Sitters

[CeeCaar]

Hello. I just started to read this book series. I'm reading the English books and my native language is Swedish so some parts can be difficult to understand. 

 

Sitters, could someone try and describe what they are? I couldn't really understand what they are from the book and it nagged me and is nagging me every time its mentioned, and it's mentioned more than I expected. I'm getting sick of the brain itch of not knowing. :p

 

that's why I'm here. 

 

Thanks a bunch! 

Edited February 11, 2018 by CeeCaar
Typos

[JenniferL]

The nearest real-world analog is a member of Congress or Parliment in a national government. They represent the interests of their Ajah in the Hall of the Tower. Jordan based much of their procedures and rules on the College of Cardinals in the Vatican. 

[Sabio]

A sitter is an Aes Sedai who represented her Ajah in the Hall of the Tower.  Each Ajah has three sitters.  Also just because someone was a sitter didn't mean they were head of the Ajah.

[jack of shadows]

@Sabio,

is it  one sitter per ajah?i simply don't remember.

 

sorry,i just noticed,you've already answered my question lol.

Edited February 12, 2018 by jack of shadows

[Sabio]

I always thought the number varied depending on size of the Ajah, but the companion said three.

[CeeCaar]

Thank you, everyone. Fast responses! 

[jack of shadows]

servants of all!

[Elgee]

They're called Sitters because they sit in the Hall (council room) of the White Tower. They are there to represent the interests of their Ajahs, and help run the Aes Sedai (and supposedly the world). Their actual power depends on the dynamics between them, their Ajah Heads, and the Amyrlin of the time. Some Ajah Heads might double up as Sitters too, others prefer not to be. No-one outside of an Ajah knows who the Head of each Ajah is, but obviously everyone knows who the Sitters are.

[szilard]

While the Sitters are the most powerful AS but 'they do not matter at all', because the heads of the Ajahs have the real power, who are not Sitters (usually). Sometimes outsiders have even more powers than anybody.

On 2/11/2018 at 8:43 PM, CeeCaar said:

Hello.I'm reading the English books

 

Welcome aboard!; that's a very good choice. (Translations are mutilations.)

[solarz]

20 minutes ago, szilard said:

While the Sitters are the most powerful AS but 'they do not matter at all', because the heads of the Ajahs have the real power, who are not Sitters (usually). Sometimes outsiders have even more powers than anybody.

 

Welcome aboard!; that's a very good choice. (Translations are mutilations.)

 

Not necessarily.

 

Think of the Ajahs are political parties. The Sitters are the senators or parliamentarians, while the Ajah Heads are the presidents of the various parties. Sure, the Ajah Heads can influence the Sitters, some of them might even be Sitters themselves, but how a Sitter votes in the Hall is still up to the Sitter herself.

[jack of shadows]

sitters true power is during voting at the hall of the tower,

i.e.support or opposed to the amyrlin