Ageing

[Midean]

hmm, i see some flaws here, i dont think the agelessness of the aes sedai is caused by the oaths or the oath rod, look at the Kin for example, women removed from the tower as novices for being to weak in the power to be raised to accepted.

There is one account of one of the Kin being older than any living aes sedai, she did not swear on the oath rod and im sure nynaeve makes a reference to the oath rod actually shortening the life of aes sedai.

This also comes up later on when the kin are to become a part of the white tower for aes sedai when they retire, and they were talking about somehow removing the oaths so that retired aes sedai could live out their long lives as opposed to having them cut short.

Also, when Siuan and leane are stilled, their faces regain a youthful appearance and they lose the ageless look, in my opinion this is because the oaths have been broken, and they return to the same youthful appearance they had when they first touched the oath rod.

My point is, i think, that the oath rod actually hampers their ability to live long lives like the kin do, or the wise ones etc etc.

As far as having children are concerned, a woman who uses the one power without being bound to the oath rod ages at a much much slower rate, thus her ability to have children would be extended as well.

 

Just my 2 cents ;)

If anyone thinks this is wrong or if i have misunderstood what i have read of the kin etc, please let me know as im a stickler for details :D 

[water_seeker]

i dont think the agelessness of the aes sedai is caused by the oaths or the oath rod

 

You are wrong.  Channeling the Power causes a slowing, but the oaths cause the agelessness that is spcific to Aes Sedai.  All other channelers simply look young.

 

look at the Kin for example, women removed from the tower as novices for being to weak in the power to be raised to accepted.

There is one account of one of the Kin being older than any living aes sedai, she did not swear on the oath rod and im sure nynaeve makes a reference to the oath rod actually shortening the life of aes sedai.

This also comes up later on when the kin are to become a part of the white tower for aes sedai when they retire, and they were talking about somehow removing the oaths so that retired aes sedai could live out their long lives as opposed to having them cut short.

 

This is a separate issue.  This has to do with life-span.  The oath rod, more than just changing AS appearance seems to also cut down AS life-span.  You did point that part out though:

 

My point is, i think, that the oath rod actually hampers their ability to live long lives like the kin do, or the wise ones etc etc.

 

but you fail to give all the credit that the oath rod is due.

 

It changes appearance AND shortens life.

[Midean]

Just found one of the quotes i was referring to in my last post regarding the kin:

It comes from book 9 Winters Heart, chapter 8 - Sea Folk and Kin -

 

*Any sister might have envied Reanne's serenity and presence.

She had been Eldest of the Knitting Circle, the highest authority among the kin. According to their Rule, the Knitting Circle existed only in Ebou Dar, but she was still the oldest among those in Caemlyn, a hundred years older than any Aes Sedai in living memory.

 

:)

[Midean]

Ahh i see what you are saying Waterseeker, although i must admit im a little confused as to the nature of the ageless look granted by the oath rod, is it just cosmetic?

 

does it affect their ability to have children etc or is it purely appearance related?

 

ideas?

[Gentled Ben]

It only appears to be cosmetic, although we dont' have any examples of Aes Sedai under oath who have children, but Setalle Anan seems to be Martine Janata, the Brown who was burned out while studying ter'angreal, and she had children post-stilling, so if the rod does affect childbearing, the affects are reversible, although I doubt if it affects it at all.

 

Yeah, you were confusing the agelessness of Aes Sedai with the longevity of channelers, all of whom experience a slowing of the aging process.

[balefireruinssteaks]

I think with Aes Sedai, it's more tradition and custom that they rarely marry and never reproduce.  Mainly I think it's a courtesy to the one they would marry/procreate with.  Aes Sedai live markedly longer than normal human beings and so they figure that it would be unfair to marry and outlive their husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and so on.  It isn't that they CAN'T, but I think they chooose not to for the sake of the people they would watch die eventually if they did not marry a fellow channler and produce channeling babies.

[silent_spectre]

I see it as indoctrination... to the Tower you must belong wholly and solely to the Tower... nothing should come between that.  This is why they give up contact with family...and supposedly all connections with their own nations... so that they are one.

 

As to what effect this has on the number of channelers in gerneral, none...

 

Men were supposedly near extinction, but they number as many as the female AS.  The Aiel and the Sea Folk never miss a girl that can channel... and send off the males that can... and In Seanchan it is considered a very bad thing for a man to have relations with a channeler and they test for a long time to find the ability.  There is a large population of female channelers that aren't associated with the Tower... which shows their ineptitude in recruiting and that their rules are too strict...but has nothing to do with their procreational abilities.