose female.
  • A Clayr refers to herself as a "Daughter of the Clayr."


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