Breaking of the world????

[sillyman]

What shape will the breaking of the world take??

i.e is it possible that it will be purely political?

 

reasoning: there's no taint on sidin to send men mad

 

so my the real question would a total political upheaval count as a world breaking????

[algspkr]

I do not believe that the wolrd will be broken through tectonic upheaval as happened last time, nor do I believe that it will be entirely political.

 

I believe that it will be a combination of politics and technology.  We are seeing advanced cross bows and cannons being developed and deployed.  Not to mention all the technology coming out of Rand's schools.

 

I believe that channelling will remain common in the fourth age, and due to the fact that men will no longer be gentled/killed a resurgance may actually be seen.

[Vemynal]

Actually my theory is this:

 

our age would technically be the 1st age, the appearance of channelers ends it an dons the 2nd age, the age of legends.

 

the books take place in the 3rd age. this leaves 4 ages unaccounted for in the books.

 

certainly before this age we live in now (so called the age of science/age of technology) was the age of exploration/discovery. that being the 7th age.

 

and prior to that we have what we refer to as the primitive ages (i.e. 2 ages), one where man is well...primitive...say this ends around 100 b.c.e. since thats when the holy roman empire formed and the age of discovery really began, continents were mapped out and we had centers of learning again. Prior to that nations knew of the nations beyond their borders but even the nations knew barely more then that. Lets call this the 6th age.

 

Before even that, what i would refer to as the 5th age, id say approximately began in 1,300 b.c. This is our earliest findings of human settlements. Prior to 1,300 b.c. humans didn't cultivate land, we were hunter and gatherer tribes. We were constantly on the move.

 

Now we are finally at my theory.

 

The breaking at the end of the 3rd age is either going to utterly destroy the world, leaving mankind to dwindle into what many would term as "cave men" though this really reflects my 5th age opinion personally.

 

Or else, and here is my idea, the 3rd age breaking will simple be a break down of civilization. I mean if you look at the books...Shara has been completely destabilized, the seanchan lands have been completely destabilized. the land of madmen has always been a wreck. If society in Rand land collapses while entering into the 4th age while at the same time centers of learning develop then we are going to enter a *VERY* military city-state age. Which also fits with Nicola's prophesy "the last battle done, but the world not done with battle".

 

Its my opinion that war technologies will greatly advance with the help of the power and that mankind will accidentally break the world once again through war.

 

We have the capacity now with nuclear weapons...and from what we know of the power channelers being personally involved in a war could easily have as great an effect.

 

 

So thats what i predict will happen, the 4th age will be the true "breaking" of the world. We will reduce ourselves to nothing. absolutely nothing but a few survivors scattered just like after the last breaking. and then history will take its course.

 

edit- oh yeah and my 4th age war theory is to explain why we dont have channeling during the other ages. it was culled out of society by simply killing them all

[Guest Dreadlord]

QUOTE FROM THE KARAETHON CYCLE

In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind

UNQUOTE

 

Tearing all ties that bind is how he is going to break the world. In fact, we have been seeing this all the way through the series.

 

An Amyrlin was deposed because she was involved with him.

Aes Sedai swore fealty to him.

The Aiel were pretty much shattered by his revelations about Rhuidean.

The Red Ajah can now no longer gentle men as they have done for many years.

Masemas actions happened because Rand is who and what he is.

 

Thats only to name a few. We have been watching him break the world all the way. I think people misunderstand Rands version of Breaking the World, but we all knew it wasnt going to be like Lews Therins version.

[Sabio]

The land will be transformed, just look at what Rhudiean is now.  A lake and actual farming becuase of the lake the start of a city.  With the amount of battles and channeling that will take place the land itself is bound to get changed.  True not on scale as hundreds of insane men running loose.

 

But yeah think its means more then just how most people view the breaking of the world.  Also took it as new nations will form and others will vanish.

[Guest Dreadlord]

I wonder if the Blight will be cleared, and Malkier will be reborn. That would be a good ending for Lan and Nynaeve

[dubz]

one where man is well...primitive...say this ends around 100 b.c.e. since thats when the holy roman empire formed and the age of discovery really began, continents were mapped out and we had centers of learning again.

 

the holy roman empire wasn't formed til mid 10th century, I think you meant the roman empire which wasnt formed until closer to jesiss' time, around 27bce. or as we say jt

 

I think our written history would not even encompass a full age.  Think of the 3rd age, it is over 3000 years old and that is still one age 

[Guest Dreadlord]

Ages arent necessarily defined by time. The end of an Age is usually marked by an event/development of some sort that has a big impact on everything, not by how many years have passed. In Wheel of Time, the Age of Legends ended when Lews and his pals wrecked everything.

 

We are definitely not in the same Age Jesus was in. Well, thats what I reckon anyway. I personally would think we are in the Age of Technology, and that probably only began a few hundred years ago when steam engines were discovered or something like that.

[Luckers]

I wonder if the Blight will be cleared, and Malkier will be reborn. That would be a good ending for Lan and Nynaeve

 

I could see the Blight being destroyed--or perhaps at least the beginning of efforts to push it back at the end of the book--but i don't see Malkier being reborn. It's for the same reason that i disagree when some people suggest Perrin reforming Manetheren, or the unification of male and female channelers as Aes Sedai--or for that matter people who suggest that the Seanchan will give up the lands they've conquered--and that reason is that RJ always moved the plot forward. What's gone is gone.

 

That's just a feeling i have, and on some of those issues the romantic resolution is definately possible--I just think its unlikely. And of them Malkier less than most. The Malkieri race has become too spread amongst other cultures, and all of their cities, villiages and towns are gone. Their culture has taken too many blows to reform--they wouldn't be able to survive as a people.

 

Besides, Lan, to me, is the most likely major character to die.

 

What shape will the breaking of the world take??

i.e is it possible that it will be purely political?

 

I reckon political and cultural. I definately dont see a cataclysm on the level of the Breaking occuring--but concider whats already in the works. Male channelers are back in the game, the 'wilder' groups that never interacted with Aes Sedai have realised what pompous fools they are and are no longer willing to step back. Travelling means interactions between distant lands will increase. Shara, Seanchan and the Land of the Madmen are no longer inviolate, so we'll be seeing a form of globalisation. An industrial revolution seems to be building as well.

 

And thats just the westlanders. What of the others. The Aiel will have to deal with male channelers too, which will completely skew their division of power between their genders. They will have to find a new way of finding clan chiefs too, or else that will become merely a ritual for whomever the Wise Ones have chosen. They can't remain hidden from the world either, travelling means trade, and they'll have to deal with that.

 

And the Seanchan? The revelations about sul'dam and the anarchy in the Empire are already in place, but what will happen when Seanchan soldiers are forced to fight besides channelers during Tarmon Gai'don... will they, like Egeanin, come to see the true reality of channelers--that they are people like any other. What of their practice of slavery? Will that stand up to the introduction of westland cultural values in the lands they hold--which will happen.

 

Its a breaking alright, but a rather... convaluted one.

 

 

 

 

[Hybrid]

In addition, look at all the refugees around because of the wars.  Some have been displaced, others take the Karaethon Cycle literally and forsake all ties.

[Jagen Sedai]

Hmm you know has anyone thought that maybe the world is already broken? I mean considering all that has happened, maybe he has breaking the world since claiming his place as the Dragon Reborn, and it won't stop until after the Last Battle.

 

Then I think, the world will get itself back together again. I don't see why all the events that have already been taking place in WoT can't be considered a Breaking in itself... The White Tower, the Aiel, all the countries...

[Cockta]

I wonder if the Blight will be cleared, and Malkier will be reborn. That would be a good ending for Lan and Nynaeve

 

I could see the Blight being destroyed--or perhaps at least the beginning of efforts to push it back at the end of the book--but i don't see Malkier being reborn. It's for the same reason that i disagree when some people suggest Perrin reforming Manetheren, or the unification of male and female channelers as Aes Sedai--or for that matter people who suggest that the Seanchan will give up the lands they've conquered--and that reason is that RJ always moved the plot forward. What's gone is gone.

 

That's just a feeling i have, and on some of those issues the romantic resolution is definately possible--I just think its unlikely. And of them Malkier less than most. The Malkieri race has become too spread amongst other cultures, and all of their cities, villiages and towns are gone. Their culture has taken too many blows to reform--they wouldn't be able to survive as a people.

 

Besides, Lan, to me, is the most likely major character to die.

 

What shape will the breaking of the world take??

i.e is it possible that it will be purely political?

 

I reckon political and cultural. I definately dont see a cataclysm on the level of the Breaking occuring--but concider whats already in the works. Male channelers are back in the game, the 'wilder' groups that never interacted with Aes Sedai have realised what pompous fools they are and are no longer willing to step back. Travelling means interactions between distant lands will increase. Shara, Seanchan and the Land of the Madmen are no longer inviolate, so we'll be seeing a form of globalisation. An industrial revolution seems to be building as well.

 

And thats just the westlanders. What of the others. The Aiel will have to deal with male channelers too, which will completely skew their division of power between their genders. They will have to find a new way of finding clan chiefs too, or else that will become merely a ritual for whomever the Wise Ones have chosen. They can't remain hidden from the world either, travelling means trade, and they'll have to deal with that.

 

And the Seanchan? The revelations about sul'dam and the anarchy in the Empire are already in place, but what will happen when Seanchan soldiers are forced to fight besides channelers during Tarmon Gai'don... will they, like Egeanin, come to see the true reality of channelers--that they are people like any other. What of their practice of slavery? Will that stand up to the introduction of westland cultural values in the lands they hold--which will happen.

 

Its a breaking alright, but a rather... convaluted one.

 

 

 

 

 

I have never agreed with Luckers more than now. This is just pure sense. I mean, look at it. The world isn't as advanced as it was in the AOL, and there aren't as many people as in teh AOL, so there won't be so many victims of the war. The DO has nothing against male channelers now, so they are fully back in the game, although they have to be trained fast to be efficinet in battle. It just makes sense that it will be a more political and cultural breaking, than a physical breaking, like in the end of AOL.

[Jagen Sedai]

Yes, with Luckers as well, this is pretty much what I met above. No prophecy ever stated the Breaking had or would happen after the Last Battle, it's pretty much going on already. I actually think that Last Battle will end the current "breaking of the world".

[Sabio]

The breaking imo will last for many years as the world adjusts to everything that has happened.  Rands laws, sure in some places the population will have to move from damaged areas,  Seanchan occupation (will they transform the land to how they want it or will the new lands change the  Seanchan?), and don't forget Rands dragon army he had created (men from all over who fight for no nation, just for the Dragon), where will the Aiel live (back to the waste or settle in the wetlands)?  The breaking and its effects will last for awhile.