How will Rand seal the bore?

[Cabriana]

This may have been discussed before but I'm new here. :)

 

What exactly do we know about TG? How long will it be? And what will Rand have to do to reseal the bore?

 

I moved recently and about half of my copies of the series was destroyed. So I don't have the references handy.

 

But I'm really interested to see what people think.

[BrainFireBob]

We don't know.

 

Speculative, there will be a big Shadowspawn Trolloc invasion. Lan will be fighting in the Blight with the last Malkieri-"We're still here, dammit! You missed some of us!", the Borderlands and the Waste are probably going to be hit hard (too many references to "short of another Trolloc Wars"), and off of the symbolic name association, there will probably be a battle of Caemlyn to distract Rand (since at Camlann Arthur was tied down). Other speculative- the new head of House Caerin, Sylvase, is Lanfear in disguise, and she'll go after Elayne.

 

Other other speculative- it won't be a One-Power battle, but rather a battle for Rand's soul- his wound is too symbolically similar to the Bore, especially through the Fisher King and the "Dragon is one with the Land" references.

 

 

[DuDZiK]

Keeping in mind Hedrid Fel's (sp?) statement to Rand that the Seal had to be whole - meaning there is no bore; it is as the Creator made it - I liked a theory that someone had postulated in another thread, and I apologize for forgetting who it was and which thread it was in.

 

Anyways, the theory was that Rand will use the Choden Kal (sp?) in the Bore itself and unleash a massive blast of balefire so powerful that it essentially turns back time to the point where the Bore was never tapped into by Lanfear, and the seal is whole as it Fel said it should be.

 

Before I heard this theory, I always figured that Rand's blood would have something to do with it because of the Prophecy.

[Tamia Sedai]

I think that I agree with DuDZiK.  But also I do think that it will have to do with his blood.  The Choden Kal will have to be used again to seal up the Dark One's Prison, otherwise how will he have enough of the One Power?  ???

 

Also, I like BFB's last speculation, that Rand's soul will be in this battle because his wound is like the bore.  This would be very symbolic and could save Randland as well as Rand himself.

 

Just thinking out loud here, but if Rand uses balefire, then everything that was affected by the Bore is changed.  This would mean that the whole world would be changed. :o

 

What does everyone else think?

[Nelal Hurcran]

Just thinking out loud here, but if Rand uses balefire, then everything that was affected by the Bore is changed.  This would mean that the whole world would be changed.

 

Yes, and it would cause the pattern to unravle.

 

The theory I agree with most is that LTT's Patch is in the way of the pattern fixing itself. Not that my opinion matters all that much.

[Tamia Sedai]

Why doesn't your opinion matter, Nelal?

 

Anyway, it would be bad for the whole pattern to unravel so RJ can't have balefire planned.  Then again, the pattern could unravel back to the beginning of time again and start the pattern over.  This would be a new Age probably...

 

Who knows? ???

[Thunderbomb]

Personally I believe, Rand will seal it threw sacrifice of his life(sacrifical lamb sort of thing) after a long drawn out battle of the dark trying to turn the Dragon to the DO's side.(Forsaken mention this if I remember right.)

[Kura]

Here we go again.  :)

 

The theory I agree most with is Cloglord's Singing the Bore shut, there have been a lot of references to singing, Loial being the most obvious, but also in tEotW LTT asking Ishy, "Do you have the voice stranger?" Not to mention the ter'angreal in Rhuiden((SP?)) flashback of the Aiel singing. Rand is Aiel, and he quoted the Aiel thing of spitting in sightblinder's eye when he saw the Choedan Kal statue. Which is more for it, since through the Nym we know that the OP can definitely assist in the growing.

 

You know, I think I'll just try to dig up the topic. Cloglord explained it much better.

[Thunderbomb]

Here we go again.  :)

 

The theory I agree most with is Cloglord's Singing the Bore shut, there have been a lot of references to singing, Loial being the most obvious, but also in tEotW LTT asking Ishy, "Do you have the voice stranger?" Not to mention the ter'angreal in Rhuiden((SP?)) flashback of the Aiel singing. Rand is Aiel, and he quoted the Aiel thing of spitting in sightblinder's eye when he saw the Choedan Kal statue. Which is more for it, since through the Nym we know that the OP can definitely assist in the growing.

 

You know, I think I'll just try to dig up the topic. Cloglord explained it much better.

 

Wow, I cant believe I didnt put the singing hints together you wouldnt happen to have acouple of the quotes would ya? It makes sense in a way but I still believe Rand will still have to pay the ultimate sacrifice

 

My idea after hearing this singing that I never really thought was really relevent, would be Rand sacrificing himself which causes his army of aiel and other followers who follow him to TG to start singing a song (not quite sure which song) which shows the whole world coming together for one general cause, and the pattern healing itself.

[DuDZiK]

Here we go again.  :)

 

The theory I agree most with is Cloglord's Singing the Bore shut, there have been a lot of references to singing, Loial being the most obvious, but also in tEotW LTT asking Ishy, "Do you have the voice stranger?" Not to mention the ter'angreal in Rhuiden((SP?)) flashback of the Aiel singing. Rand is Aiel, and he quoted the Aiel thing of spitting in sightblinder's eye when he saw the Choedan Kal statue. Which is more for it, since through the Nym we know that the OP can definitely assist in the growing.

 

You know, I think I'll just try to dig up the topic. Cloglord explained it much better.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the visions that Rand had of his Aiel ancestors where they were singing had to do with them growing the Great Trees, did it not? When they sung, the Green Man I believe danced and the tree(s) grew as they sang.

 

Unless there's some other song I'm forgetting...

[cloglord]

Okay here it is, I'll warn you though. its one of my pet theories, and there's alot of it to read.

 

Okay, we know that the bore will have to be sealed before the 3rd age comes again, and I believe that RJ plans to seal the bore within the series, IE aMoL. So, if you believe as I do, then how does the bore get fixed so that 2nd agers don't drill a bore through a patch?

 

RJ has said that he has known the endings of the books since the beggining, so I went back to the beggining to try and find some clues. At the end to the prolouge of TEotW, there are two writings from fourth age writers telling us events that occur during the time around the last battle. I will quote from the one I belive to be pertinent.

 

Quote:

... Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs.

 

 

Okay, it seems pretty obvious that the Prince of the Morning is a reference to Rand. Singing to the land seems to be a reference to the Aiel singing ceremony. And I don't have the slightest clue wtf "valleys giving forth lambs," mean.

 

This passage seems to suggest that Rand will sing the aiel growing song before the last battle. To what purpose would he do this? Yes the world is likely to be wracked with famine, but singing a few fields worth of crops won't alieviate this. Maybe he would need some help with this singing.

 

Do we even know if Rand has "The Voice?" Does he know "The Song?" There seems to be some evidence to suggest this. The first example is Rand's strange reaction to Loial's treesinging. Secondly, we know from Rand's trip through the Rhuidean columns that he at least is descended from someone who had "The Voice." From that same trip, Rand also learned, "The Song."

 

Who would help Rand sing the song? The obvious choice would be the Tuathan, who are all currently headed for Ebou Dar, in seanchan territory. Does this fact make it any more likely that the tuathan will learn the song than 2 thousand years of wandering has? Possibly. We know from TGH that people with the voice, can have a reaction to ogier song. We also know that the Tuathan have tried learning Ogier songs, but have still failed to learn The Song. This would seem to either indicate that Rand is a special case, or that none of the tuathan that have listened to treesinging has had The Voice.

 

Of the two it seems more likely to me that Rand is a special case, and that treesinging was enough like the ogier part in The Song to spark some hereditary memory. However it is possible that when the tuathan broke from the aiel they only took people with them without the genetic predisposition for The Voice. It would seem a cruel twist of fate that only those who could not sing The Song would be looking for it, but then again when has that stopped RJ? In either case it seems that the songs that the Ogier on this side of the ocean sing are not enough to help the tuathan find The Song. We do not know however, what songs the Seanchan ogier may or may not know. It is possible that the "Gardener" nickname given to them is indicative of them knowing some part of the growing song from the AoL. If this is the case, it might be that it is similar enough to The Song that the Tuathan could learn the song from them.

 

Another likely group to learn The Song from Rand is the Aiel. Certainley they have the genetic predisposition to posess The Voice. The fact that none have exhibited this talent before can be explained easily by remembering that adult aiel only sing funereal dirges. Since a song about death is about the furthest thing from a growing song, it is possible that many many aiel possess The Voice, but do not know it. It is this fact, that the Aiel don't sing, that makes me think that it is very likely that they will. Additionally, if you are of the opinion that the treesinging ability and the ogier song are one and the same, the reason why the aiel have not noticed something weird from Ogier treesinging is also easily explained. There is a severe shortage of trees in the waste to be sung, and thus a severe lack of ogier to sing them. Simply there have been no instances when an aiel with The Voice, an ogier treesinger, and a tree have been in the same place since the breaking.

 

Another likely ally in this singing is Loial. From Rand's trip through the Rhuidean columns we know that not only do Ogier play a part in The Song, but that they begin it. Since we already have proof that Loial has the ability to affect Rand with his singing, it seems that at least Loial has the ogier version of The Voice. As noted above, the ogier Voice may or may not be the same as having the treesinging ability. In KoD Loial promises Rand he will be at the last battle with him, and as we know there is no such thing as an ogier oathbreaker. Considering that Loial has promised to be with Rand, and that he possesses the ability to effect Rand, it is a pretty sure thing that Loial will be present at this singing.

 

So, we have a scenario where Rand and Loial are singing The Song, possibly with the help of the Tuathan and/or the Aiel, but to what purpose? It could be that they are singing at the last battle to grow crops to feed the starving people of the world. While laudable, I do not see it being beneficial to Rand's goal of winning and surviving the last battle. Starvation is not a quick death, nor a quick recovery. If Randlanders are not starving and dying in numbers great enough to effect the Last Battle, then Rand would have other priorities, and if they were starving and dying that quickly, their recovery time would take longer than would be useful. What purpose would Rand have in singing the song, as the Fourth age writer in TEotW relates he will?

 

The simple answer, to grow the bore shut.

 

I followed up with this

 

Quote:

"When the Trollocs come out of the Blight again, we will leave the Three-fold Land and take back our places of old."

 

TGH Ch28

 

 

Quote:

"One of the old prophecies says that if ever we fail the Aes Sedai again, they will slay us."

 

TGH Ch. 28

 

Quote:

"He shall spill out the blood of those who call themselves Aiel as water on sand, and he shall break them as dried twigs, yet the remnant of a remnant shall he save, and they shall live."

 

TSR Ch 34

 

Quote:

He "shall slay his people with the sword of peace, and destroy them with the leaf." He "shall bind the nine moons to serve him." He will heal "wounds of madness and cutting of hope." What chains has he broken, and who put into chains?

 

TDR Ch 6

 

Quote:

The Reborn One, marked and bleeding,

dances the sword in dreams and mist,

chains the Shadowsworn to his will,

from the city, lost and forsaken,

leads the spears to war once more,

breaks the spears and makes them see,

truth long hidden in the ancient dream."

 

TSR Ch 6

 

 

These are the quotes I found that relate this to prophecy. I misspoke when I referenced the slaying with the leaf prophecy earlier, but I believe that I am still right. Rand has slain them, but has yet to destroy the Aiel.

 

 

When I went to look at the relevant prophecies, I became even more convinced that this is how RJ intends to seal the bore. If you recall the story of the Aiel who sang to the insane male aes sedai until he had killed every last one of them, it seems like a foreshadowing.

 

Quote:

"His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away the Shadow, sacrifice for man's salvation."

 

 

TSR Ch 3

 

The first prophecy that I qouted, tells us that when the trollocs come out of the blight, the Aiel will take back their places of old. We know that their places of old, were places of peaceful servitude to the Aes Sedai. Further we know that their places were as seed singers. From prophecy we know that the Aiel will return to the way of the leaf, and will likely return to singing.

 

From prophecy we know that Rand will pour out the blood of the Aiel like water on sand. Again this is remminiscent of the story of the Daishan Aiel singing themselves into a meatgrinder. This is a clear reference to the near complete destruction of the aiel.

 

Further we know that it is the blood of the dragon that will "wash away" the shadow. The aiel are the blood of the Dragon. It is clear from Rand's trip to Rhuidean that he is directly decsended from the leaders of the Aiel in the AoL.

 

Quote:

Blood of our blood mixed with the old blood, raised by an ancient blood not ours

 

TDR Ch 39

 

The Aiel will reclaim their old places as seed singers and followers of the way of the leaf. Aiel are the blood of the dragon. The dragon will pour out his blood like water onto the rocks of Shayol Ghul to wash away the shadow.

 

I'm still looking for the place where I posted the bit about the chodan kal being used in conjuction with the song, I found some of the aftermath discussion that spilled over into another thread, but not he original post, if I find it i'll  repost it here so that RAW can tear it apart all over again ;)

[cloglord]

Here's the bit where I first bring up the Chodan Kal Connection

 

I figured it out, RAW, we are both right. The Male Choedan Cal and the Song will be used to fix the bore. To set the scene.

 

Its TGH, Rand, Loial, Hurin, and Lanfear (Selene) are all standing at the edge of a pit looking down at the actual Male Choedan Kal

 

Quote:

Suddenly-a drifting, distant thought- he realized that the void surrounded him. Saidin sang, and the sphere pulsed - even without looking, he could feel it- and the thought came that if he sang the song saidin sang, that huge stone face would open its mouth and sing with him. With him and with saidin. All one....He released the void . . . and it did not go. Saidin crooned, and the lightin the sphere beat like a heart. LIke his heart. Loial, Hurin, Selene, they all stared at him, but they seemed oblivious to the glorious blaze from the crystal. He tried to push the void away. It held like granite; he floated in an emptyness as hard as stone. The song of saidin the song of the sphere, he could feel them quivering along his bones. Grimly he refused to give in, reached deep inside himself... I will not...

'Rand' he did not know whose voice it was.

...reached for the core of who he was, the core of what he was...will not

'Rand' The song filled him, filled the emptiness.

...touched stone, hot from the pitiless sun,cold from a merciless night...

...not...

Light filled him, blinded him.

'Till shade is gone,' he mumbled, 'till water is gone...'

Power filled him he was one with the sphere.

'...into the shadow with teeth bared...'

The power was his. The Power was his.

'...to spit in Sightblinder's eye...'

Power to Break the World.

'...on the last day!" It came out as a shout, and the void was gone.

 

 

 

Okay, I always thought that this meant that Rand was fighting holding so much of the OP, but I think that it should be reinterpreted. It's not until almost the end of this passage that "Power filled him" he was fighting something else, something bigger. THe part that drew him into this struggle was clear it was the song of saidin. It was clearly a song, RJ says that saidin crooned, he says it sang, it had a rythym.

He thought that the choden kal would sing with him AND with Saidin. So if they were two different things, what is Rand? When Rand reaches for the core of himself in this passage he, "touched stone, hot from the pitiless sun,cold from a merciless night..." This seems to be substaniated by his spontaneous recitation of the Aiel oath of Defiance, "Till Shade is gone, till water is gone..." The core of what Rand is, is that he is fundamentally Aiel. Stubborn stone, hot as the waste in the day and as cold as the waste at night.

 

I believe that Rand has to embrace the song like the void while he channels Saidin. In TGH when Loial is treesinging in the mirror world, Rand describes the feeling of the song like this.

 

Quote:

soft as the song was, it caught him up hypnotically, filling his mind almost the way that the void did....Rand opened his mouth, but the song quieted him. It seemed so familiar, that song, as if he should know it.

 

 

This scene has got to be a precursor to the end of the series. We know from RJ that Hurin has some part yet to play. It could be that his presence here dictates his presence at the foreshadowed event. Loial has promised, (and we know what an oxymoron an ogier oathbreaker it,) to be with Rand at TG. It is fitting for the Ogier to begin the Song, he belongs. Lanfear, present at the bore's creation, present at this passage, present at its conclusion. It fits thematically. These four, (or 3 if you'd rather take Hurin out of the picture,) Are all in some way related to the bore, the song, the Choedan Kal, or all three. In case you can't tell, I'm pretty excited to find this passage, and am probably rambling. I'll send this post off, and hope that with some time to think it over, I'll be able to articulate my position better.

 

After I drew RAW out into a discussion of how I was wrong ;)....

 

I think that there is balance in RJ's writings. Saidair to balance Saidin, Aes Sedai balanced by Ashaman. Seanchan balanced by everyone else. What doesn't have an analog in these books? Easy, The true power, The Dark One. The Darkone takes a direct hand, lets his followers wield his very own destructive power, the power to destroy the pattern, to twist it, to distort it, to corrupt it. Where is its balance, where is the counterpart to that? The short answer, the Song. The Song grows, it strengthens, it heals, it creates. What powers the wheel? What weaves the age lace? The OP? It sustains, mainpulates it, it preserves, it is the status quo. Not two sides in balance, 3 sides, Good, Neutral, and Evil.

 

What does The TP, the OP, and the Song all have in common? They make the user feel good, alive, they are addictive. Three sides of one coin. Note the similarities between the three. You sieze the TP, you sieze the OP. You embrace the TP, you embrace the song. The three forces are equal, The creator creates, the wheel sustains, the DO destroys.

 

Now look closely at the passage.

 

Quote:

the void surrounded him. Saidin sang, and the sphere pulsed - even without looking, he could feel it-

 

 

 

Quote:

The song filled him, filled the emptiness...Light filled him, blinded him...Power filled him he was one with the sphere.

 

 

The song filled him, then light filled him, then the power filled him. He was attempting to channel the song and the OP at the same time. Notice that some unknown voice calls his name twice in the passage. It is way too soon for this voice to be LTT, LTT doesn't refer to Rand by name anyway. WHo's voice it this? Its before the balefire link with Moridin, so who's this voice? My theory, Rand's channeling the creator's TP, the Song.

 

Since it got brought up a lot in subsequent posts, I'll clarify this right away.  When I said "the creator's TP, the Song"  I only meant it insofar as it provided symetry to the DO's TP.  I didn't mean this as the Song is an equal or directly opposite power to the DO's TP.

 

[Mik]

I'm not so sure if the Song will shut the Bore. It could be possible, but I think the Singing could also be part of healing the land after the Bore is closed.

 

Anyway, I'm positive the Song has an important role to play in the end-game.

 

Was it just my twisted mind who saw more then a well-written report in these words from Jason about RJ's funeral...? Personally I found them very very fitting... something RJ himself would have grinned at....

*shrug* I dunno. RAFO I guess.

In the end, the most amazing part of the funeral was the singing. Now, I won’t claim that we had the most talented vocalists in attendance, but what the congregation might have lacked in talent, it more than made up for in spirit. And that is what we sang, spirituals. Songs with roots that run deeply through the southern experience and blossom at need to replenish the hearts of the grieving and remind them of the hope that lays in faith. At one point, the church was bursting with song. I remember looking up as we raised our voices to heaven, and I thought of all of you fans who were not present. I thought of how, with the people above in upper balconies and the white walls, this must be a little what it’s like to be in the White Tower for assemblies. The songs rose into the air, and together we sang Jim’s spirit into heaven, and into one another, and around the world.

Edit:

It fits so well with how I envissioned Singing from WoT to work. I don't hope anyone is offended by me reading too much between the lines of something so serious and real.

If so, then I apologize.

 

 

[JenLenaMom]

Quote

It fits so well with how I envissioned Singing from WoT to work.

 

I think your right because that was RJ's church, that was how they sang.  That was his experience with how music and singing can lift you to something higher (figuratively of course)  so that's how he wrote The Song in the WOT universe.

[Kura]

Ahh, shoot. I couldn't find those posts, even though they were the exact ones I was looking for; cept the last one. I fully support every theory in there except the last ones in your final quote.

 

I beleive that the voice was Lanfear's(Selene's), and that he didn't reconize it because he was caught in in the channeling and the song. I do have a question, from where do we know that Hurin still has a role to play? The only thing I can think of is him promising to come and aid the wondergirls if ever they need him. Kind of like I think the Raven settling in Mat's eye is more a reference to the shadow seeing through his eyes, but I don't want to be a thread-jacker. ;)

 

I'm not sure how it ties into the song theory, but because of exactilly what it is, I feel it should be related. The Greenman's grave. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that tree that was formed by his death was a Chora Tree, and even if it wasn't, Loial noted how it still contained the essence of the Greenman, a nym, an OP focus for the singing of the song. Plus, it is in the blight, and I bet it still responds to need. Effectivly, it would mean that all three componets of the AoL tree singing would be there; plus the dragon reborn and the Choedan Kal which seems to have some connection to the singing, to some extent at least.

 

-shrugs- Just some food for thought.

[ignavus1223]

 

In my mind, TG will be brought on by Rand, not the DO or a Trolloc army.  At the end of the last book, he's already moved a lot of his forces to where they need to be for TG.  Rand is also the one, according to Fel, who will need to break the DO seals in order to fix the bore.  I think TG will be a massive strike at SG, where he'll break the seals. 

[avacraft]

This post will probably be long and philosophical so anyone who doesn't have much patience should probably just skim past it.

 

Anyone who has been to a church where the whole congregation is singing or been to listen to an orchestra knows that when a TON of music is playing that there is a ton of energy going around.  RJ takes a lot of info from wicca and paganism (Ex. Bel Tine=Beltaine  Same time of year and celebration and reason for the festival and thats just one example including the five powers [fire, water, air, earth and spirit] and the elements of wicca)  Well in wicca, singing and dancing are methods of raising energy during ritual and are looked upon as very powerful. 

 

I totally agree with the singing being a huge part of sealing the bore completely.

 

Okay I guess the post wasn't very long but yeah.  Hope this helps.

[Tamia Sedai]

I agree with the Singing theory!  That is a great idea and those quotes I think are great proof of it.  I think that Loial, Rand, and Aiel will sing the Song.  The Aiel are the people of the Dragon so it does seem that their blood would be spilt on the rocks of SG and that this blood will wash away the evil.  Wow... :o I could not have come with all of this.  ;D

[Mr Ares]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the "singing shut the Bore" theory. My preferred theory is basically that the three ta'veren acting together should be able to fix the Pattern, although whether this alone will be enough to force Shai'tan (BBHN) from the Bore or more is required I'm undecided on. For some evidence in favour of this, see Min's "fireflies" visions - she has a vision of fireflies being swallowed by darkness around Rand, and later has a similar vision when two of the boys are together (Rand was one, not sure whether the other was Perrin or Mat), butin this vision the fireflies were being swalowed as fast as they could swarm - in effect, holding their own rather than losing ground as before. Bring all 3 together, and you should be able to force the darkness back. If they can force Shai'tan (BBHN) from the Bore then it will probably start to heal by itself. I doubt that it will be a simple channeling war - Shai'tan (BBHN) can probably throw more Power at them than they could throw back.

 

Any theory that requires balefire as a magic fix it is ridiculous. Shai'tan (BBHN) can be destroyed by balefire, but only if delivered in such quantities that the word would also perish. The Bore cannot be balefired - it isn't a thing or a place, it is a hole in reality. It's just ridiculous.

 

So, singing shut - not a fan

Balefire - idiotic theory

Thre ta'veren - together, they drive Sha'tan (BBHN) away, and the Pattern heals itself. Make sense?

[Reinoc]

Thre ta'veren - together, they drive Sha'tan (BBHN) away, and the Pattern heals itself. Make sense?

 

I like it, but how will the pattern heal itself? I think that's what the singing does. So there will be a taveren get-together at SG, forcing Shaitan (BBHN - wth is that by the way?) back. Then Loial, Rand and the Aiel start singing to heal the wound in the pattern that is the bore.

[trakand_01]

"Something" Be His Name, i think.

[Mr Ares]

Three ta'veren - together, they drive Sha'tan (BBHN) away, and the Pattern heals itself. Make sense?

I like it, but how will the pattern heal itself? I think that's what the singing does. So there will be a taveren get-together at SG, forcing Shaitan (BBHN - wth is that by the way?) back. Then Loial, Rand and the Aiel start singing to heal the wound in the pattern that is the bore.

I think it will heal itself. Won't be healed by a bunch of singing pillocks. Think of it in terms of a wound that can't heal because something (in this case a certain god) is in the way. Remove the obstacle and it can heal back to normal - the hard part is getting it out the way. So no singing necessary. Look at Gateways - they damage the Pattern in order to let people get around, but does the Pattern stay damaged? It doesn't appear to, so it looks, to me anyway, like the only thing keeping the Bore open is Shai'tan in the way.

 

"Something" Be His Name, i think.

SOmething doesn't start with a B...it stands for Blessed, and if people are going to ask about it I'm going to stop doing it. Asking for explanations for things like this spoils my mystique, damn you.

[cloglord]

Look at Gateways - they damage the Pattern in order to let people get around, but does the Pattern stay damaged?

 

I disagree, even saying that Saidin tents the pattern and bores a hole through doesn't mean that it damages the pattern.  I can gather fabric together and stick a pin through it with out damaging the fabric.  I would agree that the way that the TP method of traveling damages the pattern, as it is described as a ripping, but the TP comes from the DO, so isn't really a good example.

[Reinoc]

I agree that it can heal on its own, but, to take your example a little further, if a wound that can't heal because something (in this case a certain god) is in the way can now heal normally, it will be a lot faster to heal it with the OP, as it will be a lot faster to heal the bore with singing. In my opinion of course.

[Mr Ares]

Firstly, cloglord. Perhaps damage was too strong a term. Men punch a small hole in the Pattern, and women distort it, it doesn't strike me as beneficial to the Pattern even if whatever damage is only very minor. It could well be that whatever Travelling does to the Pattern is acceptable, but a huge hole like the Bore may be beyond the Wheel's self correcting mechanisms. So Rand or someone(s) else would have to step in and do something.

 

Secondly:

I agree that it can heal on its own, but, to take your example a little further, if a wound that can't heal because something (in this case a certain god) is in the way can now heal normally, it will be a lot faster to heal it with the OP, as it will be a lot faster to heal the bore with singing. In my opinion of course.

We don't know that anything like this is possible - it could be that the Voice could help, or maybe it can't. Same with the Power, although given the proven ability of the Power to affect reality (it caused the Bore) and its known versatility, I would prefer that to something which, so far as we know, is just good for making living things grow. Of course, it could be that the Pattern would heal within minutes or less without any help, so long as Shai'tan is removed.