Rand al'Thor
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Rand al'Thor is the protagonist and main character of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan. Jordan has stated that Rand is based on Tyr, the Norse god of justice.
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[edit] Description
Rand has gray or blue (interchanging) eyes and a reddish tint to his hair. He is about 6'5" or 6'6" (196-197 cm) and about 235 pounds (106 kg) (as described by Robert Jordan). As a result of events at the end of the Knife of Dreams, Rand has lost his left hand just above the wrist and can only wield his sword one-handed.
[edit] History
[edit] Birth
On the continent he is known as the Dragon Reborn. To the Aiel, he is He Who Comes with the Dawn, the Car'a'carn (Chief of Chiefs). To the Atha'an Miere, the Sea Folk, he is the Coramoor. His main titles are Shadowkiller, Lord of the Morning, Prince of the Dawn and True Defender of the Light. His birth was heralded by Gitara Moroso, Aes Sedai and Keeper of the Chronicles, who died from the sheer force of Foretelling his birth. Her Foretelling of his birth was: "He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!"
Rand was born on the last day of the Battle of the Blood Snow in 978 NE, on the slopes of Dragonmount as prophesied. He was born to Tigraine Mantear, the former Daughter-heir of Andor who had fled to the Aiel Waste to become a Maiden of the Spear, a woman warrior of the Aiel race. She had been convinced to flee by an Aes Sedai named Gitara Moroso, who said the world would be doomed if she did not. Tigraine, who renamed herself Shaiel, died shortly after giving birth. His father was Janduin, an Aiel clan chief (the youngest in memory), who led the Shaarad, Reyn, Nakai and Taardad clans to kill King Laman Damodred of Cairhien for his sin. When he heard Shaiel had died, he relinquished his leadership and went off to the Great Blight to fight Trollocs. Rand was found by Tam al'Thor, an Andoran man who had joined the Illianer army and fought at the Blood Snow. He and his new wife, Kari al'Thor, took Rand back to Tam's home village, Emond's Field.
[edit] Winternight
On Winternight, 998 NE, Trollocs attacked Emond's Field. Rand, his two friends (Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon), his childhood sweetheart Egwene al'Vere and the gleeman Thom Merrilin were led out of Emond's Field by Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred and her Warder, Al'Lan Mandragoran. Lan began teaching Rand the sword; he has since achieved a blademaster's level of skill, though not officially recognized. Along with Loial the Ogier and Nynaeve al'Meara, Moiraine led them to the Eye of the World in the Blight. Rand killed Aginor there, tapping into the Eye's pure saidin. Rand was told he was the Dragon Reborn following these events, which ended the first book. He did not believe this, but after the Horn of Valere was stolen, Rand, Mat, Perrin and Loial accompanied Lord Ingtar and the Shienarians to reclaim it. At the Battle of Falme, Rand and Ba'alzamon fought in the sky, and he was proclaimed Dragon Reborn after his victory.
[edit] Prophecy
That winter, he camped with Moiraine, Perrin, Min Farshaw, and the Shienarians. Rand did not accept his fate. He journeyed to Tear alone, deciding this quest would end or begin his life. In the Stone of Tear, he took the blade Callandor, the Sword That Cannot Be Touched, and fulfilled a major prophecy, affirming his identity as Dragon Reborn in the minds of many, not least of all his own. He then set out with Mat, Egwene and Moiraine to the Waste, seeking the endorsement of the Aiel as their Car'a'carn, literally a "chief of chiefs". In pursuit of this end, he traveled to Rhuidean, where he learned the true origins of the Aiel. With the help of the female Forsaken Lanfear, he trapped Asmodean while there, and forced the male Forsaken to teach him to use saidin. After succeeding in being accepted as the Car'a'carn, he lead the Aiel out of the Waste and took Cairhien and Caemlyn, killing the male Forsaken Rahvin.
[edit] Black Tower
He was then approached by embassies from Elaida and from the Salidar faction. Elaida's embassy kidnapped and shielded him from using his powers. He escaped at the horrific battle at Dumai's Wells. He has since forced or persuaded many Aes Sedai on both sides to swear fealty to him. He captured Illian with the help of Davram Bashere, and was crowned its king, re-naming Illian's Laurel Crown the Crown of Swords. Mazrim Taim, a former false Dragon, has aided Rand by establishing the Black Tower, which trains men to channel, becoming Asha'man. It is Rand's answer to the White Tower. Taim has begun to style himself "the M'Hael", leader of the Tower, although his true intentions have yet to be revealed; it is speculated he is a Darkfriend, although it has been stated by the author that he is not Demandred (a favorite theory among many readers).
[edit] Lovers
Rand is bonded (like a Warder) to his three lovers, Min Farshaw, Elayne Trakand, Queen of Andor, and Aviendha of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. Elayne is pregnant with his twins. He is advised mostly by Cadsuane Melaidhrin of the Green Ajah, and Sorilea, an Aiel Wise One. They have pledged to teach him "laughter and tears", as Rand has conditioned himself not to feel emotion, by reciting the names of all the women that have died directly because of his actions, over and over to himself. He believes he must be hard; others think he is becoming cruel and bitter.
[edit] Changes and appearances
Rand had changed a great deal from the boy who left Emond's Field two years ago. He has gone from the stubborn boy who refused to accept he was anything more than a simple sheepherder, to an arrogant iron-willed man who sometimes seems to have lost all trace of humanity. Having grown up with the belief that men should protect women, he has memorized the name of every woman who has died for him (at one point spending an entire night among the corpses in the aftermath of a major battle) and often berates himself with the list and the associated guilt. Many worry about his sanity; others (most notably the aforementioned Cadsuane and Sorilea) worry about his humanity. Finally, it is interesting to note that as the books have progressed, he has become less involved in the narrative, though he remains the central character. Book 3, The Dragon Reborn, was in fact told almost exclusively from the points-of-view of Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Egwene al'Vere, despite the fact that it is undoubtedly about Rand (all three parties eventually follow him to Tear and are present when he pulls the sword Callandor from the Stone and proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn), and the following books have continued in following the adventures of other characters besides Rand, to such a degree at times that in the tenth book, Crossroads of Twilight, Rand only appears in two chapters and the epilogue.
[edit] Reincarnation
Rand al'Thor is special in that he is the only known soul to be woven out by the Wheel of Time for a specific rebirth. Although there are other known cases of rebirth (such as Birgitte Silverbow and Gaidal Cain), only Rand al'Thor's rebirth has been forseen. He is the rebirth of Lews Therin Telamon, a male Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends who gained prominence during the War of Power as the Dragon, the leader of the Forces of Light against the Shadow during the War of Power. This is why al'Thor is generally known as the Dragon Reborn.
Other evidence is showcased in the prologue to The Eye of the World: Ishamael comments that he and Lews Therin have battled each other since the dawn of mankind countless times, suggesting that the Dragon is a prominent figure every time the War of Power occurs.
Rand hears Lews Therin's voice in his head, something that does not normally occur with reincarnation. In fact, at the end of the 11th novel, Semirhage informs him and those present that Rand is insane, and that his condition is beyond repair. The Forsaken, including both Semirhage and Ishamael, however, are known to lie.
[edit] Similarities to fictional heroes
[edit] To Paul Atreides
- Rand al'Thor is similar to Paul Atreides in Frank Herbert's Dune in that they are both men who possess powers usually wielded by women.
- The Aiel, who become Rand's most loyal fighting force, are similar in habit and style to the Fremen of Dune.
- Both Rand and Paul are seen as messiahs in their respective sagas, and they are both different messiahs for people other than those they grew up with. Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach to most of the universe, but to the Fremen, he is the Mahdi. Rand is the Dragon Reborn to the Wetlanders, but to the Aiel, he is He Who Comes With The Dawn (i.e. the Car'a'carn), and to the Atha'an Miere or Sea Folk, he is the Coramoor.
- Rand and the Aes Sedai and Paul and the Bene Gesserit share similar relationships, in that each organization knows the destined birth of the man with special powers, yet fear and distrust his coming.
- Rand and Paul both demonstrate their messianic role in bringing water to a desert land.
[edit] To mythology
- Over the course of the story, Rand has been shown to have many similarities to Tiwaz, the prototypical deity from which was developed Tyr, Zeus and Jupiter.
- His surname, al'Thor, is an obvious reference to the god Thor, although he is not based on Thor.
- Tyr's hand was bitten off by the wolf Fenrisulfr. In Knife of Dreams, Rand lost his left hand fighting the Forsaken Semirhage. Jordan has stated that Rand is based on Tyr.
- Rand's love for three women (Elayne Trakand, the mother of his two unborn children; Aviendha, an Aiel and former Maiden of the Spear; and Min Farshaw, who has the ability to see the future) is similar to Jupiter of Roman mythology, who loved three mortal women with similar traits (all of whom are now referenced among the moons of the planet Jupiter).
- Rand's "three women" also echo the Wiccan tradition of the triple goddess (Maiden-Mother-Crone), though the three woman bear little resemblance to the tripartite goddess. This would make Rand the equivalent of the Celtic deity Cernunnos, a point which is reinforced by a prophecy which speaks of him singing "that the fields will bring forth lambs and green things".
- Rand bears several similarities to the Fisher King: he bears an unhealing wound, the world becoming a wasteland in the meantime; he is a guardian of grails (the sa'angreal Callandor and the ter'angreal that triggers the great statue near Cairhien); some versions of the legend give the king's name as "Bron" or "Bran", which is similar to "Rand". Rand's arch-enemy Moridin at one point specifically considers the possibility that the wounded piece called the "Fisher" in the board game of which he is an expert player is an ancient reference to one of Rand's past incarnations.
- The visions of Rand on a funeral bier surrounded by three women is derived from the death of King Arthur, where the mortally wounded king is carried on a barge with four women to Avalon for healing. This also fits with the broader Arthurian motif in the Wheel of Time, especially with character names (linguistically, al'Thor is highly similar to Arthur).
- Sa'angreal can also be referanced to Sangreal, another name for the Holy Grail.
[edit] To Jesus
- Rand al'Thor is considered to be as a savior, sent by a supernatural force to save all of humanity from the forces of darkness. Whereas Jesus Christ was sent by another supernatural force to save humanity of their sins.
- It has been foretold that Rand will die in the process of saving the world. Unlike Jesus, however, no one has yet forecast his resurrection. In Lord of Chaos Rand revealed one part of an answer he had from the Aelfinn: "To live, you must die."
- Rand, like Jesus, has a habit of striking down unfair laws and reforming societies to benefit all, instead of only the powerful few. Both were seen by many of their contemporaries as being agents of chaos and change.
- When Rand dies, it is said that his body will be watched over by three women (his lovers, Elayne, Min and Aviendha); when Jesus died, his body was watched over by three women (generally reported as Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James the Less).
- Many of the markings on Rand's body are similar in location to the wounds inflicted on Jesus during the crucifixion: Jesus' hands were nailed to the cross, he was stabbed in the side by the Spear of Destiny, and he wore a crown of thorns. Both of Rand's hands have been branded with the heron mark, he was injured twice in the side (by Ba'alzamon's staff and Padan Fain's dagger from Shadar Logoth), and he wears the Crown of Swords, which pricks his scalp if not worn properly.
[edit] Other Resources
Wheel of Time Encyclopaedia - http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/
