Galad/Rand Brothers, great cousin aunt Moraine.

[Jument Logos]

So I just finished reading my favorite section of the first half of WOT,  the truth about the Aiel's past, The Tuathans past and Rand's past. This includes perrin's return to Emonds field via the ways and all the preparations to liberate the two rivers from the Children of the Light and Trollocs. so its a good two hundred pages, and forgive me if i'm a bit jumbled, but as i understand things right now:

Shaiel is the Maiden name of Tigraine, who fled Cairhien because Gitara Moroso (who was like the vessel of prophesy for Rands destiny) told her that she must or everything is bust.

 

According to Amys, Shaiel left behind a son, the encyclopedia tells us that it is Galad, is that information from the books or from Jordan himself? that makes Rand and Galad half brothers, sharing the same mother, and makes Rand and Elayne strikingly close to being related. The question is, what is Moraine to Rand then? a second aunt or something? i think its more likely they are cousins or half cousins, but its strange to think that they are in fact, if not too closely, related.

 

I had originally theorized that Isam was Rands brother and that he was maybe Slayer, or maybe Gaidal Cain reborn, but then he wouldn't still be in Tel aran rhiod with Birgitte when Egwene and Nynaeve have their first encounters.

I never noticed before how central Cairhien's history is to most of the story, it used to be one of the places in the world that i didn't pay any attention to aside from knowing what it had to do with Moraine and the Aiel.

 

[Majsju]

Rand and Elayne does not share any blood relative (Unless you count centuries back).

Rand is the son of Tigraine (Shaiel) and Taringail. Elayne is the daughter of Morgase and Taringail. So no close relation between the two of them.

 

Moiraine is Taringails half sister, which makes her Rands half aunt.

 

Isam is Lans cousin, Luc is Rands uncle (Tigraines brother), together they make Slayer, who is in T'A'R in the flesh.

[42Bonzo88]

Okay. That makes sense but who is Galad's father is it Taringail also?

[Majsju]

This is what happens when you post drunk...

 

Galad is the son of Tigraine and Taringail

Rand is the son of Tigraine and Janduin

Elayne and Gawyn are the children of Taringail and Morgase.

[42Bonzo88]

Thank you and have one for me. I could use it.

[Guest leebarr]

I never realized Moraine was Rand's Aunt thanks for pointing that out. Read the books so many times just never put 1 and 1 together

[Mr Ares]

So Moiraine is Taringail's half-sister. Elayne, Gawyn and Galad are Taringail's children. Taringail isn't Rand's father. So how is Moiraine related to Rand again? She is half-aunt to Galad, Elayne and Gawyn, not Rand. Maj, I can forgive your slip because you were drunk. But how come no-one else got this? Did no-one else read this properly? Or am I just mad? leebarr, if you put this 1 and 1 together, I would be very surprised if you came out with 2. Rand and Moiraine aren't related.

[Majsju]

DM should have a alco-lock... ;D

 

 

[Bob T Dwarf]

Depending on what the Legal Code of Cairhien is, Moiraine could legally be Rand's aunt without being his aunt by blood.

[nashdude]

So Moiraine is Taringail's half-sister. Elayne, Gawyn and Galad are Taringail's children. Taringail isn't Rand's father. So how is Moiraine related to Rand again? She is half-aunt to Galad, Elayne and Gawyn, not Rand. Maj, I can forgive your slip because you were drunk. But how come no-one else got this? Did no-one else read this properly? Or am I just mad? leebarr, if you put this 1 and 1 together, I would be very surprised if you came out with 2. Rand and Moiraine aren't related.

 

Right...

 

Taringail Damodred:

Moiraine's brother

Galad, Gawyn, and Elayne's father

 

Tigraine Mantear:

Luc's sister

Galad and Rand's mother

 

This gives us quite a few twists in the ol' family tree. Some of the more interesting are as follows...

 

1) Moiraine is Elayne's aunt (but not Rand's)

 

2) Galad is brother to BOTH Elayne and Rand, but Elayne and Rand are NOT directly related.

 

3) Galad---Lord Captain Commander of the Childred of the Light---is the nephew of an Aes Sedai

 

4) Luc---Rand's uncle---kills Rand's father.

Luc joins with Isam, who is Lan's cousin.

Thus, through Slayer (Luc+Isam), Lan is Rand's second cousin ;)

[Rahlian]

Jeez, i never realized what a twisty SOB RJ was... This is why i generally avoid family at all costs, they are so confusing

[TurboZ]

I don't see why that was so hard to get straight. Although it does sound like a bad episode of Days of Our Lives or some other hoaky soap opera.

[Mr Ares]

1) Moiraine is Elayne's aunt (but not Rand's)

 

2) Galad is brother to BOTH Elayne and Rand, but Elayne and Rand are NOT directly related.

Half- brother and half-aunt.

 

4)Luc joins with Isam, who is Lan's cousin.

Thus, through Slayer (Luc+Isam), Lan is Rand's second cousin ;)

If you count Slayer as a single individual, with each aspect sharing the family of the other, then Lan is Slayer's cousin, Tigraine is Slayer's sister, and so is also Lan's cousin, and Rand is first cousin once removed to Lan. IF you count Slayer as a single entity and say eah side shares the otherts relatives. Big if.

 

Really, this isn't difficult. Nothing like as Byzantine as my family tree.

[Darth_Andrea]

DM should have a alco-lock... ;D

 

 

AA is for Quiters!!! till you then again.

 

[glow=green,1,500]Darth_Andrea[/glow]           

[aussie_ashaman123]

1) Moiraine is Elayne's aunt (but not Rand's)

 

2) Galad is brother to BOTH Elayne and Rand, but Elayne and Rand are NOT directly related.

 

3) Galad---Lord Captain Commander of the Childred of the Light---is the nephew of an Aes Sedai

 

4) Luc---Rand's uncle---kills Rand's father.

Luc joins with Isam, who is Lan's cousin.

Thus, through Slayer (Luc+Isam), Lan is Rand's second cousin ;)

 

now that would be one lively family reunion!

 

As for Cairhien being important in the history building up to the WoT, its not important, Cairhien is pivotal! Without the Aiel War, Rand would never be born on the slopes of Dragonmount.

[Jument Logos]

I realize that Cairhien's history is pivotal, i'm just noting how little our characters have to do with the city, I believe Mat and Thom road down the river past its border in TDR, and Moraine hardly shows much concern or interest in the troubles and civil war in Cairhien, one of the only times it crosses her mind that we know about it is when Rand sends the Tairen nobles on a red cross mission with extra grain up north.

 

Rand and Galad are first brothers, sharing the same mother, but they have different fathers, Rand of Jaduin and Galad of Taringail, who also fathered Elayne. so Rand is essentially dating his brothers half sister, which doesn't involve blood relation or any risk of thinning the line with incest.

I wonder if this swirl of bloodlines was how the Taveren web got started, with moraine witnessing the Foretelling and being the one to go and get him and guide him. It must have been somewhat startling to hear amys's tale of his mother's origins, because I wouldn't be surprised if Moraine had spent time at least around Shaiel when she was in Cairhien.

[42Bonzo88]

    If you read New Spring (if you haven't SPOILERS) stop Now or fear the unknown!!  :o :o :o

 

 

    Moiraine (and I hope I'm remembering this right) was approached by some Aes Sedai or maybe the Amrylian herself, concerning Laman dying and curious to how close she was for the throne. About the same time Rand was born and she and Siuan were trying to find the boy. I personally think she could have taken the throne if she wanted it, but she didn't, so she used Rand as a reason to leave the Tower before she was "forced" to take the Throne. Maybe because of that reason is why Moirainne avoids the tower at all costs.

 

If I am wrong, please enlighten me.

 

[aevogt]

They were more than curious, they were going to put her in the Sun Throne like it or not.  She decided that the thing she wanted most, finding the Dragon Reborn, offset quite nicely the thing she wanted least, sitting on the Sun Throne in Ciarhien and she bolted a half step ahead of the assassin sent by a rival house, intent on preventing her from taking the throne.

[BrainFireBob]

It's all more parallels.

 

In the King Arthur stories, much of the "central" conflict originally was between Arthur's family on his mother's side and the family of King Pellinore (this was later supplanted with the family of Lancelot). These two families were the core of the Round Table and Arthur's rule, but they were utterly opposed to each other.

 

The Aiel, of course, have Hebrew parallels, with Rand as a Moses figure. Not raised by them, etc., striking the mountain to create water, leading them from the wilderness, etc. To them, as in Jewish culture, you are more closely related to your mother's family. Hence the tradition that if your mother or mother's mother was Jewish, you are considered ethnic Jewish. Interestingly, Rand's own mother came from a similar background, and many Andoran nobles have "the Aiel coloring," pointing perhaps to Aiel blood from women and children "stolen" during the Breaking. A "lost tribes" element.

 

On a symbolic level, Cairhien has to be central to the story. Rand is a sun-god figure, and Cairhien is the kingdom of the sun. Rand's brother, Galad, has joined the order of the sun. Moiraine herself is a moon goddess figure at points in the story, and in many mythologies, the moon is twin to the sun. She also was a huntress, in her own way.

 

There's more, but that family is one of RJ's more impressive bits of symbolic entanglement in the series.

 

 

 

 

[Auld Manriva]

All of which makes Rand his own Granpa ::)

[OsaroLJ]

All of which makes Rand his own Granpa ::)

 

Actually, it probably makes Rand his own great great great great great grand pa seeing how he's Lews Therin lol  ;D

[zzyzx_scarecrow]

Where does Bela fit in?

[OsaroLJ]

Where does Bela fit in?

 

Ilyena reborn...DUH!

[Andrew the Great]

Where does Bela fit in?

 

That's disturbing on SOOOOOOO many levels...

 

Personally, I've always found this particular family tree quite fun to contemplate. You get some interesting possibilities, which has been rather effectively shown previously ;D

[Auld Manriva]

Anyone guess who could be the actual High Seat of House Mantear?  Yep.. Hisown Grandson hisself (Tigraine was Daughter Heir and High Seat Apparent right?).... and now his little cousin, that squeaker Perival Mantear sits as Lord. Cool little guy that he is, RJ has written his character as one with a lot of bottom and I hope Sanderson finds a place for him in AMoL. But on second thought Rand is second son so Galad would actually be High Seat if he isnt considered a Damodred for Andoran inheritance purposes.

 

Speaking of Galad, wouldn't he be a more likely Sun Throne sitter than Elayne? He was oldest son of ol' whatsisname Damodred. Naaaaaahhhh .. Pretty sure RJ had him set for gettin hitched to Berelain. Somebody's premonition, daydream light gettin turned on; pretty much tips that off.