The Light illumine you

[RAND AL THOR]

What exactly is the 'Light?'

 

When people say 'May the Creator's hand shelter you' you may take it to mean something like 'God bless you' and it is understandable since there is a being called the Creator.

 

But what is the Light? Randland folk curse by it and also says other stuff calling upon the Light but what actually is it? Can't be power related since the Whitecloaks use it also.

 

Just wondering............

[Darkholme]

Well having grown up in the christian faith I equate the Light to Jesus. Of course, considering the various religions that RJ pulls in it could equate to something in each persons religion.

[Lemno]

This is pre-lightbulb/pre-safetymatches era... So well you know, they have a holy respect for fire and light?:)

[aslansrevenge]

the creator is a being of endless Complexity mad of bothe the light and the dark. the light is every good thing that happens in the world and is manifest in Rand the dark is every thing evil and has manifest in the Dark One. all things are part of ther Creator both Light and Darkness

[Mr Ares]

The Creator is a being of endless Complexity made of both the light and the dark. The Light is every good thing that happens in the world and is manifest in Rand. The dark is every thing evil and has manifest in the Dark One. All things are part of the Creator, both Light and Darkness

Shai'tan and the Creator are equals and opposites. Neither created the other. Furthermore, neither Rand nor Shai'tan is a manifestation of all that is good or evil, light or dark.

 

Well having grown up in the christian faith I equate the Light to Jesus. Of course, considering the various religions that RJ pulls in it could equate to something in each persons religion.

But there is no Jesus in WoT. So to what do the Randlanders refer? How about the Light being the Creator by another name?

[Guest Dreadlord]

Its just another way of saying "God bless you," just like saying "the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" is their way of saying "shit happens"

[42Bonzo88]

    I would agree with the God bless or if someone didn't believe in God, maybe "Good fortune to you"

[Vassili]

It just refers to what is "good". I mean, "good" is not a very poetic word for it, and the "Light" references a concept too big for mere words, but the "Light" is understood to mean the opposite of evil, a state of richiousness, love, hope, and all the things we associate with "good". And the "Light" evokes the contrast between physical light that illuminates and the shadow where anything can hide. The Light is the force that surrounds the Creator just as the Shadow surrounds the DO. Good and Evil are not so easily described in words, I think the Randlanders agree, and so they say the Light to reference something that cannot be described, but is rather something you must find on your own. For the most part, everyone knows what the "Light" anyway.

[trakand_01]

I have always just assumed it to be a generic term in a world where pretty much everything has a polar opposite.

 

Creator v Shai'tan

Light v Dark

Good v Evil

 

The 'Light' is the goodness. I would not say that there was such a thing as RELIGION in Randland, they all acknowledge the existence of the Creator (or more or less, anyway) and the Dark One. See I've said it there - Dark One, therefore to oppose the Dark is to be in the Light, thus for 'the light to shine on you' should mean you to be in good fortune. The Light is on you - you are not in the dark, you are safe. Also for 'The Light' as an... entity is the wrong word... the Creator I guess, to shine on you is kind of like saying 'May God watch over you'.

 

By the way feel free to pick apart my use of the word God, Religion, Good, Evil etc. I'm not a religious believer so I won't be offended!

[Asmo]

In a world where the greatest evil of all time is called "the Dark One", and his minions the "Darkfriends", it is quite obvious that people would call the opposition to that evil generically "the Light". Why those two words? Well, obviously it is based on man's primordial instincts, the feelings of fear and discomfort and loneliness caused by the darkness, and the warmth and brigthness and happiness the light is associated witgh.

[RAND AL THOR]

In a world where the greatest evil of all time is called "the Dark One", and his minions the "Darkfriends", it is quite obvious that people would call the opposition to that evil generically "the Light". Why those two words? Well, obviously it is based on man's primordial instincts, the feelings of fear and discomfort and loneliness caused by the darkness, and the warmth and brigthness and happiness the light is associated witgh.

 

I would assume that it may be the exact opposite. Because there is the 'Light' the opposition was called the Dark. That seems more likely.

 

After all, we usually say positive and negative- not negative and positive.

 

But then again, I'm not all that sure what the Light is.

Most likely it is Creator-related just as several people have stated here.

[Asmo]

In a world where the greatest evil of all time is called "the Dark One", and his minions the "Darkfriends", it is quite obvious that people would call the opposition to that evil generically "the Light". Why those two words? Well, obviously it is based on man's primordial instincts, the feelings of fear and discomfort and loneliness caused by the darkness, and the warmth and brigthness and happiness the light is associated witgh.

 

I would assume that it may be the exact opposite. Because there is the 'Light' the opposition was called the Dark. That seems more likely.

 

After all, we usually say positive and negative- not negative and positive.

 

That really isn't what I said.

 

Light is what opposes the Dark, and the Dark is what opposes the Light - it's pretty simple. As for why Jordan chose to term the opposing forces of "good" and "evil" as "Light" and "Dark / Shadow", I gave reasons above.

 

But then again, I'm not all that sure what the Light is.

Most likely it is Creator-related just as several people have stated here.

 

Perhaps it's just a term? There's nothing to indicate the Light is something physical.

[CUBAREY]

 

 

Perhaps it's just a term? There's nothing to indicate the Light is something physical.

 

It's more then a term. Its the embodiment of a metaphysical concept. While there is no docturnal religion in Randland the Universal belief in the Creator, Shaitain, the Pattern and the Wheel of Time is itys equivalent. The light is "good" the darkness "bad". One who upholds the lihjt is a hero one who works to further the aims of Sha'itan is a "darkfriend and evil". Now where RJ got the idea to juxapost the lijht and dark is pretty irrelevent as the concepts have stood for "good" and "evil" ibn many traditions for a very lomg time.

 

Why those two words? Well, obviously it is based on man's primordial instincts, the feelings of fear and discomfort and loneliness caused by the darkness, and the warmth and brigthness and happiness the light is associated witgh.

 

Also the light is associated with safety (you could spot your enemies and predators in the daylight you were blind and therefore helpless at night.

 

 

[Razor]

Good = light ...Evil = dark