Why did the DO taint saidin?

[Luckers]

Well, suggestively it may be--we know twelve women can forcibly link a woman, and of course there's the a'dam...

[benr]

The tainting of saidin has always brought to my mind the fears of many scientists of what would happen when the Atomic Bomb was exploded; namely, that it would set off a chain reaction in the atmosphere that would destroy the world.  The view that the DO, using the TP, was striking back at LTT and the 100 in a last desperate counter-attack, and the reaction of the TP with that much saidin spread the taint through the source.  That is why it lasted until Rand's cleansing - a sending through the source, and why it didn't have any effect on saidar.

[Guest Dreadlord]

QUOTE

Well, suggestively it may be--we know twelve women can forcibly link a woman, and of course there's the a'dam.

UNQUOTE

 

Thats different though. If I drew on Saidin and held it, there is NO WAY AT ALL you could take that Saidin from me and use it. You could shield me if you were strong enough, or force me into a circle, but not use the Saidin I had already used. Theres no evidence to show the Dark One could do it, or he would have. Devil-figure or no Devil-figure, LTT and his Hundred were strong enough to defeat the Dark One-but not before the Dark One counter-attacked and DELIBERATELY Tainted Saidin.

[RAND AL THOR]

Since all RJ ever told about the taint is that it resulted from the DO's 'touch' all we can do is speculate. We cannot be sure how it was achieved but what is the DO can channel? It is difficult to reach a conclusion on this because the DO is not a mortal being and is on a higher level than humans. Can he channel? If so, why hasnt he left his prison wielding saidin? Or does his prison act as a shield between himself and saidin?

 

A lot of people here disagree with me on the use of a saidar/saidin drawing ter'angreal at the Sealing. It does seem unlikely. However, if the Bore was sealed using just saidin, then if Rand reseals it using BOTH saidin and saidar (eg by linking with Nynaeve) then the new seals would hold far better than those made by LTT. Could this be what is due to happen in aMoL? ???

[Luckers]

QUOTE

Well, suggestively it may be--we know twelve women can forcibly link a woman, and of course there's the a'dam.

UNQUOTE

 

Thats different though. If I drew on Saidin and held it, there is NO WAY AT ALL you could take that Saidin from me and use it. You could shield me if you were strong enough, or force me into a circle, but not use the Saidin I had already used. Theres no evidence to show the Dark One could do it, or he would have. Devil-figure or no Devil-figure, LTT and his Hundred were strong enough to defeat the Dark One-but not before the Dark One counter-attacked and DELIBERATELY Tainted Saidin.

 

Well again, suggestively it may be. It's never said that an a'dam can't be fastened to a woman already holding saidar (or the male version to a man holding saidin) and there is nothing that says the twelve woman link can't forcibly include a woman already holding saidar--that wouldn't even involve being close enough to slap a collar on. And since a man can be involved in a circle--and forced into a circle--there is no reason that that method would not work on a man.

 

But about the Dark One, i do agree--to a degree. I doubt the hundred companions were strong enough to defeat the Dark One. Their success was due as much to surprise as anything. But yes, i doubt the Dark One could ever channel saidin, or control it.

 

As for the tainting of saidin being deliberate... who knows? It might be that something in the specific action of sealing the bore opened it to tainting and the Dark One took advantage, or it might just as easily be that the tainting was happenstance, resulting unintentionally from circumstance.

 

 

[Guest Dreadlord]

I really cant see how anyone can question the fact that the Dark One meant to Taint Saidin. Yes, it was down to chance-if Lews Therin hadnt channelled that much Saidin it wouldnt have been exposed-but the Dark One saw that moment of opportunity, reached out and touched Saidin, which was exposed by it being channelled at Shayol Ghul where his prison is, and infected it with the Taint.

 

You might as well question whether Padan Fain meant to stab Rand with the Shadar Logoth dagger. Maybe it slipped from his grasp, and as he was about to catch it he knocked it away, and it just happened to nick Rands side before it hit the ground. Stupid Ta'veren twists!! Or maybe Padan Fain slipped, fell, and sliced Rand on the way down.

[Luckers]

I really cant see how anyone can question the fact that the Dark One meant to Taint Saidin. Yes, it was down to chance-if Lews Therin hadnt channelled that much Saidin it wouldnt have been exposed-but the Dark One saw that moment of opportunity, reached out and touched Saidin, which was exposed by it being channelled at Shayol Ghul where his prison is, and infected it with the Taint.

 

You might as well question whether Padan Fain meant to stab Rand with the Shadar Logoth dagger. Maybe it slipped from his grasp, and as he was about to catch it he knocked it away, and it just happened to nick Rands side before it hit the ground. Stupid Ta'veren twists!! Or maybe Padan Fain slipped, fell, and sliced Rand on the way down.

 

That is not an accurate annalogy though. Fain attacked Rand--he both instigated the assualt, and the purpose driving the whole altercation was his desire to stabe Rand. In the situation of the sealing it was LTT that instigated, and the purpose was the sealing. In return we have no indication that the dark One meant to do damage before being sealed away--indeed, logically it seemed more that his first goal in that situation would be to stop the sealing, or resist it in some way.

 

One possibility is in seeing himself being sealed in he intentionally acted to taint saidin, that true. But there are others--a side effect of him attempting to stop the sealing, for one, or even that it was a completely accidental thing that resulted from no effort on behalf of the Dark One--Saidin surely must have touched upon the Dark One in sealing the bore--it could be nothing more than what its name suggests; a tainting, a fouling resulted from touching something foul.

 

Three equally likely options, and only one suggests that the Dark One meant to do it.

[benr]

There has been speculation as to whether the DO can or does channel.  It makes as much sense to ask the same question of the Creator.  Intuitively it seems that both are outside and beyond that.  I have no evidence for that.