Porrim Maryam (post-scratch)

For the pre-scratch version of this character, see Porrim Maryam.

The Dolorosa was the ancestor of Kanaya Maryam. Her name comes from the Latin Mater Dolorosa, meaning "Lady of Sorrows" - a name for the Virgin Mary, whose story the Dolorosa's parallels.

Biography[]

Apostles — The Dolorosa among the Signless' followers.

A member of the rare and reclusive jade caste, the Dolorosa was expected to spend her entire life underground tending to the mother grub; but upon discovering the larval Signless, she fled above ground to look after him. Shortly afterward, while the Signless was still a wiggler, the Dolorosa was shocked by the sudden appearance and disappearance of John Egbert.

One of “the most trusted elites among his devoted”, when the Signless was caught and executed she was “sold into slavery” as punishment.

Connections to Kanaya[]

Dolorosa showdown hq — The Dolorosa's silhouette as it appears over Kanaya during the 5x SHOWDOWN COMBO.

Kanaya's close friendship with the Signless' descendant Karkat Vantas mirrors the Dolorosa and the Signless' familial bond.

Though the Dolorosa's fate after being sold into slavery is not explicitly addressed, Mindfang was in possession of a sharp-toothed, warmer-blooded slave over whom she and Dualscar fought, possibly suggesting a parallel with the dynamic between Kanaya and her friends Vriska Serket and Eridan Ampora, both of whom especially tried to emulate their ancestors through roleplay. Andrew Hussie offers support for the interpretation that this unnamed slave is indeed the Dolorosa in the commentary for Homestuck: Book 6: Act 5 Act 2 Part 2^[1].

References[]

↑ Andrew Hussie. "Since this is the very first journal entry, and our heads are still spinning a bit from suddenly having to read a wall of problematic erotica in dense, haughty prose, it's easy to overlook certain things that are hinted at here. For instance, the alert reader might begin to suspect the "slave" Mindfang is talking about is Kanaya's ancestor (the Dolorosa). There isn't much to go on, other than her being a lesser blood caste, some allusion to her horn shapes, and sharp teeth. This alone doesn't make a strong case, but the more we start to understand these accounts of ancestor lore are meant to come across as original events which are somewhat being karmically reprised by the young trolls, the less likely it seems this would just be some random troll. And we're getting a look at a guy who obviously is Eridan's ancestor, who's locked in a black feud with Mindfang similar to the dynamic Vriska and Eridan both had during their Flarping days. And now the journal mentions Dualscar ended up killing the slave either out of jealousy, or just some form of all-around Ampora-grade bitchiness. We just saw Eridan kill Kanaya, which loosely matches this outcome. Also recall that Kanaya was infatuated with Vriska for a while, loosely echoing whatever sordid thing was going on here between their ancestors." Homestuck: Book 6: Act 5 Act 2 Part 2, p.328.

[1] Andrew Hussie. "Since this is the very first journal entry, and our heads are still spinning a bit from suddenly having to read a wall of problematic erotica in dense, haughty prose, it's easy to overlook certain things that are hinted at here. For instance, the alert reader might begin to suspect the "slave" Mindfang is talking about is Kanaya's ancestor (the Dolorosa). There isn't much to go on, other than her being a lesser blood caste, some allusion to her horn shapes, and sharp teeth. This alone doesn't make a strong case, but the more we start to understand these accounts of ancestor lore are meant to come across as original events which are somewhat being karmically reprised by the young trolls, the less likely it seems this would just be some random troll. And we're getting a look at a guy who obviously is Eridan's ancestor, who's locked in a black feud with Mindfang similar to the dynamic Vriska and Eridan both had during their Flarping days. And now the journal mentions Dualscar ended up killing the slave either out of jealousy, or just some form of all-around Ampora-grade bitchiness. We just saw Eridan kill Kanaya, which loosely matches this outcome. Also recall that Kanaya was infatuated with Vriska for a while, loosely echoing whatever sordid thing was going on here between their ancestors." Homestuck: Book 6: Act 5 Act 2 Part 2, p.328.

[1]