Lews Therin Telamon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He was the Dragon of the Age of Legends. He is the most powerful, most hated, and most feared man in history, for his part in the Breaking of the World and killing his loved ones, earning him the epithet Kinslayer.
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In "The Wheel of Time," much of the information concerning Lews Therin Telamon comes from the prologue of The Eye of the World and Robert Jordan's short story The Strike at Shayol Ghul. Lews Therin Telamon was the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends, the man who sat on the High Seat of the Hall of the Servants. He wore the Ring of Tamyrlin and summoned the Nine Rods of Dominion. Also known as the Lord of the Morning, Prince of the Dawn, he came to be known as the Dragon during the War of Power. The most powerful man of his time, he was chosen to lead the Ogier, the human warmen, and the Aes Sedai in their fight against the Shadow. He was married to Ilyena Therin Moerelle and before the War of Power, he was involved with Mierin Eronaile, who after he spurned her affections, became one of the Forsaken. He was the most famous man of his age, and earned his third name Telamon because of his accomplishments.
He led the Hundred Companions to win the War of the Shadow by resealing the Dark One away in his prison in Shayol Ghul. However, the Dark One's counterstroke caused a taint to be placed upon saidin, the male half of the One Power. This taint caused Lews Therin and the remaining members of the Hundred Companions to go insane on the instant, causing chaos with the One Power. Eventually all the other male Aes Sedai became mad also. The immediate effect was that Lews Therin killed his wife Ilyena, everyone who carried a drop of his blood, and everyone he loved thus becoming known as the Kinslayer. The eventual effect was the Breaking of the World, caused by the insane male Aes Sedai and the end of the Age of Legends.
Ishamael, once named Elan Morin Tedronai and a theologian who was the only man in the world with strength in the Power equal to Lews Therin's (the rest of the male forsaken being trapped inside the Bore), used the True Power to briefly heal Lews Therin Telamon of his madness, allowing him to see that he had killed his wife and all of his loved ones in his madness, as well as letting him realize that Ishamael has defeated him and was now greater than he. This led Lews Therin Telamon to obliterating himself by drawing too much of the One Power, creating Dragonmount in the process. Rand al'Thor was born on its slopes, 3000 years later. At the time of his death he is described as being tall with dark eyes, and brown hair turning white. His face is lined with worry. He was four hundred years old when he died.[1]
In the latter books of the series, Rand al'Thor hears the voice of Lews Therin in his head. There has been some speculation by readers as to the nature of this voice, with some evidence indicating that Rand is slowly being driven mad by the taint on Saidin, and other indications suggesting that Rand really is somehow communicating with Lews Therin. The voice of Lews Therin occasionally complains that Rand al'Thor is a voice in his head, suggesting that Lews Therin does not know/does not want to acknowledge that he is dead.
That Rand is indeed Lews Therin's soul reborn into a new body was never in question, nor was the fact that Lews Therin is insane, as is made apparent by his communication with Rand al'Thor. Rand himself suffers from spells of anger and fatalism. However, Lews Therin is also able to show Rand new uses of the One Power, and it is debatable whether Rand could be inventing these (often in the heat of battle) on his own. He has also developed skills and talents that Lews Therin possessed, such as drawing. Others in the series who have had previous lives do not display the ability to speak with those lives (though a few characters have memories from prior lives). It is implied by Cadsuane that men who are being driven mad by the taint on saidin often hear voices in their heads (confirmed by Semirhage, who adds that the voices are sometimes real and that when they are, it is more difficult to treat the person afflicted). These voices may be a psychological manifestation of memories and "feisty urges" from previous lives, taking the form of voices, as the men's minds attempt to separate the previous life's memories from those of the soul's current life. It could also be due to the nature of the taint of saidin, a possible by-product of the Dark One's backlash. Most likely a true voice, he has often helped Rand to understand both saidin and the Forsaken. Also, his voice has commented on previous "conversations."
Rand is often at odds with Lews Therin, often correcting him when he accepts Rand's memories as his own or claims ownership of Rand's list of women who died because of him. However, during the final chapter of The Gathering Storm, Rand is confronted by an existential crisis upon seeing the invading Seanchan have been far more successful at providing peace and stability than he has. Confused, he flees to Dragonmount, directed by Lews Therin. After questioning his role in the world for hours, Rand draws enough of the One Power to destroy the world. It is Lews Therin who provides the answers to Rand's questions: being bound to the Pattern is not a curse, but a blessing because it gives Rand a second chance to do things right. With that, Rand realises that Lews Therin and himself were always the same person, and that he denied his memories for the guilt of killing Ilyena.
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