Asha'man Uniform - Why Wool???

[Ayend'an]

I posted this on my WoT Tumblr blog recently:

 

So, I've been wondering: The Asha'man's coats were made of black wool. And at the genesis of the Black Tower, at least, the weather was sweltering-hot due to the Great Lord's influence on the world. It was my understanding that the Asha'man/Aes Sedai skill of not letting the temperature affect you did not make your body impervious to the effects of said temperature. We saw this at the beginning of Lord Of Chaos, when Demandred had to remember to cover up against the chill, despite not being bothered by it. Or, as mentioned explicitly in pp. 348-349 of TPoD: "....refusing to let heat or cold touch you did not make them go away. You could ignore them right up to the moment sunstroke cooked your brain or frostbite rotted your hands and feet." So, the Asha'man would have had to deal with basic heat-induced complications like heatstroke and dehydration.

 

Wool! I love you, Taim, but...but why? I've been thinking about this a lot recently, because I had to modify my Asha'man cosplay for Florida temperatures.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Adastreia

[Talmanes]

I honestly think it came down to wool being easy to get and affordable right off the bat. We see all over the world those who don't have much money wear wool usually regardless of the weather (maybe just not thick wool lol).

 

We do see later that Taim's personal followers start wearing silk and what not, so maybe that was to be fancier and more comfortable.

 

Knowing Taim though he probably just really didn't care if some died, hazard of training. At the same time if someone just got sick from the heat, they could likely just be Healed.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Talmanes

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

Could have to do with the durability of the fabric, it was easiest to come by, affordablity. I'm sure there were multiple factors.

 

And wool does breathe better than you think. I've done Civil War reenacting for years. Those uniforms are wool. Wearing those in hot summer temps definitely give you an appreciation for modern conveniences. Though I did learn a few tricks to staying cool in wool.

[Ayend'an]

48 minutes ago, Dar'Jen Ab Owain said:

Could have to do with the durability of the fabric, it was easiest to come by, affordablity. I'm sure there were multiple factors.

 

And wool does breathe better than you think. I've done Civil War reenacting for years. Those uniforms are wool. Wearing those in hot summer temps definitely give you an appreciation for modern conveniences. Though I did learn a few tricks to staying cool in wool.

Really? Which reenactments have you been to? I Mulan-ed at Chickamauga one year, and I go to the Narcoossee ones in FL every year, too. Didn't make it to the Gettysburg anniversary, unfortunately. But yeah, that wool! My only experiences with wool and the heat were the FL reenactments; several people had to go to the hospital with heatstroke the first year I went.

 

Sorry, getting OT. But yeah, I guess with the ability to Heal, it would've been all right.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Adastreia

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

The largest event I attended was at Perryville, KY. Need to get to more events. It's been far too long and I miss it.

 

There may have been several reasons for the black wool. The black was to be opposite to the white tower, though black absorbs the heat, which sucks. Part of it could have been as another factor of ensuring only the best survived. Sounds a bit heartless, but it could be a harsh reality for them.

[Talmanes]

@Adastreia if there's one place getting OT isn't a big deal, the Black Tower is probably that place lol. 

[Songstress]

6 hours ago, Talmanes said:

@Adastreia if there's one place getting OT isn't a big deal, the Black Tower is probably that place lol. 

 

He has a point.

 

Also, this question has never occurred to me before. 

[Niniel]

Not to me either. Interesting. I think Talm is right though. 

[Niniel]

And...

 

Hi Adastreia! I don´t think I have met you before. *hands over a tainted brownie*

[Ayend'an]

On 8/9/2018 at 1:48 PM, Niniel said:

And...

 

Hi Adastreia! I don´t think I have met you before. *hands over a tainted brownie*

Hi! I'm that foodie who would seriously eat it, anyway. XD

[Talmanes]

I was thinking about this again, and there are several times in the books people are 'dressing down' for whatever reason, and it seems like wool is always the go to regardless of weather

 

There were a couple of mentions I think with Nyn on wearing good wool, but it being so hot she wishes she could be wearing silk.

 

 

[KyNiker]

So it seems like the answer to this question is pretty obvious and revolves around three primary points:

1) Wool is cheap and hard-wearing

2) Wool is a 'working-man's' fabric

3) The fabric doesn't really matter.

 

As to the first, it is obvious and has been stated above. Wool is cheap, readily available, and hard-wearing. Whilst I believe that Rand provided money to the residents of the Farm (as it was originally called) when he first began to establish a school for male channellers, I don't think this extended to an open check, as it were. This means that basic clothing and food would have been provided for those who wish to train to become Asha'man, but nothing nearly as lavish as we see later on in the series (looking at you Taim).

 

From the Wiki - "Black coats are pieces of clothing that are the mark of anyone training to be Asha'man. Obviously, the coat is black, but the material varies. Some wear wool, some silk, and some (like Mazrim Taim) have embroidered the otherwise unrelieved black."

As to the second, remember that Rand wasn't interested in creating a fancy, pompous and elitist institution like the White Tower. In fact, the Black Tower was supposed to be the opposite of the White Tower in many respects, and this was one of the most important. The original purpose of Aes Sedai had been subverted over the long years, and rather than being "servants of all" they were now aloof from the world, pulling strings and manipulating monarchs. Ash'man are above all a soldier; all training is based upon this goal, and wool is a fitting fabric for a soldiers uniform. It is as stated, a 'working-man's' fabric; plain, appropriate and functional.

 

From the Wiki - "Asha'man training is much more militaristic and battle-oriented than the training of Aes Sedai. Asha'man are taught to do everything with the One Power, including mundane physical labor."

 

As to the third, well, it really doesn't matter what the fabric is at the end of the day. The consideration of how hot the Asha'man will be is irrelevant. The trick of concentrating to ignore temperature is also taught to Asha'man, meaning that they will be perfectly fine wearing wool in high temperatures, and indeed will be inclined to learn the trick faster as a result. The point "pp. 348-349 of TPoD: "....refusing to let heat or cold touch you did not make them go away. You could ignore them right up to the moment sunstroke cooked your brain or frostbite rotted your hands and feet." is a good one. However, there seem to be a few inconsistencies in the books regarding this. We also have references to Asha'man being brought water whilst they are training, in order to stay hydrated etc. So the trick of concentration, coupled with proper care, and also the pressure to perform in demanding conditions seems to me to mean that wool is a perfectly acceptable fabric. 

 

From the Wiki - "Because of the concentration technique, the material chosen is based on personal preference and not on climate."

 

That's just my 2 cents though.