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By Linda
Min's viewings come in images and auras around the head of an individual or a group of people. Often, she understands what they mean—the instinctual knowing comes with the viewing; but there are times when what she sees is unknown even to her. Other times, she knows what they mean, but not how they will happen.
Until Fortuona employed her, the ability has been a curse more than a blessing for her:
“I was twelve when it started, and I didn’t know to make a secret of it. Everybody thought I was just making things up. Until I said a man on the next street was going to marry a woman I saw him with, only he was already married. When he ran off with her, his wife brought a mob to my aunt’s house claiming I was responsible, that I’d used the One Power on her husband or given the two of them some kind of potion.” Min shook her head. “She wasn’t too clear. She just had to blame somebody. There was talk of me being a Darkfriend, too. Anyway, Aunt Rana convinced me to say I had just overheard them talking, and Aunt Miren promised to spank me for spreading tales, and Aunt Jan said she’d dose me. They didn’t of course—they knew the truth—but if they hadn’t been so matter-of-fact about it, about me just being a child, I could have been hurt, or even killed.”At age twelve she had just reached or was about to reach puberty, the traditional time for ‘magical’ or prophetic skills to manifest.
- A Crown of Swords, The Butcher’s Yard
The Seanchan prize such an ability to read the Pattern, and have catalogued occurrences as omens (see Omens article), with varying success, so someone who is truly prophetic is venerated:
Fortuona drew in a sharp breath. She looked up at Mat. "This is a great gift you have brought me, Knotai. Enough to pay your penance. Enough for credit beyond. Such a grand gift."Min had never had her ability embraced so enthusiastically before, so she did not argue too hard against being co-opted:
"Well . . . I . . ."
"I don't belong to anyone," Min said. "Except maybe Rand, and him to me."
Fortuona ignored her, standing. "This woman is my new Soe'feia. Doomseer, Truthspeaker! Holy woman, she who may not be touched. We have been blessed. Let it be known. The Crystal Throne has not had a true reader of the omens for over three centuries!"
- A Memory of Light, Friendly Fire
"Don't worry about me," Min said with a grimace. "I suppose I'm better off with Fortuona. She . . . knows about a certain talent of mine, thanks to Mat, and it might let me help her. And you."She also wanted to tie the Seanchan to the Westlands so they fight in the Last Battle and cooperated with the other nations. It is interesting that three hundred years ago there was someone who had a similar talent to Min. The Seanchan cannot use foretellers as Doomseers because they are damane and therefore of lowest status.
- A Memory of Light, A Tempest of Water
Min was given a new name—Darbinda, Girl of Pictures—when made Truthspeaker, as a symbol of now being one of the few allowed to speak to the Empress directly, and was promoted to the Blood when she saved Fortuona (A Memory of Light, The Last Battle).
In her outrage at being baulked, Fortuona forgot that Min now had the right to rebuke the Empress until reminded by Selucia. Min’s point was:
"You do not use my skills as you should."Min sees herself as a bearer of tidings about the Pattern, whereas Tuon sees her as attracting them. Whichever she is, she is valuable, even sacred, and if she is mistreated there is the risk that she will lose her ability (to the detriment of the state), or the Pattern might punish those who don’t recognise her state of grace.
"And how should I?" Tuon asked. The soldier who had been given a death sentence continued lying prostrate. She didn't object—she was not of a rank that could address the Empress. She was lowly enough that speaking to someone else in Tuon's presence would be a breach of honor.
"What someone may do is not grounds to kill them," Min said. "I intend no disrespect, but if you are going to kill people because of what I tell you, I will not speak."
"You can be made to speak."
"Try it," Min said softly. Mat started. Bloody ashes, she looked as cold as Tuon had a moment ago. "Let us see how the Pattern treats you, Empress, if you torture the bearer of omens."
Instead, Tuon smiled. "You take to this well. Explain to me what you desire, bringer of omens."
"I will tell you my viewings," Min said, "but from now on, the interpretations—whether my own, or those you read into the images—are to be kept quiet. Between the two of us would be best. You are allowed to watch someone because of what I've said, but not to punish them—not unless you catch them doing something. Set this woman free."
"Let it be so," Tuon said. "You are free," she Voiced through Selucia. "Walk in loyalty to the Crystal Throne. You will be watched."
- A Memory of Light, A Yellow Flower Spider
Tuon was pleased that Min stood up to her, and also that she stood on the side of justice and order, Tuon representing those (see Tuon essay), since it meant she was unlikely to misuse her position or make false declarations.
Provided below is a listing of Min’s viewings in chronological order of character and within character, an analysis of their possible meanings, and whether they have occurred yet.
Those viewings made since the Dark One began to strongly affect reality are less likely to come true:
The viewings and prophecies that occurred before the loosening of the pattern are very valid. But those that occurred at, or after, the loosening have a higher chance of not coming true.That would be from Crossroads of Twilight.
- Robert Jordan at a Knife of Dreams booksigning
Some have taken the existence of post Tarmon Gai’don viewings—such as Nesune founding a library—as proof that Rand will win, no worries! Min knows otherwise:
"No," Min said. "But if Rand loses, there is no Pattern."It’s important that prophecies come true: on The Gathering Storm book tour Sanderson said that the prophecies must be fulfilled or the Pattern will break. However, we can trust that they will come true unless the Pattern is broken. That’s the paradoxical thing about prophecies.
"The girl is correct." Cadsuane sounded surprised. "What this child sees are weavings in the Pattern from a time still distant—but if the Dark One wins, he will destroy the Pattern entirely. This is the only way the visions could fail to occur. The same holds for other prophecies and Foretellings. Our victory is by no means sure."
That stilled the room. They weren't playing at village politics or national dominance. At stake was creation itself.
- The Gathering Storm, Scents Unknown
Rand and the battle with the Shadow
When we first meet Min, she overwhelms Rand with an avalanche of viewings. Since this is in The Eye of World and is the first time these two talk, it is believed that most of what she sees are key elements to the story as a whole, none more so than the first viewing she speaks of:
Rand shivered. “And what did you see?”The viewing is the first of several referring to the battle against the Shadow. They are all important in the fight, not just Rand, Mat and Perrin, but Egwene, Moiraine, Lan and even Thom.
"When you’re all in a group? Sparks swirling around you [the three ta’veren, Moiraine, Lan, Egwene and Thom], thousands of them, and a big shadow, darker than midnight. . . The sparks are trying to fill the shadow, and the shadow is trying to swallow the sparks.” She shrugged. “You are all tied together in something dangerous, but I can’t make any more of it."
“All of us?” Rand muttered. “Egwene, too?”
“The girl? She’s part of it. And the gleeman.”
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
And Nynaeve as well:
“She’s [Nynaeve is] part of it, right along with the rest of you.…The sparks, Rand. She met Mistress Alys coming in, and there were sparks, with just the two of them. Yesterday I couldn’t see sparks without at least three or four of you together, but today it’s all sharper and more furious…You’re all in more danger today than yesterday. Since she came.”Nynaeve is also an important part of the battle against the Shadow. The group is in more danger because the Shadow had tracked them to Baerlon—possibly by following Nynaeve. Also Rand’s strange behaviour (a reaction to channelling) has attracted attention.
- The Eye of the World, The Wisdom
This viewing gradually centres on Rand; Min always sees it around him:
One of those images she had seen every time she saw him. Countless thousands of sparkling lights, like stars or fireflies, rushed into a great blackness, trying to fill it up, rushed in and were swallowed. There seemed to be more lights than she had ever seen before, but the darkness swallowed them at a greater rate, too.As the series progresses and Tarmon Gai’don approaches, the battle involves more and more people and more and more deaths.
- Lord of Chaos, A Threat
When others important to the battle are with Rand, they are included in this viewing:
“Did you see anything that concerns me?” he [Rand] asked [Min].Min’s viewing of the war against the Shadow shows that Rand cannot win it alone. With Rand alone, the Shadow is winning; with two ta’veren, the battle is evenly poised. It confirms that all three ta’veren need to be together to actually defeat the Dark One. Rand needed to accept that other people have their part and he can’t do it alone.
“When you two [Rand and Perrin] were together, I saw those fireflies and the darkness stronger than ever…But with the two of you in the same room, the fireflies were holding their own instead of being eaten faster than they can swarm the way they do when you’re alone.”
- Lord of Chaos, A Threat
As always to her eyes, images and colourful auras flickered around him [Rand], most gone too quickly to make out, all but one meaningless to her at the moment. That one viewing came and went a hundred times a day, and whenever Mat or Perrin were present, it encompassed them, too, and sometimes others. A vast shadow lurked over him, swallowing up thousands upon thousands of tiny lights like fireflies that hurled themselves into it in an attempt to fill up the darkness. Today, there seemed to be countless tens of thousands of fireflies, but the shadow seemed larger, too. Somehow that viewing represented his battle with the Shadow, but he almost never wanted to know how it stood. Not that she could really say, except that the Shadow always seemed to be winning, to one degree or another.Still more people are involved in the war against the Shadow. Rand is without Mat or Perrin at this time and so the Shadow looks the likely winner. The three had not been together since Tear, and Min hadn’t seen them together since Falme. Both these occasions were great victories for the Light. It is obviously in the Forsaken’s interest to keep the three ta’veren apart. They did quite well at this.
- A Crown of Swords, Into The Woods
The battle with the Shadow is not the only image Min sees around Rand:
Rand’s personal images
"She [Egwene] loves you [Rand], too, but she's not for you, or you for her. Not the way you both want."Min doesn't explain what she sees about Egwene, but she obviously sees something that says Egwene and Rand will not marry as they always thought they would.
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
"A sword that isn't a sword, a golden crown of laurel leaves, a beggar's staff, [Rand] pouring water on sand, a bloody hand and a white-hot iron, three women standing over a funeral bier with you on it, black rock wet with blood. . . Most of all, I see lightning around you, some striking you, some coming out of you. I don’t know what any of it means, except for one thing. You and I will meet again." She gave him a quizzical look, as if she did not understand that, either.The sword that isn't a sword is Callandor and the crown of laurel leaves is the crown of Illian, so both these viewings have been fulfilled. Perrin saw Rand in the wolfdream in The Shadow Rising, To The Tower of Ghenjei, wearing rags and a rough cloak and with a bandage covering his eyes rather like the Fisher King in sha’rah. In The Gathering Storm, Just Another Man, Rand wandered in Ebou Dar alone in a ragged cloak and with a staff given to him by a Tinker fulfilling both Perrin’s and Min’s visions.
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
Pouring water on sand refers to Rand fulfilling the Aiel prophecy:
"He shall spill out the blood of those who call themselves Aiel as water on sand, and he shall break them as dried twigs, yet the remnant of a remnant shall he save, and they shall live."Many Aiel—indeed many people of all nations—died in battle for Rand. Rand also made it rain for the first time in the Waste and created a great lake in Rhuidean.
- The Shadow Rising, He Who Comes With The Dawn
The bloody hand and the white-hot iron have a couple of possibilities. While Robert Jordan deliberately made Rand lose a hand like the Norse god of strife, Tiw/Tyr, there was no blood involved; it was burnt off by Semirhage (Knife of Dreams, A Plain Wooden Box) .
A possibility is the never-healing wound in Rand's side that Ishamael inflicted:
Rand screamed as he felt it [Ishamael's staff] pierce his side, burning like a white-hot poker.Whenever Rand exerts himself, this tainted wound breaks open and bleeds on his hand when he touches the wound. The wound and the blood on Rand's hands that it leaves symbolises Rand being forced to damage the world to save it and his awareness of his sins.
- The Great Hunt, The Grave Is No Bar To My Call
Rand's wannabe nemesis, Padan Fain, mirrored this by cutting his hand with a tainted knife and letting it bleed on the ground (Towers of Midnight, Prologue).
Originally, Jordan planned to have Morgase sentence Rand to death, with Elayne managing to commute this, but also having to condemn him to some other punishment (Robert Jordan, Notes on Books 2 through 6, and Extremely Tentative Notes on the Course of the Books). This was to having his eyes put out with a white-hot iron (and, in some versions of the notes, his hand chopped off) and forced to wander the countryside alone. This viewing is a remnant of this plot.
The three women standing over the funeral bier are Aviendha, Elayne and Min at the cremation of Rand’s body. This is the viewing Min referred to when she said:
"I've seen this," Min said. "I knew it would come the day I first met him. We three, together, here."The black rock wet with blood occurred when Rand’s wound broke open as he entered Shayol Ghul and he bled on the rocks there.
- A Memory of Light, To See The Answer
Then, most of all, Min sees the lightning. One of the first times Rand channelled he called down lightning on an inn to deal with Howal Gode and his men. Lightning has featured in Rand’s duel with Asmodean in Rhuidean and also in the battles at Cairhien and Caemlyn and against the Seanchan. Lighting and storms were also used at the Last Battle, and Rand manipulated them until driven away by Dreadlords (A Memory of Light, Just Another Sell-Sword).
Rand’s three loves also feature in viewings:
“Oh, of course,” she [Min] said bitterly. “I’m bound to him [Rand] as surely as a stave is to the barrel. But I can’t see if he’ll ever love me in return. And I am not the only one…I told him, didn’t I? ‘Rand, I did a viewing of you, and it seems I have to fall in love with you. I have to share you, too, and I don’t much like that, but there it is.’”It is likely that Min saw this back in Baerlon in The Eye of the World, but said nothing to Rand. Certainly her behaviour supports this.
- The Dragon Reborn, The Hunt Begins
“Min, you had a viewing about Rand and me [Elayne] didn’t you?”And of course, it’s Aviendha, the woman Elayne thinks is keeping an eye on Rand for her. Rand certainly is tied to Elayne—with a Warder bond.
“Yes.” It was a wary word.
“You saw that we were going to fall in love.”
“Not exactly. I saw you’d fall in love with him. I don’t know what he feels for you, only that he’s tied to you in some way.”
“And you saw there would be someone else. Someone I’d have to…share…him with.”
“Two,” Min said hoarsely. “Two others. And…I’m one.”
“Who is the third?” she asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” Min mumbled. “Only that she has a temper. Not Nynaeve thank the Light.”
- The Fires of Heaven, To Teach and To Learn
Min also sees direct threats to Rand:
And there was something else, something new, an aura of yellow and brown and purple that made her stomach clench.The first time was the Aes Sedai in Elaida’s embassy. The next time was probably when Semirhage and Elza collared Rand and tortured him.
“I saw an aura around you in the throne room. Aes Sedai are going to hurt you. Women who can channel, anyway. It was all confused; I’m not sure about the Aes Sedai part. But it might happen more than once. I think that’s why it seemed all scrambled.”
- Lord of Chaos, A Threat
And something else I saw when you were together. Twice he’s going to have to be there, or you…If he’s not, something bad will happen to you. Very bad.”Perrin helped save Rand at Dumai’s Wells and again when he broke free of Lanfear’s Compulsion and killed her before she killed Rand. He believed that Rand would not be able to kill Lanfear.
“Then I’ll just have to keep him around.”
“I don’t know that will be enough. It will happen if he is not there, but nothing I saw said it won’t because he is. It will be very bad, Rand.”
- Lord of Chaos, A Threat
Images and auras flickered around them [Bera and Kiruna] as always around Aes Sedai and Warders. One caught Min’s eye when it flashed around both women at the same instant, brownish yellow and deep purple. The colours themselves meant nothing, but that aura made Min stop breathing…Min actually brings this viewing into fulfilment herself, by scaring Rand into fleeing to Cairhien. Once there, convinced he has escaped the danger, he drops his guard against Elaida’s embassy, and they capture and torture him as they planned.
“It isn’t only that [thirteen Aes Sedai], Rand,” she said frantically. “It’s the aura. Blood, death, the One Power, those two women and you, all in the same place at the same time… Kiruna and Bera do not like you, not at all! Remember what I saw around you? Women who can channel, hurting you. It is the auras, and the thirteen, and everything, Rand. It is too much!”
- Lord of Chaos, The Mirror of Mists
“Trust me, Min. I won’t hurt you. I will cut off my arm before I hurt you.” She was silent, and he finally looked down to find her peering up at him with a strange expression.There may be a viewing involved here since this actually happened. At the meeting with Semirhage, she attacked Rand and he did not dodge aside because Min would have been hit:
“That’s very nice to hear, sheepherder.” Her voice was as odd as her face.
- Lord of Chaos, The Mirror of Mists
He could not leap aside: Min stood right behind him. Frantically trying to seize saidin, he flung up the hand holding the Dragon Scepter in desperation.Consequently Rand’s hand was burnt off; he sacrificed his hand so Min didn’t get hurt.
- Knife of Dreams, A Plain Wooden Box
”I saw you and another man. I couldn’t make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and…” Her mouth tightened worriedly, and she went on in a very small voice.” I don’t know what it means, Rand, except one of you dies, and one doesn’t. I— Why are you grinning? This isn’t a joke, Rand. I do not know which of you dies.”This refers to Rand’s soul being transmigrated into Moridin’s body and vice versa, so Moridin dies and Rand lives. Rand and he ‘touched’ before they began to merge: Rand’s and Moridin’s balefires touched in Shadar Logoth, resulting in the two men being linked. Repeatedly we are told that Rand feels as though he could reach out and ‘touch’ Moridin in his mind.
- A Crown of Swords, A Bath
Suddenly viewings spun around his head. She ignored them most of the time, unless they were new, but now she picked them out. Fireflies consumed in darkness. Three women before a pyre. Flashes of light, darkness, shadow, signs of death, crowns, injuries, pain and hope. A tempest around Rand al'Thor, stronger than any physical storm.Fireflies represent human souls and these are being consumed by darkness. In earlier viewings, the darkness was the Shadow, but in this book with Rand so tainted by the True Power, the darkness could represent him or the Shadow. There’s little difference at this point.
- The Gathering Storm, A Place To Begin
Min had an earlier viewing of three women around a bier with Rand on it. Now Min sees three women before a pyre around Rand. It is the same situation: the women stood before his pyre as his body was cremated.
Rand became increasingly dark as he was corrupted by the True Power and his link to Moridin. The Shadow was very close to him at this time and nearly made him as dark as they. Since Rand is one with the Land, there was a great rise in death and corruption as he succumbed. Flashes of light might represent Rand’s insight and enlightenment at the end of The Gathering Storm. There was even a break in the blanket of cloud to allow a 'halo-effect' to shine on Rand on Dragonmount and it followed him thereafter.
Crowns might symbolise his meetings with rulers and his ability to grant crowns (or take them away) but this isn’t anything new. However, Min puzzling out about crowns and their presence in the commentaries on the Prophecies of the Dragon was important for working out how Rand could win the fight against the Shadow. Rand faced down the leaders of nations and armies to convince them to sign his peace treaty to get world peace as well as military unity.
There has been no lack of pain for Rand. He feels all his injuries, both physical and psychological. Moridin wanted the latter to be increased with the aim of wounding Rand so much that he despairs and becomes as dark as the Shadow, and as we saw on Dragonmount, Moridin very nearly succeeded:
Did he have to be in pain until the end?Rand became increasingly stormy under this incredible pressure and pain—a tempest indeed. And he was going to loose a tempest of destruction on the world with the Choedan Kal, and only pulled back at the last minute:
He had thought that if he made himself hard enough, it would take away the pain. If he couldn't feel, then he couldn't hurt.
The wounds in his side pulsed in agony. For a time, he'd been able to forget them. But the deaths he had caused rubbed his soul raw.
- The Gathering Storm, Veins of Gold
"Why?" Rand whispered to the twisting winds around him. The Power coming to him through the access key was greater than he'd held when cleansing saidin. Perhaps greater than any man had ever held. Great enough to unravel the Pattern itself and bring final peace.Finally, however, he remembered positive things about being alive, like love, joy, peace and hope. Pain and hope show Rand’s feelings had returned. In particular, the pain he felt as he saw people die in the Last Battle and the hope he carried that he would somehow live on after it.
"Why do we have to do this again?" he whispered. "I have already failed. She is dead by my hand. Why must you make me live it again?"
Lightning cracked above, thunder buffeting him. Rand closed his eyes, perched above a drop that plummeted thousands of feet downward, in the middle of a tempest of icy wind. Through his eyelids, he could sense the blazing light of the access key. The Power he held inside dwarfed that light. He was the sun. He was fire. He was life and death.
- The Gathering Storm, Veins of Gold
The air shimmered above Rand, and a mountain appeared there. Viewings were so common around Rand that Min usually forced herself to ignore them unless they were new—though she did spend time some days trying to pick them all out and sort through them. This one was new, and it caught her attention. The towering mountain was blasted out on one side, making a jagged hole down the slope. Dragonmount? It was cloaked in dark shadows, as if shaded by clouds high above. That was odd; whenever she'd seen the mountain, it had reached higher than the clouds themselves.This was fulfilled when Rand went to Dragonmount at the end of The Gathering Storm. The two are closely linked. The vent in the side of Dragonmount was there, a parallel of the wound in Rand’s side. Dragonmount is cloaked in dark shadows in Min’s viewing and people have sensed a seething shadow over Rand after he channelled the True Power. Both were shaded from the heavens, the Light. Normally Dragonmount is above the clouds, and Rand too should be above any taint. Dragonmount in shadows was very important to the future indeed—to the whole world’s future. If Rand had followed his destructive, shadowy impulses, the world’s future would have come to an end right there. The tiny light shining down from the heavens represents Rand’s change of heart, his enlightenment, which drew approval from above in the form of the sun shining for the first time in days. The Dark One’s grasp on Rand was greatly weakened as Rand turned his back on ultimate power, power to break the world, and settle for a second chance to fix things up.
Dragonmount in shadows. It would be important to Rand in the future. Was that a tiny prick of light shining from the heavens down onto the point of the mountain? The viewing vanished.
- The Gathering Storm, A Force of Light
New viewings spun around his head. She normally ignored those, but she couldn't do so now. An open cavern, gaping like a mouth. Bloodstained rocks. Two dead men on the ground, surrounded by ranks and ranks of Trollocs, a pipe with smoke curling from it.The mouth-like open cavern is Shayol Ghul, the entrance of which was described by the Forsaken as even having stone teeth to rend those in disfavour. As for blood-stained rocks, Rand bled on the rocks of Shayol Ghul from his side wound as prophesied as part of his sacrifice for the world’s salvation. Rand and Moridin lay on the ground at Thakan’dar (as the body swap occurred). The ranks of Trollocs (whether those of the Dark One or Shaisam) all had to be defeated by the Light’s armies in order for the victory to be complete. Rand now has a pipe that lights when he wishes.
- Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought
"I see you, a brilliant white sword held in your hand, wielded against one of black, held by a faceless darkness."The faceless darkness was a manifestation of the Dark in the Pit of Doom. Rand held Callandor while he duelled with Moridin, who wielded a sword of black steel. The black hand that held Callandor was that of Moridin as he was trapped into helping Rand reseal the Bore. His hand wasn’t literally black, but symbolises him using the True Power.
- Towers of Midnight, Return to Bandar Eban
Rand reached out, touching the weapon. She glanced at him, and a viewing sprang to life above him. A glowing sword, Callandor, being gripped in a black hand. She gasped.
"What did you see?" Rand asked softly.
"Callandor, held in a fist. The hand looks to be made of onyx."…
Egwene
“When I look at her [Egwene], I see the same as when I look at… Mistress Alys. Other things, things I don’t understand, too, but I know what that means. She won’t refuse it.”Min sees many images around Egwene the way she does around any channeller. She knows Egwene wants to be Aes Sedai.
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
Min glanced at her [Egwene] "A white flame, and . . .Oh, all sorts of things, I don’t know what it means.”Egwene's white flame shows that she will be the Amyrlin Seat, The Flame of Tar Valon, and channel the Flame of Tar Valon weave to hold reality together after balefire.
- The Great Hunt, New Friends and Old Enemies
“You know I’ve read you, Egwene. I don’t understand most of it—I almost never do—but I see things I am sure link you to Rand, and Perrin, and Mat, and—yes, even Galad, the Light help you for a fool. How can any of that happen if the Seanchan take you off across the ocean?”These things aren’t specified, unfortunately. It is interesting that Min didn’t mention Gawyn. Egwene did make an impression on Galad, though, and the Tower’s treatment of Egwene was part of the reason he joined the Whitecloaks.
- The Great Hunt, Falme
Lan
[Lan] "has seven ruined towers around his head, and a babe in a cradle holding a sword . . ."Concerning Lan, it is found out relatively early in the series that he was once heir to the Malkieri crown. The seven broken towers are what is left of Malkier, as it has succumbed to the Blight. The babe in the cradle is Lan, an oath sworn for him to remember Malkier and uphold that memory. It may not be this simple, though. Robert Jordan has since told us:
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
Q: "Do Min's viewings always predict the future, or do some tell about the past, mainly the 7 towers around Lan in The Eye of the World?Since Min’s viewings are about the future, the seven towers probably refer to Lan raising the Golden Crane banner and rousing the Borderlands for Tarmon Gai’don (Knife of Dreams, The Golden Crane). In The Eye of the World, the expedition to the Eye halted near seven ruined towers, and there Nynaeve and Lan expressed their love, but Lan refused to offer marriage. There is also the possibility that Jordan has changed his mind about how Min's viewings work since The Eye of the World. However, it could be argued that both images show how Lan’s past and heritage have shaped him and what a haunting burden to him they are—he cannot let them go. While he has supported Moiraine these past 20 years, he has not abandoned his duty to Malkier, merely set it aside for the greater war with the Shadow. After a long struggle against the responsibilities of kingship, Lan accepted them and led the Borderlander army.
A: "Um, her viewings are always concerning the future."
- Robert Jordan, Glimmers Interview
Thom
"The strongest images around the gleeman are a man—not him—juggling fire, and the White Tower . . ."The "juggling fire" probably refers to channelling saidin, and so the man may be his nephew Owyn, gentled by Aes Sedai, or even Rand. The White Tower refers to when he later helps Elayne and Nynaeve in Tanchico on a White Tower mission (including joining Luca’s menagerie as a juggler, another interpretation), or his anger at what happened to Owyn. All Thom's involvement with what happens after The Eye of the World is linked to the White Tower. Like Lan, Thom is tied to his past—it is a major part of his motivation. And now he has married an Aes Sedai.
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
Perrin
"The strongest things I see about the big, curly-haired fellow (Perrin) are a wolf, and a broken crown, and trees flowering all around him."The wolf is quite obvious, since Perrin is a Wolfbrother. The crown is the Broken Crown that Faile inherits, with Perrin her consort (and Steward of the Two Rivers in his own right), after Tenobia and Davram Bashere die in the Last Battle, heralded by Min’s viewings of Bashere becoming dark, as though something dire approaches him (see below).
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
The trees may represent Perrin being instrumental in rebuilding the world after the Last Battle and making the world right again, or they may indicate the apple trees on the hill that Perrin's family was buried in, something that haunted Perrin.
”I’ve seen things around you that you ought to know about...Back there, right after you said you’d go. They were not there before. They must have to do with this journey. Or at least with you deciding to go…An Aielman in a cage…A Tuatha'an with a sword. A falcon and a hawk, perching on your [Perrin's] shoulders. Both female, I think…They’re important. The things I see always are. Turning points in people’s lives, or what’s fated. It’s always important…One more thing,” she said slowly. “If you meet a woman—the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen—run!”…The Aiel in the cage is Gaul. The Tuatha'an is Aram. In the chapter that Perrin meets Gaul, he also meets his future wife, Zarine "Faile" Bashere. Faile in the Old Tongue means "falcon." The hawk is Berelain since her royal sigil is a hawk in flight. Berelain shows an interest in Perrin, but he married Faile. Yet the two women continued to use Perrin in their competition with each other for quite a time.
“What did you see about a woman?”
“Just take my advice,” she said…”If you forget all the rest,” she called over her shoulder, “heed that!”
- The Dragon Reborn, The Hunt Begins
The beautiful woman is Lanfear. Perrin encountered her in the Wolf Dream and was unaware of the danger:
Once he had recognized Lanfear in that wolf dream, he had thought Min must mean her—he did not think it was possible for a woman to be any more beautiful than Lanfear—but she was just in a dream.What Perrin didn't know is that what happens in dreams can be more real than the waking world. No wonder Min thought he needed warning. As his attraction to Faile increased, he mistakenly decided it must be Faile that Min meant, but Lanfear had attached herself to Perrin and tried to make him help her kill Nynaeve and Moiraine and seize Rand and Moridin at Shayol Ghul to get in good with the Dark One (A Memory of Light, Light and Shadow).
- The Dragon Reborn, Shadowbrothers
Mat
"And the other one [Mat]—a red eagle, an eye on a balance scale, a dagger with a ruby, a horn, and a laughing face."The Red Eagle is the symbol of Manetheren and probably correlates to the fact that Mat is very strong in the Old Blood, and spoke the Old Tongue before anything happened with the dagger. The eye on the balance scale is Mat weighing which Aes Sedai he should keep his promise to: Verin or Moiraine. He chose Moiraine and paid his eye to free her. The dagger with the ruby is the Shadar Logoth dagger. The horn is obviously the Horn of Valere. The laughing face might be the Dark One laughing in Mat’s nightmares of what his gunpowder weapons will do to the world (Knife of Dreams, Dragons’ Eggs), or the malicious laughter of the *elfinn folk that Mat heard in the Tower of Ghenjei, or it may just relate to Mat's trickster persona.
- The Eye of the World, Strangers and Friends
In A Memory of Light, Min was able to reassure Mat that he was not under immediate threat from Galgan. Or anyone, really:
"I don't see anything new around you," she said, "though I assume the eye on a balance scale finally makes sense to you."since she saw no new threats to him.
"Yes," Mat said, wincing. "That one is bloody obvious. What about Galgan?"
"A dagger rammed through the heart of a raven."
"Bloody ashes . . ."
"I don't think it means you," she added. "I can't say why."
- A Memory of Light, Friendly Fire
Elayne
“She [Min] said I’d have to share my husband with two other women, and I’d never put up with that…She said I would be a queen before she knew who I was; she said she saw a crown and it was the Rose Crown of Andor.”Nevertheless, Min was correct—Elayne decided to put up with it.
- The Great Hunt, New Friends and Old Enemies
Elayne was successful in gaining the throne and the Rose Crown.
“One of the things she said she saw looking at me [Elayne] was a severed hand. Not mine, she says."The severed hand may refer to the Band of the Red Hand, which Elayne used to consolidate and expand of her realm, and to defend it, even though the Band isn’t hers.
- The Great Hunt, New Friends and Old Enemies
and above Elayne's [head], a red-hot iron and an axe. They meant trouble, she was sure, but it seemed distant, somewhere in the future.These have not occurred. (These are viewings of a possible plotline from an early version of books two through six that was abandoned, in which Rand is under threat of execution by Morgase and Elayne manages to get his sentence commuted. As a price for this, Elayne has to pronounce the alternate sentence. Rand is blinded by hot irons (and in one version also has his hand chopped off, as per the viewing of a severed hand) and turned loose to wander as a beggar. Instead, Jordan made Rand’s blindness and wandering more symbolic than actual. However, in both versions, this represents the low point of Rand’s life, and he does regain his sight (Robert Jordan’s Notes on Books Two Through Six and Extremely Tentative Notes on the Course of the Books).)
- The Great Hunt, A Plan
“She’ll [Elayne’ll] get with child from this. Two of them; a boy and a girl; both healthy and strong.”This is favourable for Elayne and Andor—a girl, for Daughter-Heir, and a boy to be her First Prince of the Sword—if the throne stays with House Trakand. Elayne became over confident, due to this viewing, forgetting that there are other ways for her to be harmed that will still allow her babies to be born healthy and strong.
- Winter’s Heart, A Lily in Winter
"My babes and I are safe." Elayne laughed, hugging back. "Min's viewing?" Her babes were safe, at least. Until they were born. So many babies died in their first year. Min had said nothing beyond them being born healthy. Min had said nothing about her not being burned out, either…Dorindha and Nadere had their own goal, convincing her to acquire a midwife right away. They went on and on about how she might be endangering herself and her babes, and not even Min's viewing would dissuade them.Elayne had to be nagged into acquiring a midwife, then recklessly confronted two Black Ajah with three other Aes Sedai, one of whom was known to be Black, and several Black Ajah and Darkfriends in the dungeons, who nearly killed her. Birgitte’s warnings came true, and Darkfriends attempted to cut Elayne’s unborn children from her womb to take to Shayol Ghul, leaving Elayne for dead:
- Knife of Dreams, A Different Skill
She tried to concentrate, but she could only think that Birgitte had been right all along. It was fully possible for the babes to be safe, as Min had foretold, while Elayne herself was left dead.Birgitte herself saved Elayne after the Horn called her. At least Elayne’s pregnancy will now come to full term, so they will be healthy. Had the Black Asha’man removed them from her, they were only expected to live a couple of hours.
- A Memory of Light, Those Who Fight
Galad
“That one [Galad],” Min murmured, peering after him, "will always do what is right. No matter who it hurts.”This appears to be a viewing, since Min was peering at Galad as though seeing his aura and she shows as much knowledge of his character as Elayne, who has known him all her life. So far, Galad has caused a war in Samara when procuring a ship for Elayne and Nynaeve, killed the Lord Captain Commander in a duel and divided the Whitecloaks to get justice for Morgase (Knife of Dreams, Prologue), sacrificed himself to the Questioners for the good of the Children and fought Demandred to avenge Gawyn and bring justice to the Forsaken.
- The Great Hunt, New Friends and Old Enemies
"I saw his body alone, on a field," Min said, "as if dead."Galad lay dying alone after his fight with Demandred until Annoura found him (A Memory of Light, The Last Battle).
- A Memory of Light, The Last Battle
Danger from Liandrin and Suroth
“Danger. You are all in some kind of danger. Or you will be, very soon. I can’t make it out, but it is danger.”Liandrin was about to lure them to Falme to be enslaved by Suroth and the Seanchan. Elayne, Nynaeve and Egwene were in danger of being collared, but Min was not.
- The Great Hunt, Practise
“I think she [Elayne] has to come as much as the rest of you. The rest of us. I can see the danger around all of you more clearly, now. Not clearly enough to make it out, but I think it has something to do with you deciding to go. That’s why it is clearer; because it is more certain.”Min knows Elayne is linked to Rand, which was what she stopped herself from saying. And Elayne is also an important part of the battle against the Shadow.
“That’s no reason for her to come,” Nynaeve said, but Min shook her head again.
“She is linked to— to those boys as much as you, or Egwene, or me. She’s part of it, Nynaeve, whatever it is. Part of the Pattern, I suppose an Aes Sedai would say.”
- The Great Hunt, Practise
Nynaeve
For an instant, Min found herself reading the auras of the other two women [Nynaeve and Elayne]. There was danger, but that was to be expected—and new things, too, among the images she had seen before; it was like that sometimes. A man's ring of heavy gold floated above Nynaeve's head. They meant trouble, she was sure, but it seemed distant, somewhere in the future.The man's heavy gold ring is Lan's, which Nynaeve now possesses. A Myrddraal in Cairhien recognised it in The Dragon Reborn, so it has already caused some trouble. Nynaeve also showed this ring in the Borderlands to ensure men rode with Lan to Tarwin’s Gap after she tricked him into riding the full length of the Borderlands (Knife of Dreams, The Golden Crane). Much to Nynaeve’s horror and fury, Rand was temporarily prepared to use Lan’s forces as a decoy while he was elsewhere, even though they would be killed (The Gathering Storm, A Promise to Lews Therin).
- The Great Hunt, A Plan
And . . . what was that vision that was suddenly hovering above Nynaeve's head? She was kneeling over someone's corpse in a posture of grief.Fulfilled. It was Nynaeve grieving over Rand and Egwene as Rand's body lay dying.
- The Gathering Storm, Reading the Commentary
The White Tower split
A slender woman with black hair falling to her waist, the only one of the three [Aes Sedai] she recognised—her name was Ananda; she was Yellow Ajah—wore a sickly brown halo, shrivelled and split by rotting fissures that fell in and widened as they decayed. The small, fair-haired Aes Sedai beside Ananda was Green Ajah, by her green-fringed shawl. The white Flame of Tar Valon on it showed for a moment when she turned her back. And on her shoulder, as if nestled among the grape vines and flowering apple branches worked on her shawl, sat a human skull. A small woman’s skull, picked clean and sun-bleached. The third, a plumply pretty woman halfway around the room, wore no shawl; most Aes Sedai did not except for ceremony…She seemed to be casting cool blue eyes on the petitioners through a tattered curtain of blood, crimson streamers running down her face.This viewing has been fulfilled.
Blood and skull and halo faded away in the dance of images around the three, came and faded again…No one but Min knew those three women were going to die. All on the same day.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
Another Accepted came to replace one already there, and to Min’s eyes bars floated in front of her apple-cheeked face, like a cage.Obviously, whoever she is, she was or will be held captive in a way—but how? Maybe she was forced to stay behind in the coup? Or she will be revealed as a Darkfriend, and imprisoned? Or was she captured by the Black Ajah and/or a Forsaken and interrogated or tortured? Compulsion is very swift and therefore should not require captivity. Captivity is usually for trial, punishment, torture or interrogation. Certainly there are few situations in which an Accepted could be legally held captive. The cage could be the open cells in the White Tower, where prisoners who must be shielded are held.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
Two Accepted have been described as "apple-cheeked". Theodrin is one, and if it is her, the caging would have to have been before Lord of Chaos, since she has not worn Accepted clothes after being declared Aes Sedai by Egwene. In the Last Battle, Theodrin fought on the side of the Light. The other is an unnamed Accepted not seen since The Dragon Reborn, so it may be her.
The Brown sister was smiling, too, but her aura faded like a guttering candle flame. Death.It was Min returning to the Tower and being panicked by the auras, forgetting Moiraine’s instructions and speaking at length to Gawyn and then frequently to the Amyrlin, who triggered the coup. It attracted Elaida’s attention and gave her ideas, which she communicated to Alviarin. This is supported by Egwene’s dream in The Dragon Reborn, Fires in Cairhien, of Min springing a trap, but walking through it without seeing it.
Nearly everyone she [Min] saw as she climbed higher wore an image or aura that spoke of violence and danger.
Warders hurried by with barely a glance for the two women…but they seemed to have bloody faces, or gaping wounds. Swords and spears danced about their heads, threatening. Their auras flashed wildly, flickered on the knife edge of death. She saw dead men walking, knew they would die on the same day as the Aes Sedai in the entry hall, or at most a day later. Even some of the servants, men and women with the Flame of Tar Valon on their breasts, bore signs of violence.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
An Aes Sedai glimpsed down a side hallway appeared to have chains in the air around her, and another, crossing the corridor ahead of Min and her guide, seemed for most of those few strides to wear a silver collar around her neck.Min recognises the collar as an a'dam, so this Aes Sedai will be collared by the Seanchan. The Aes Sedai with chains around her is curious—perhaps it is related to the situation with the captive Accepted, or maybe she is another Black Ajah who was imprisoned, or an Aes Sedai captured by the Shadow. Cabriana Mercandes was held captive by the Shadow, when Semirhage interrogated and tortured her in Lord of Chaos, Threads Woven of Shadow; she was just hanging from nothing in the middle of the room.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
For a moment the Keeper [Leane] had been looking through a transparent mask of her own face, a screaming mask.This is Leane’s reaction to interrogation and stilling.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
Siuan Sanche was standing there as regal as any queen, and for a moment she was also lying on the floor, naked. Aside from her being in only her skin, there was something odd about the image, but it vanished before Min could say what.”Siuan was stripped as part of her interrogation and left naked. The oddness may be that her face youthened when she was freed from the Three Oaths upon stilling.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
Sheriam
Sheriam, the Mistress of Novices, looked into the hall …and the red-haired Aes Sedai’s face seemed battered and bruised…Surely nothing could harm Sheriam. But something was going to.While Sheriam may have been injured in the coup, she was the victim of blackmail and assault for some time. She was also a Darkfriend and purplish, bruised-looking colours are often associated with the Shadow.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
Sheriam’s tilted green eyes fixed immediately on Min’s face. Rays of silver and blue flashed about her fiery hair, and a soft golden light; Min could not say what it meant.Fulfilled at Sheriam’s execution:
- The Fires of Heaven, Sallie Daera
They'd placed her head on the block and taken it off, just like the others. That scene would always be vivid in Egwene's mind—her former Keeper, lying with her head pressed against the stump, blue dress and fiery red hair suddenly bathed in warm golden light as a thinner section of clouds moved in front of the sun. Then the silvery axe, falling to claim her head.All three colours are there: Sheriam in blue and the silver axe, bathed in golden light. They are positive colours because her death was a positive event, removing a leader of the Black Ajah.
- The Gathering Storm, The Tower Stands
Gawyn
For a moment, streaks of dried blood had made his [Gawyn’s] face a bloody mask…Gawyn was going to be wounded on the day the Aes Sedai died…He was going to be hurt more than the blood told, hurt somehow deeper than wounds to his flesh…He scowled, and for an instant his face was that bloody mask again. More: a sword floated above his head, and a banner waved behind it. The long-hilted sword, like those most Warders used, had a heron engraved on its slightly curved blade, symbol of a blademaster, and Min could not say whether it belonged to Gawyn or threatened him. The banner bore Gawyn's sigil of the charging White Boar, but on a field of green rather than the red of Andor.All this pertains to the battle caused by the White Tower split and its aftermath. The bloody mask refers to when Gawyn was injured during the battle. He even had the same pattern of blood on his face when Min saw him on the day of the coup (The Shadow Rising, The Truth of a Viewing). The sword signifies his mastery of the weapon, as he killed two Warders, at least one of them a Blademaster, in the battle. Eventually, Gawyn took some Warder trainees with him, forming a small army called the Younglings. Its sigil is the White Boar on a green field.
- The Shadow Rising, Seeds of Shadow
The Tower conflict caused deep internal conflict within Gawyn himself. He despised the Tower for what it did to three Accepted, and yet wanted to support the Tower because he knew Elayne and Egwene were eager to be part of it. He had mistaken beliefs about Rand killing Morgase. All this caused considerable emotional pain. He fought against Siuan for what she did to Egwene and Elayne, only to find that Elaida treated Egwene harshly.
Gawyn kneeling at Egwene's feet with his head bowed, and Gawyn breaking Egwene's neck, first one then the other, as if either could be the future.This viewing refers to the decisions Gawyn finally made after a long period of agonising concerning his loyalties to the White Tower and supporting Egwene and her responsibilities. Gawyn killing Egwene refers to Gawyn being tempted to stay in Andor and not rush back and save Egwene from the Bloodknives. Gawyn kneeling symbolises Egwene Bonding him as her Warder. He didn’t literally kneel, since he was unconscious at the time after doing his utmost to defend Egwene against the Bloodknives.
The things she saw were rarely as clear in meaning as those two, and she had never before seen that fluttering back and forth, as though not even the viewing could tell which would be the true future. Worse, she had a feeling near to certainty that it was what she had done this day that had turned Gawyn toward those two possibilities.
- The Shadow Rising, The Truth of a Viewing
Min was one of the triggers of Gawyn’s inner conflict, and he could have gone either way. Egwene’s dreams support this.
Though, in a way, both happened. Gawyn saved Egwene and was bonded as her Warder. He served her for a while and then sneaked off for the glory of killing Demandred, but was killed himself, and this led to Egwene’s death.
Logain
But she had never before seen a flaring halo around his [Logain's] head, radiant in blue and gold. . . . All that remained for him was the despair of the gentled. . . . So why had he worn a halo that shouted of glory and power to come? This was something she had to tell the Amyrlin.The viewings become stronger (and the glory greater) as the event approaches. Min even told Logain of her viewing to give him encouragement.
- The Shadow Rising, Deceptions
Suddenly, for a moment, that flaring halo of gold and blue shone about his head, speaking of glory to come as surely as it had the first time she had seen it.
- The Shadow Rising, The Truth of a Viewing
The halo of greatness, blue and gold, flickered fitfully around Logain’s head, though he rode slumped in his saddle…Day by day Logain’s shoulders had sagged a little more, and day by day the halo appeared more often…Logain was destined for glory such as few men dreamed of.
- The Fires of Heaven, Sallie Daera
“Logain’s aura still speaks of glory, stronger than ever. Maybe he thinks he’s the real Dragon Reborn."
- Crossroads of Twilight, A Strengthening Storm
Min still saw an aura of glory around him.
- Knife of Dreams, News for the Dragon
Logain was redeemed from darkness, after the attempts to Turn him to the Shadow, by common people’s regard for him and gratitude for saving them. He now leads the Black Tower and inherited Rand’s fat man angreal (A Memory of Light, The Last Battle).
Carlinya
For an instant, Min saw an image of a raven floating beside her [Carlinya’s] dark hair, more of a drawing of the bird than the bird itself. She thought it was a tattoo, but she did not know its meaning.Ravens are a symbol of the Shadow (see Animal Symbolism article) and also of the Seanchan (and the Shadow’s corruption of that empire). Carlinya was killed in Tel’aran’rhiod while battling the Black Ajah and Mesaana. It was a representation of a raven (and the Shadow) since Tel’aran’rhiod is not the ‘real world’ but the World of Dreams. Jordan’s original intent was the Carlinya would be captured by the Seanchan during their attack on the White Tower (Robert Jordan’s Galad notes), but this was changed because Carlinya remained with the rebel Aes Sedai.
- The Fires of Heaven, Sallie Daera
Edesina
To Min’s eyes, a silvery collar suddenly appeared, snug around the woman’s neck, and as suddenly seemed to shatter. Min shivered. She did not like viewings connected to the Seanchan. At least Edesina would escape somehow.Edesina was sent to Tarabon by the rebels and captured by the Seanchan. Mat freed her.
- The Fires of Heaven, Sallie Daera
Gareth Bryne
“When Bryne came in, I had a viewing. An aura, and a bull ripping roses from around its neck, and…None of it matters except the aura. I didn’t even really understand that, but more than anything else...If you [Siuan] want to stay alive, you had better stay close to him.” Despite the heat, Min shivered. She had only ever had one other viewing with an ‘if’ in it, and both had been potentially deadly. It was bad enough sometimes knowing what would happen; if she started knowing what might… “All I know is this. If he stays close to you, you live. If he gets too far away, for too long, you are going to die. Both of you. I don’t know why I should have seen anything about you in his aura, but you seemed like part of it.”The bull ripping roses from around its neck refers to Bryne’s sigil (a wild bull with the rose crown of Andor about its neck) and his House’s support for the Rose Crown of Andor. This support was withdrawn (hence the bull ripping the roses off) due to Morgase’s treatment of him and her misgovernment of Andor (under Rahvin’s Compulsion).
- The Fires of Heaven, Trapped
The viewing of Bryne and Siuan saving each other has been fulfilled. In fact, it was Min’s warning that was essential to that fulfilment:
"Min," Siuan said, sounding tired. Those Healings seemed to have taken a lot out of her. "She said I had to stay near you." She paused. "If you hadn't come tonight, I would have died."Bryne didn’t think much of self-fulfilling prophecies. Siuan mistakenly thought the viewing applied to one time (a one-use viewing) rather than a continual state of affairs, and went off to spy on the Seanchan:
"Well," Bryne said, "I am your Warder. I suspect it won't be the only time I save you." Why had it grown so warm all of a sudden?
"Yes," Siuan said, standing up. "But this is different. Min said I'd die, and . . . No, wait. That's not what Min said exactly. She said that if I didn't stay close to you, we'd both die." …
Siuan nodded. "It was surprisingly easy; there was only a little in your system. It would have killed you anyway. You'll have to thank Min next time you see her, Bryne. She just saved both of our lives."
"But I wouldn't have been poisoned if I hadn't come!"
"Don't try to apply logic to a viewing or Foretelling like this," Siuan said, grimacing. "You're alive. I'm alive. I suggest we leave it at that.
- The Gathering Storm, A Fount of Power
"Siuan!" Min said. "You're not supposed to be here."She saved Min, but died in the attack on the Seanchan and Gareth went mad and was killed.
"Lucky for you I am," Siuan said with a snort, inspecting the body, staying low. "Bah. Nasty business that, but if you're going to eat a fish, you should be willing to gut it yourself. What's wrong, girl? You're safe now. No need to look so pale."
"You're not supposed to be here!" Min said. "I told you. Stay near Gareth Bryne!"
"I did stay near him, almost near as his own smallclothes, I'll have you know. We saved one another's lives because of it, so I guess the viewing was right. Are they ever wrong?"
"No, I've told you that," Min whispered. "Never. Siuan . . . I saw an aura around Bryne that meant you had to stay together, or the two of you would die. It hangs above you, right now. Whatever you think you did, the viewing has not been accomplished yet. It's still there."
Siuan stood frozen for a moment. "Cauthon is in danger."
"But—"
"I don't care, girl!" Nearby, the ground trembled with the force of the One Power. The damane were fighting back. "If Cauthon falls, this battle is lost! I don't care if we both die from this. We must help. Move!"
- A Memory of Light, The Last Battle
Faolain
“A nasty woman,” Min murmured, squinting after Faolain as she hurried the others across the common room. “You’d think, if there was any justice, she would have an unpleasant future ahead of her.”This has not been fulfilled yet. Whether Faolain gains respect for the discoveries she claimed in Lord of Chaos, A Pile of Sand, that she was making, is not known. It is also not known if Faolain’s nastiness is part of the viewing, or just Min’s opinion.
- The Fires of Heaven, To Teach and To Learn
Marigan, Nicola and Areina
“Those three you brought with you are trouble and that is a viewing.” There it was. The crack she needed. But instead of asking what she intended, she said, “You mean Marigan and Nicola and Areina? How can they be trouble?” Only a fool passed over what Min saw.Marigan was Moghedien. She obtained much information on Nynaeve’s and Elayne’s plans (eg the Bowl of Winds) and this has caused trouble. She also tried to kill Nynaeve in Ebou Dar and may well do so again.
“I don’t know exactly. I only caught glimpses of aura, and just out of the corner of my eye.”
- The Fires of Heaven, To Teach and To Learn
Nicola and Areina tried to blackmail Egwene and ran away to the Tower, where Nicola may have tried to buy favour by informing of the plan to turn the harbour chains to cuendillar. The first thing Nicola did when she saw Egwene at the Tower was apologise for her actions, so she had a guilty conscience. Nicola’s unbridled ambition cause more trouble—her death in Tel’aran’rhiod by the Black Ajah.
Enaila
An image flickered above Enaila’s head and was gone. A wreath of some sort; Min had no idea what it meant.Enaila made a bridal wreath for Leiran, but died in the Last Battle before she was married (A Memory of Light, The Last Battle).
- Lord of Chaos, A Threat
Melaine
“You [Melaine] will have two daughters,” Min murmured. “Twins like mirrors.”Melaine is pregnant, so this is being fulfilled.
- Lord of Chaos, A Threat
Colinda
“And that Colinda. I saw—No. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with you. Maybe the heat is affecting me. When I know, I always know. It must be the heat.Judging by Min’s amused comments, this is a viewing of Colinda’s love (and sexual) life.
- Lord of Chaos, Thorns
The Cairhienin nobles
Maringil, white-haired and blade-slim and cool as ice, was going to die by the knife. Colavaere, her more than handsome face calm and collected as she learned Aviendha was not with Rand this time, would die by hanging. Meilan, with his pointed beard and oily voice, would die by poison.This has happened. Dobraine reported Maringil’s and Meilan’s deaths in Lord of Chaos, The Feast of Lights, only he said that Maringil was poisoned and Meilan was knifed. This may merely be an error by Jordan. Colavaere hanged herself when she was declared guilty of murder and treason and sentenced to labour on a small farm.
- Lord of Chaos, Thorns
The High Lords of Tear
The future carried a heavy toll for the High Lords of Tear. Aracome and Maraconn and Gueyam were all going to die too, bloody deaths in battle, Min thought. She said she had never seen death so often in one group of people.Aracome died against the Seanchan in The Path of Daggers, Fog of War, Storm of Battle. The other two survived but probably died in the Last Battle.
She saw blood covering Gueyam’s broad face…
- Lord of Chaos, Thorns
Berelain
“Well, she’ll [Berelain] be snubbed up sooner or later. I saw nothing of any use to you. Just a man in white who will make her fall head over heels. Some women have no shame at all!Berelain fell in a big way for Galad in Towers of Midnight, although she hasn’t behaved shamelessly.
- Lord of Chaos, Thorns
Taim and the Asha’man
“Taim has blood in his past and blood in his future, but you could guess that. He’s a dangerous man. They seem to be gathering images like Aes Sedai.” A sidelong look through lowered eye-lashes at Dashiva and the other Asha’man said who she meant…“The problem is, what I can see is all blurry. I think it’s because they’re holding the Power. That often seems true with Aes Sedai, and it’s worse when they’re actually channelling. Kiruna and that lot have all sorts of things around them, but they stay so close together that it all…well…jumbles together most of the time. It’s even muddier with the prisoners.”This is pretty well self-explanatory.
- A Crown of Swords, The Butcher’s Yard
Rand’s Loyal Aes Sedai
“They will keep their word,” Min murmured abruptly, just as if she had read his thoughts. With an arm wrapped around his and both hands holding his sleeve, she kept her voice for his ears alone. “I just saw these five in your hand,” she added in case he did not understand.The five were Merana, Alanna, Bera, Rafela and Faeldrin, and they followed Rand’s instructions and furthered his cause.
- A Crown of Swords, Ta’veren
Harine
“You will be punished for what happens here today, Harine, but not so much as you fear, I think. At least, one day you will be the Mistress of the Ships.”Harine was punished in Tear once the First Twelve learned the terms of the Bargain she made (Knife of Dreams, To Make an Anchor Weep). She did not resign her position because she believed Min’s viewing that she would become Mistress of the Ships and the position is rarely filled outside the First Twelve. This has not yet happened.
- A Crown of Swords, Ta’veren
“I told Harine it wouldn’t be like that,” she [Min] protested, bursting into the room. “I told her she’d be punished for the bargain she made with Rand. Only after that will she become Mistress of the Ships, and I can’t say if it will be ten days from now or ten years.”
- Crossroads of Twilight, Ornaments
Moiraine
Maria has confirmed that, in Tear, when Moiraine told the girls that she knew the face of her husband it was from one of Min’s viewings.
She had not really lied when he asked her what viewings she had kept back. Not really. What good to tell him he would almost certainly fail without a woman who was dead and gone?Min believed Moiraine was dead, though she had no viewings to support this. In her letter to Thom, Moiraine assured him that she is alive even though everyone believes her dead (Knife of Dreams, A Village in Shiota). Moiraine’s crucial role in the war against the Shadow was to convince Egwene (and thus the other nations) to sign the peace treaty, make Rand pass the Seals to Egwene, and allow another person to lead the armies of the Light (A Memory of Light, A Knack).
- A Crown of Swords, Into the Woods
Min sighed regretfully, but it was not as if she had really expected Moiraine to turn up alive. Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever failed.
- A Crown of Swords, Into the Woods
Caraline Damodred and Darlin Sisnera
Caraline Damodred drew herself up on her saddle, face cold enough to shame an Aes Sedai, but suddenly auras of red and white flashed around her and Darlin and Min knew. The colours never seemed to matter, but she knew that they would marry—after Caraline had led him a merry chase. More, to her eyes a crown suddenly appeared on Darlin’s head, a simple golden circlet with a slightly curved sword lying on its side above his brows. The king’s crown her would wear one day, though of what country, she could not say.It is interesting that red is the bridal colour in some countries, and white in others. Perhaps the colours do matter. Certainly, evil seems to be associated with brownish and purplish (bruised or dark) hues and positive events by bright colours.
- A Crown of Swords, Into the Woods
“As for Darlin, aside from the fact that he’ll marry Caraline, after she’s wrung him out and hung him up to dry, all I can say is that one day he’ll be a king. I saw the crown on his head, a thing with a sword on the front of it, but I don’t know what country it belongs to. And, oh yes. He’ll die in bed and she will survive him.”Both Caraline and Darlin seem destined for a pleasant future. The viewing is currently being fulfilled, since Darlin is King:
- The Path of Daggers, The Bargain
"And would you marry a king, Caraline?" Darlin asked. "I'll accept the crown, if you will. Though I'll have to have a crown made."Min designing Darlin’s crown from her viewing is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Min cleared her throat. "I can tell you how it should look, if you like."
Caraline laughed again and released Darlin's arm, swaying away from him. "I will have to see you in it before I could answer that. Have Min's crown made, and if it makes you look pretty. . . " She smiled. "Then perhaps I will consider it."
- Knife of Dreams, Within the Stone
Daved Hanlon
[Caraline] reappeared, shaking off the importunings of a hatchet-faced fellow in one of those red coats. He glared at her back as she took a goblet of punch and waved the servant away, and Min’s breath caught at the aura that suddenly flashed around him, bruised hues so dark they seemed nearly black. “Don’t trust that man, Lady Caraline.” She could not stop herself. “He will murder anyone he thinks is in his way; he’ll kill for a whim, kill anybody.” She clamped her teeth shut before saying more.Hanlon certainly performed evil deeds in Caemlyn. He did not kill Elayne when he freed the Black sisters from the dungeons because he wanted to rape her, and attacked her during the Last Battle.
Caraline glanced over her shoulder as the hatchet-faced man turned away abruptly. “I could believe it easily of Daved Hanlon,” she said wryly…Min could only shake her head. How to explain what she did know about Hanlon now, that his hands would be red with more rapes and murderers before he died? If she had known when or who…But all she knew was that he would. Anyway, telling a viewing never changed it; what she saw happened, no matter who she warned. Sometimes, before she had learned better, it had happened because she warned.
- A Crown of Swords, Into the Woods
It is interesting that Hanlon’s anger and resentment at Caraline’s dismissal triggered the appearance of an aura. Therefore, it is not only people’s decisions that form viewings, but strong feelings as well. Bruised colours around people can be an indication of a Darkfriend and this was certainly the case here.
Min has accepted that she is partly responsible for Rand’s capture by Elaida’s embassy and perhaps that she also played a part in the White Tower split.
Cadsuane
“It’s Cadsuane. She is going to teach you something, you and the Asha’man. All the Asha’man, I mean. It’s something you have to learn, but I don’t know what it is, except that none of you will like learning it from her. You aren’t going to like it at all.”Cadsuane intended to teach Rand to be human—laughter and tears, but not all Asha’man are emotional cripples, and some were glad to learn they are more than weapons. Not a very strong fulfilling so far. Perhaps few of the Black Tower would like learning that Cadsuane is now Amyrlin.
- A Crown of Swords, A Crown of Swords
Beldeine
Light, she [Beldeine] was going to bond an Asha’man as a Warder!Fulfilled. She bonded an Asha’man, Karldin Manfor, during Knife of Dreams.
- The Path of Daggers, A Cup of Sleep
For instance, the black knife that spun around Beldeine's head recently could mean anything.Beldeine's Warder were stabbed to death by Sharans with black knives and Beldeine fell a moment later (A Memory of Light, The Last Battle).
- The Gathering Storm, Reading the Commentary
Sarene
Images and auras; a tempestuous love affair, of all things! The woman [Sarene] was ice, however beautiful. And there was nothing useful in knowing some man would melt her!Sarene is now stilled and probably mindless, if not dead. She wrote poetry about her Warder, so he may have been the man who melted her. Aviendha seems to be of the opinion that Vitalien distracts Sarene or makes her more emotional (A Memory of Light, Drifting).
- The Path of Daggers, A Cup of Sleep
Nesune
One red-and-green aura spoke of honours, and fame. A huge building appeared above her [Nesune’s] head and vanished. A library she would found.This is still to occur.
- The Path of Daggers, A Cup of Sleep
Sorilea and 5 of Elaida’s embassy
Among all those images spilling around Rand and the women, suddenly an aura flashed, blue and yellow tinged with green, encompassing them all [Sorilea, Erian, Elza, Beldeine, Sarene and Nesune]. And Min knew its meaning. She gasped, half in surprise, half in relief…Fulfilled. 'In her fashion’ appears to mean within each one’s character and motivations. They are not whole-heartedly serving Rand despite themselves as Alanna et al. are. Rand is right in thinking that this group is not as supportive as Alanna’s group.
“They will serve you, each in her fashion, Rand’” she said hurriedly. “I saw it.” Sorilea would serve him? Suddenly Min wondered exactly what “in her fashion” meant. The words came with the knowing, but she did not always know what the words themselves meant. But they would serve; that much was plain.
- The Path of Daggers, A Cup of Sleep
Sorilea’s fashion may be well-meaning or not. She has done a lot of behind-the-scenes work and keeps a close eye on Rand and those around him, but has given very little open aid.
It is interesting that even though Elza was Black Ajah, the colours of the aura are bright and positive. It may indicate that Elza inadvertently assisted the Light and did little to further the Shadow. For instance she killed Dashiva, unknowingly. She never got around to killing people she thought were a threat to Rand fighting the Dark One (and losing), and tried to convince Semirhage not to torture Rand, but take him to Shayol Ghul (which would have been a bad thing for Rand).
Aviendha
Min wondered whether to tell her [Aviendha] what she had seen while they were all together. Aviendha would have Rand’s babies, too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd.This viewing has not happened yet. Aviendha has thought of stopping her contraceptive tea as Elayne did, and she may have conceived at Merrilor in A Memory of Light.
- Winter’s Heart, A Lily in Winter
From Min’s wording, the oddness about Aviendha’s babies does not seem to be that they are four, since she cannot define what is odd about them, yet having four babies at once, quadruplets, is a very unusual event.
"You know of the woman Min's viewings?" Aviendha said.Aviendha knows of Min’s viewing about Rand and his three loves and the one about her children. In her visions in the glass columns ter'angreal in Rhuidean, Aviendha's quadruplets have markedly different colouring to each other:
Amys nodded.
"One of those viewings relates to Rand al'Thor and the three women he will love. Another relates to my children by the Car'a'carn.
- The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour
Though the four siblings were quadruplets, they looked very dissimilar. Alarch took more after their wetlander side, and had dark hair. Janduin was blond and tall. Beside him sat Marinna, their sister, small of build with a round face.What is odd about the babies is that they can channel from birth. They also look different from their parents.
- Towers of Midnight, Court of the Sun
Birgitte
Auras danced around her [Birgitte] and images flickered, more than Min had ever seen around anyone, thousands it seemed cascading over one another… Besides, those multitudes of images and auras flashed by too quickly for her to make out any clearly, but she was certain they indicated more adventures than a woman could have in one lifetime. Strangely, some were connected to an ugly man who was older than she, and others to an ugly man who was much younger, yet somehow Min knew they were the same man.Min should have noticed this before, since Birgitte was in Salidar when Min was there.
- Winter’s Heart, A Lily in Winter
Birgitte only remembers Gaidal Cain being born before her (The Fires of Heaven, Meetings), but this viewing indicates that there are two separate strands in her lives—one where Gaidal is born first, and one where he is much younger. Birgitte appears unconscious of the latter strand. So, what Moghedien did to Birgitte is part of the Pattern of her lives. This “life” was a short, solitary intermission for Birgitte, and she was then killed and promptly reborn to be slightly younger than Gaidal.
Alivia
“But she [Alivia] is going to kill you.” She [Min] bit off every word.Rand appears to assess Min’s viewings more carefully than Min does. She is too emotional about them. This has caused problems before—in the White Tower and in Cairhien.
“You said she was going to help me die,” he [Rand] said quietly. “Those were your words”… “Helping me die isn’t the same as killing me,” Rand went on. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about what you saw.”
Min flung up her hands in exasperation. “I saw what I saw and it’s what I told you, but the Pit of Doom swallow me if I can see any difference. And I can’t see why you think there is!”
“Sooner or later, I have to die, Min,” he said patiently.
- Winter’s Heart, Bonds
Based on this dream, and his trust in Alivia, Rand had the idea of getting her to put money, clothes and items needed for travelling in his tent so he could secretly leave if he survived. It is a mundane fulfilling of a prophecy and a deliberate example by Jordan of Min being an unreliable narrator.
Davram Bashere
“And there’s something…dark…in the images I saw around Lord Davram. If he turns against you, or dies…I heard one of the soldiers say Lord Dobraine might die. Losing one of them would be a blow. Lose all three, and it might take you a year to recover.”Min is right that Bashere, Dobraine and Logain are a great support to Rand’s cause.
- Crossroads of Twilight, A Strengthening Storm
The chill of doom over Bashere is from Graendal Compelling him to make mistakes resulting in the deaths of thousands in his army; so he was turned to the Shadow’s advantage. His mind could not be freed of the Compulsion and he died in the Last Battle. This fits with the viewing of the Broken Crown around Perrin.
Min sees the possibility that Logain might be ‘lost’ to Rand’s cause—and he was nearly turned to the Shadow. However Dobraine was not Compelled that we know of.
People in Tear
"Some of those people are going to die of hunger." Min said sadly. The bond quivered with sorrow. "Every last one I can see something about." …Min gazed after them [the two boys] with an expression of misery that the bond echoed even after she shook her head and smoothed her face. What had she seen? Death, probably…This viewing occurs after the Pattern became affected by the Dark One, so it is not certain to come true. However, famine, along with war, death and pestilence took a grip on the land as Tarmon Gai’don approached—a parallel to the four horsemen of the apocalypse in Revelation (see Eschatology essay). It is therefore all too probable that this viewing came true and people in Tear, Doni and Com included, died of starvation.
"There are two boys who live outside the walls. Doni and Com. I don't know any more name than that. About age ten. Once the rebels are settled and you can leave the Stone, I would appreciate it if you found them and kept an eye on them." Min made a sound in her throat, and the bond carried sadness so bleak it almost overwhelmed the burst of love that came with it. So. It must have been death she saw. But she had been wrong about Moiraine. Maybe this viewing could be changed by a ta'veren.
- Knife of Dreams, Within the Stone
Last Battle and beyond
"A viewing. I see dark clouds, pushed away by the sunlight's warmth... I see trees, growing green again, bearing fruit. I see a field, the crops healthy and full." She hesitated. "I see the Two Rivers, Rand. I see an inn there with the mark of the Dragon's Fang inlaid on its door. No longer be a symbol of darkness or hate. A sign of victory and hope."Min’s viewing gives hope of Rand’s victory and what happens after. The Two Rivers, a stronghold of channelling potential, proudly shows its regard for Rand and male channellers. Encouraged by Min’s words, Rand inspired people in Bandar Eban into first restoring order and then into contributing to the Last Battle too. One of the women will become an Aes Sedai eventually.
He looked to her.
Min caught something from the corner of her eye. She turned toward the people sitting on the street, and gaped. Every single one had an image above them. It was remarkable to see so many viewings, all at once, flaring to light above the heads of the sickly, the weak, and the abandoned, "I see a silver axe above that man’s head," she said, pointing to a bearded beggar, who lay against a wall, his chin down against his chest. "He will be a leader in the Last Battle. That woman there—the one sulking in the shadows-—she will be trained by the White Tower and become Aes Sedai. I can see the Flame of Tar Valon beside her, and I know what it means. That man over there who looks like a simple street tough? He will save her life. I know he doesn't look like it, but he will fight. All of them will. I can see it!"
- Towers of Midnight, Return to Bandar Eban
Borderlander rulers
"Tenobia has a spear hovering over her head," Min said. "Bloody, but shining in the light, Ethenielle will soon be wed—I see that by white doves. She plans to do something dangerous today, so be careful. The other two have various swords, shields and arrows hovering about them. Both will fight soon."Tenobia, Easar and Paitar fought in the Last Battle and Tenobia was killed. Since Bashere was also killed, Perrin and Faile will gain the Broken Crown (which Min saw around Perrin). Ethenielle married Tenobia's uncle. She did do something dangerous; she was the first of the monarchs to strike Rand.
- Towers of Midnight, A Testing
People in Seanchan armies
She glanced at the guards. Only one had an image hovering above his head. A bloodied stone. He'd die by falling from someplace high.This may have happened in the Last Battle.
- A Memory of Light, Friendly Fire
"What about Galgan?"This has probably not been fulfilled.
"A dagger rammed through the heart of a raven."
"Bloody ashes . . ."
"I don't think it means you," she added. "I can't say why."
- A Memory of Light, Friendly Fire
"The omen for this man," Min said, controlling her tone with—it seemed—some difficulty, "is white lace trailing in a pond. I know that it will mean his marriage in the near future."Yet to happen.
Tuon nodded. She wiggled her fingers at Selucia—the man they were discussing was of the low Blood, not of a high enough rank to speak directly to Tuon. His head was down so close to the ground as he bowed that it seemed that he had become fascinated with beetles and was trying to collect a specimen.
"Lord Gokhan of the Blood," Selucia Voiced, "is to be moved to the front lines. He is forbidden to marry until the end of this conflict. The omens have spoken that he will live long enough to find a wife, and so he will be protected."
- A Memory of Light, A Yellow Flower Spider
"You saw the sign of the white boar," Tuon said.Tuon’s impulse was to execute the woman, but Min rebuked her and she backed down, but warned the woman that she would be watched. Not yet fulfilled.
"I don't know the meaning!"
"The boar is the symbol of one Handoin, one of my rivals in Seanchan," Tuon explained patiently. "The white boar is an omen of danger, perhaps betrayal. This woman works for him, or will in the future."
- A Memory of Light, A Yellow Flower Spider
Min frowned, leaning forward. One of the images above Yulan's head . . . it was so odd. A chain. Why would he have a chain above his head?He had been Compelled by Moghedien.
He's a captive, she thought suddenly. Light. Someone is playing him like an instrument.
Mat feared a spy. Min felt cold…
Our spy can channel, Min realized, inspecting Yulan. That man is under Compulsion.
- A Memory of Light, The Last Battle
Fortuona
"A bloody flower around her head," Min said. "A death lily. Someone is going to try to kill her very soon."Sharans and Grey men attacked the Seanchan headquarters to try and kill Tuon and Mat. Red lights spread over barren ground occurred prior to Rand’s victory, and the resulting healing of the Land, as the Seanchan forces amassed at night for their return to fight in the Last Battle:
"What do you see around me?" Fortuona said. "Speak it, Doomseer. I would know your omens, and judge you true or false!"
That sounded dangerous. "I see a bloody death lily, as I told Mat," Min said. "And three ships, sailing. An insect in the darkness. Red lights, spread across a field that should be lush and ripe. A man with the teeth of a wolf."
- A Memory of Light, Friendly Fire
Gateways in the sky. Dozens of them, and through them poured to'raken in flight, carrying lanterns.The ships, wolf-man and probably insect in darkness have not happened yet. Three ships sailing may be returning to Seanchan and therefore a parallel of Columbus’ ships sailing to the Americas.
- A Memory of Light, Wolfbrother
Moghedien
Min scanned the watching crowd, and her breath caught as she noticed for the first time that one of the so'jhin, a youthful woman with freckles, carried an array of images above her head.Min met Moghedien disguised as Marigan in Salidar, and didn’t notice an array of images, but she has also failed to recognise others in viewings before.
Min didn't recognize the woman. Had she been serving here the whole time? Min was certain she'd have noticed earlier if the woman had come close to her; people who were not channelers, Warders or ta'veren rarely had so many images attached to them. Oversight or happenstance, though, she hadn't thought to look specifically at the servants.
- A Memory of Light, The Last Battle
_________________________________________
Written by Linda, September 2004 and updated May 2013 and July 2017 and 2020
Contributors: Jofraz, Deadsy
23 comments:
"This viewing occurs after the Pattern became affected by the Dark One, so it is not certain to come true"
I found this statement to be interesting. Are you saying that because the pattern is being unnaturally influenced by the Dark One that Min's viewing are becoming less reliable. That they only show what will happen if the Dark One's touch remains, and that if the touch is lifted than people's destinies will snap back to a more normative course.
Not me: RJ said that now that the Dark One is affecting the Pattern, viewings and prophecies made since then are less likely to come true. I had this in the Dreams article and have added it to the introduction of this one.
You misinterpreted what Min said about Faolain. What she does say is that Faolain has nothing unpleasant in her future, though how she could know that for sure I don't know.
Re: Lan.
Per RJ, the babe in the cradle can't be Lan, since that is in the past.
Now, if he changed his mind, that is one thing.
If not, it clearly is Lan's son.
Re: Rand and a bloody hand. I'm not sure what the white hot iron has to do with things -- but Rand is now being hunted (or more specifically - waited for) by everyones favourite psychopath. Who happens to have an almost constantly bleeding hand.
Thanks Shadar. I've added something about this to the article now.
Don't you think the odd thing about Aviendha's babies is the fact that they can channel from birth, more than the fact that they're fraternal?
Tom: Good point. It's not that they're fraternal. Their whole genetics are atypical. They have two red-head parents; or at least one red-head (Rand) and one strawberry-blond/red-gold (Aviendha). Yet one has dark hair. And as you say they can channel from birth. One of the channelling girls isn't going to be a Wise One, either. Nor does Aviendha ever remark on their remarkableness to herself, as though this is the least of their weirdness.
I will link this viewing to my interpretation of Aviendha's vision when I write that up.
Hi Linda,
Great read - thanks! Just a quick comment on the viewing on the two times Perrin needs to be there for Rand. I think this was fulfilled at Dragonmount when Perrin was present in the Wolf Dream just as the storm reached its crescendo. The fact that Perrin had to race to the top of the mountain, need urging him on, suggests that he had to be there for some reason. There's a parallel with Lord of the Rings, when Frodo is stuck on the top of Amon Hen with the ring on (after fleeing from Boromir) and Gandalf strives to free him from the Ring's influence.
In addition, I haven't got the exact quote to hand, but the imagery from Perrin's POV also seems to be very close to that of the stars/fireflies rushing in and being swallowed (and later on stabilised as Rand hung on a thread).
Paul: I considered this, but Perrin said that he had no influence on Rand's mood because Rand was in the real world and he was in TAR. I think that Perrin is right.
Perrin and the wolves had to Witness the battle though. So that the wolves and other animals could be sure that the Last Battle is on. Later we see the beasts start to move and gather.
Have you considered that the man--not Thom --juggling fire in Thom's aura could be Mat? He certainly was tossing a lot of Aludra's weapons around in the escape from the Tower of Ghenjei!
Hans: Thanks for the suggestions. It could be Mat.
Regarding Min's viewings with Rand in tEotW - in their first discussion he then asks if any of her viewings of him referred to Dreams and she, somewhat slyly, replies that she saw something that, while it might be his idea of a dream, it certainly wasn't hers.
Reading this immediately made me believe it was her referring to her falling in love with him.
First she told Rand that if Rand knew what she saw around him his hair would be as curly as Perrin's. (That refers to the tougher of the viewings around Rand.) He asked her if she saw anything about rats or dreams. She said no rats, and then she made the crack about what she saw not being her idea of a dream. She knows she's involved in this as well as going to love Rand. The whole of it certainly messes up her life.
A thought about Carlinya and the raven tattoo. The only Black ajah member mentioned in the report of Carlinya's death is Alviarin, so it's not unreasonable to suppose Alviarin killed her. A raven is the sign of the Dark One and Alviarin's mark was explicitly compared to a tattoo by RJ in the Tor Questions of the Week. My view is that the raven tattoo was a reference to Alviarin, the woman who was to kill her.
Cheers,
LJ.
I would agree with many of your analyses, but I believe an update is in order, now that A Memory of Light is out. It changes many things, especially about Siuan Sanche and Gareth Bryne.
If you look on the blog home page you will see that I have been systematically updating these, but I have not updated Min's viewings yet. In fact I began editing them a few days ago.
The updates take time, and I am one person and have a paid job. This is not it.
I understand. I did not see the homepage post, or I may have said differently.
That's OK.
I have updated 12 articles so far and written 3 new articles, 2 of them long.
I have 68 articles to go for the updates.
Re: Aviendha's babies, there are several additional possibilities (one of them faint, and the other way out there).
I first thought it could mean that two of the babies were Rand's, and two were Lews Therin's, but the (short) description seems to indicate that all FOUR are different; I'd have to re-check the actual descriptions from Aviendha's wayforward to be sure.
And in a decidedly Loony bent: what if the three that don't have red hair are all from one of the non-biological "mothers": one each from Elayne, Min, and Alanna ?
Who knows what that bond actually does...
This would in fact directly explain Elayne's twins, too - one of them is also "from " Alanna.
Or, if the ability to channel is a factor, one each from Lews Therin, Elayne, Aviendha, and Alanna?
Or Rand instead of Aviendha, with her merely the "vessel" ?
Okay, I'll stop :)
About Avienda''s babies. Does no one but me think the strangeness Min senses is not only because they can chanel as children but because Rand probably fathered them after he was in Moridan's body? Nothing indicates she is pregnant before. Explains why the one looks like a wetlander, dark hair and all. Rand never looked liked a wetlander. He was constantly mistaken for Aiel.
Both Brandon and Maria have explained that the oddness is that they channelled from birth. Here is what Brandon said:
Brandon Sanderson
They are natural quadruplets (no, Aviendha does not adopt Min's or Elayne's children in order to get four), and the "odd" thing is specifically their ability to channel from birth.
Re Aviendha's Children.
Rand's uncle Luc had dark hair. So dark hair could come from him.
Brandon did say Aviendha became pregnant before the last battle.
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