GREAT SERPENT RINGS

[mike]

i have read all about them for over a dozen years and have no idea what rj intends one to actually look like. a snake eating its tale; i can get a snake out in the woods and place him in this position and i am no closer to understanding.

 

i am new to the wot message boards so cut me some slack on this one....are there any grapic depictions of one of these aes sedai baubles that is close to what rj describes in his writing. :?:

 

if so where???

[Zardi]

I myself never decided what it would look like. Here are some ideas I had:

 

1) The entire ring is in the shape of a snake, sort of like wrapping the snake around your finger, and then putting the tail end into its mouth.

 

2) The part of the ring that goes around your finger is just a normal ring, but there is a snake on top, like the design on a signet ring. It is a short snake, curled only once into an "O" shape, with its tail in its mouth.

 

3) Same as above, but a longer snake in a figure 8.

 

*shrug* :? I personally tend to picture #2 the most, I suppose.

[Kadere]

I always figured it was pretty simple. You know the design in all the books of the snake eating it's own tale in an infinity pattern over the Wheel of Time? Yeah, it's that snake, in a figure eight, attached to a normal ring. So when you make a fist the snake looks like an infinity symbol (like in those pictures) across your ring finger and part of your middle and pinky fingers. That's I always pictured it.

[Guest Karana Majin]

Hi! The one I know most people consider most authentic is this one

 

http://pages.zdnet.com/joebarb/id20.html

 

The pictures are kind of crappy, but you can see what it's showing, a snake wrapped around once with the tail going down its throat, not just biting it. I think at one time these rings were licensed as well, so RJ authenticated them?

 

Hope that helps!

[Zardi]

Wouldn't something that big get in the way, or get caught on things, though? Not very practical for an Aes Sedai.

 

But yeah, now that you (Kadere) mention it, that snake shape is everywhere. Maybe I should start picturing my 3rd description rather than my 2nd. :P

[Kadere]

I don't know how big it would be, I'd guess one inch long and half an inch wide, which I don't think would be so terrible that it would get caught on things.

 

Personally I want to see an Aes Sedia punch someone and leave that impressed in their face. That would be sweet. :P

[Zardi]

Stuff them all in Far Madding without any wells, and I bet fists would start flying. :P

[JenniferL]

Here's one of the official, licensed rings.

 

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:v_eCm1gDYHkGNM:http://www.mithrilarmoury.com/wheel_7.jpg

 

I edited your post because image links aren't allowed on this forum. Just changed it to a regular link. -Kar

[Jhaenara]

I have the type of ring that Karana posted. A silver one with blue eyes for the Blue Ajah. My husband got it for me for a gift about five or six years ago. I hadn't seen the official one Kath posted until recently.

[Kadere]

I like mine better, I'll just stick with it. :D

[mike]

none of those do it for me...

 

several passages in every book imply that these are far more of a neon sign that screams AES SEDAI!!!

the women remove them so as not to be noticed in situations i consider far less than conspicuous.

people seem to notice them from across rooms. neither of those designs reaches out to slap me across my bottom to leave welts.

 

in my mind i have pictured a plain ring with the well known figure 8 design on it as big around as a half dollar coin. that WOULD be unique and visible. at some points hiding it was merely spinning the ring on one's finger so tht the plain side was visile.

 

i imagine it must be quite a flag.

[Zardi]

I still think that something as big as a half dollar would get in the way of your other fingers and get caught on things. Not practical. An infinity-shaped snake would still be distinguishable from a distance even if it were smaller.

 

But, RJ apparently doesn't picture the rings that way, so...*shrug*

[mike]

[Zardi/]

 

But, RJ apparently doesn't picture the rings that way, so...*shrug*

 

ironically, the work of most fantasy authors conjures different images in the minds every reader. the author may have the most stark image of what is being written about in mind while the reader's mind may have visions of grandeur beyond the scope of the author's work.

as far as this work of art is concerned, i have read it enough times to basically picture in my mind what the characters are doing. rand's forms with the sword, the kandori style of braids w/beads or bells in the hair, top knots and aiel squatting on their heels. i am also lead to believe that this one piece of jewelry is as much a beacon to the world that you are in the presence of aes sedai as are the three oaths to the woman that wears it. those are the only two things that are physically placed upon her; the rest is education and experience.

 

habitual readers of fantasy (me included) will know well of what i mean. peter jackson's LOTH was quite good but there are a lot of things i can still critique as far as what tolkien wrote and how jackson interpreted it. i think it goes along with what tolkien's writing made my imagination want to believe.

 

music videos are a sad means for a band and those around them to interpret the song that is featured in the video. most of the time it has nothing to do with the lyrics and is just a goofy, high-dollar scene of events on videotape that gives the band exposure on teevee. the lisener's imagination was wasted.

[booklover1]

Actually,the "snake eating its tail" has been around for a long time.It's called an Ouroboros.Read about it here.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros

 

I always thought the Ring was on the map in the front of the books,on the map.It's twined around the Wheel of Time.