Aes Sedai damane and the Three Oaths

[krystalline]

Something that I am curious about is how an Aes Sedai that is leashed to an a'dam can be used as a weapon after swearing the Three Oaths. I dont believe I have seen any instances of this yet, but I'm wondering if it would be possible.

 

I know Nynaeve used Moggys ability so she herself could channel but doing it the same way would force all the sul'dam to acknowledge that they themselves are capable of channeling, wouldnt it? I would imagine that leashed Aes Sedai would be worthless to the Seanchan because they wouldnt be able to channel against someone not attacking them. Dont they have to be in danger of their lives? I wonder how they would get around this.

 

Anyone have thoughts on this?

[Kepen heal]

Well i think that they arnt in control, so it dosnt matter, it just depends on if the sul'dam was under the three oaths. Therefore not affecting the Aes Sedai.

 

:?

[Guest Majsju]

Aes Sedai can't be used as weapons, but Seanchan have other uses for damane as well.

[Kepen heal]

None of the three oaths say that they cant be used as weapons, plus if u remember the Seanchan thought that Egwene was an Aes Sedai too. So that means they know the other Aes Sedai can channel weapons too. Dont ask me how they do it but they do.

[Guest Majsju]

Week 21 Question: Just how can an Aes Sedai be a damane? Aren't they bound by the Third Oath: to not use the One Power as a weapon except to defend their lives, their Warder's life, or another sister's life? Wouldn't they be useless as damane to the Seanchan?

 

Robert Jordan Answers: The Aes Sedai captured by the Seanchan are indeed useless as weapons, except against Shadowspawn or Darkfriends, because they are bound by the Three Oaths, and that limits their value considerably since being weapons is a major use for damane. Damane are used for other tasks, however, including finding ores for mining (Egwene was tested for this, remember; it's a very valuable, and fairly rare, ability), for some mining operations where it would be too dangerous or uneconomical to use human miners (bringing ores out of the ground and refining them using the Power), and in some construction projects, especially where something very large or with a need for added strength is envisioned. The first two both require a high ability in Earth, which has faded considerably on "this" side of the Aryth Ocean and to a smaller degree of the other side, but construction projects and others things, such as producing Sky Lights, are well within the abilities of collared Aes Sedai. The Three Oaths don't inhibit them there at all.

 

http://www.wotmania.com/faqtopic.asp?ID=152

[krystalline]

Thanks for the link Majsju.

[HighLordXanthus]

The three oaths do bind such aes sedai, but imagine.

 

The Oaths are:

 

 

• To speak no word that is not true.

• To make no weapon with which one man may kill another.

• To never use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme of defense of her life, her Warders' or another Aes Sedai's.

 

If you really stretch these, any aes sedai damane who was properly broken/trained, could be brought to believe that if they did not channel as a weapon, they would be killed. The torture used through the a'dam can be horrific

[Guest cwestervelt]

That they can't use Aes Sedai damane as weapons is also at least indirectly addressed withing the books. At some point we are told that they attempted to make one of the captured Aes Sedai do something that violated one of the Oaths and the Aes Sedai was not unable to comply no matter how hard the Sul'dam tried.

[Pevin]

In the beginning of chapter 36 in KOD, we see a Seanchan's opinion of an Aes Sedai damane. I won't give any of the details; though, just in case any of you haven't read it yet.

[Luckers]

I think what cwestervelt is refering to is the incident in which one of the Aes Sedai is made to call a black cloth white and cannot. It is by Surroth and is around book 6.

[Guest cwestervelt]

That's the one Luckers. I was too lazy to look it up.