The Saidin Bond and You

[Oddpositions]

Disclaimer: The first part (everything that i've posted as of 9/27/19) is purely from an academic standpoint and does not reflect the actual rules and requirements of the Bond in the PSW. Upon eventual completion of this post, I will have a definitive list of the Bonding rules and restrictions when it comes to using Saidin to Bond in the PSW.

 

 

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So, you’re an Asha’man and you’re thinking about Bonding someone, eh? Or perhaps just a curious, male Wilder looking to widen the breadth of their knowledge? Well you’ve come to the right place. Bondings are a complicated business and not as simple as those Aes Sedai make it out to be. This resource is meant for Saidin channeling men, but it may be useful for those of you who wield Saidar.

 

Let’s take a look at what we know….

And yes, there is a Bibliography at the bottom of this post...

 

 

 

What is Bonding?

 

According to the WoT fandom Wiki (1)…

 

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Bonding is a weave which creates an enduring psychic link between two individuals; although there are several variants, the most common is the Aes Sedai/Warder bond.

 

According to the WoT Companion (2)...

 

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Bonding. An act, by an Aes Sedai or Asha’man using the One Power, of creating a physical and psychic link with another who thereby became her or his Warder. Aes Sedai in the AoL did not bond Warders.

 

In my humble opinion, Bonding can be used as an umbrella term for all of the different types of manufactured psychic and physical connections we have seen that involve the Power in the series. We can assume that each Weave is different depending on the gender of the Channeler and the features of the Bond being woven. Traditionally, however, when you hear the word Bonding, it will more than likely be referring to the Wot Companion’s definition.

 

In the main series, it was Taril Canler, an Andoran Dedicated, that discovered how to Bond his wife with a Spirit link similar to the Aes Sedai/Warder Bond. The initial function of this Bond was to remain connected to one's partner when apart. Indeed, this form of the Bond conveyed at least two of the same properties as the Aes Sedai version of the bond: Sensing each other's locations/general direction, and the emotional and physical state of each other. (3)

 

This Bond was later altered by the Asha'men for use upon the Aes Sedai. A small layer of Compulsion was added into this Bonding Weave so that the Aes Sedai (or any individual) was compelled to comply with the demands of the man that held the Bond. Robert Jordan spoke on length about this at the KoD Signing (4) on 10/24/05...

 

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From a mechanical standpoint, RJ explained that the bonds themselves are very different weaves, but that is more because of the differences in the situations. It is very unlikely that a Warder would ever try and kill their Aes Sedai, but that is not the case for an Asha'man and his bonded Aes Sedai. The Asha'man bond requires obedience of the Aes Sedai because the Asha'man would be in danger of her if she did not obey his every command. The Warder bond is different in that the Aes Sedai can bend her Warder to her will, but only with some effort on her part.

 

RJ quoted from his own book how Logain stated that the Asha'man bond could be easily modified so that the obedience requirement was removed, and here is the important part and I will quote from memory, "but that has not happened, thus far."

 

The main series does not address whether or not this version of the Bond (we shall call it the Wife Bond) bestows the same benefits of the Warder Bond. It can be inferred that during the course of the main series, this type of Bond does not provide those benefits due to the reasoning the Asha'men had for Bonding their Wives and Aes Sedai. We never saw an instance of two Asha'men bonding each other, nor an instance of an Asha'man bonding a non-Channeling man. Under those circumstances involving two men, it is feasible that the Bond may be altered to bestow the traditional Warder Bond benefits due to the nature and purpose of the Asha'men.

 

Another curiosity with the Wife Bond is the lack of the Death Rage that Warders feel at the passing of their Aes Sedai. None of the wives of the Asha'men were shown to endure this at the men's death. With the above information, it can be assumed that the Wife Bond is a completely separate weave from the Warder Bond.

 

At the CoT Signing (5) on 01/28/03, a fan asked if it were possible for an Aes Sedai to preform the Wife Bond and Robert Jordan said this on the matter...

 

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Yes, if they learned the weaves. The Asha'man know a lot more about bonding than the Aes Sedai. Some guy figured out how to bond their wives, and then they started concentrating on other things they could do with the bond. The Aes Sedai never experimented, just passed on what they knew.

 

Taking this into consideration, we can also assume that the Asha'men can preform the Warder Bond if they learned the weaves. In theory, one could even manipulate the weaves for either Bond to change the effects and benefits of the Bond. For instance, one could alter the Wife Bond to include some or all of the Warder Bond benefits.

 

<<<Under Construction as of 9/27/19>>>

 

 

 

Works Cited:

1. https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/Bonding
2. Jordan, Robert, et al., editors. The Wheel of Time Companion: The People Places, And History of the Bestselling Series. 1st ed., Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 2015, pp. 127 - 128.
3. Jordan, Robert. A Crown of Swords: Book Seven of 'The Wheel of Time'. 1st ed., Kindle ed., Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 2010. pp. 569 - 570.
4. https://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=233
5. https://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=177

Edited September 28, 2019 by Oddpositions