So the characters are based off of legends and mythology

[Hot_Soup]

So I was reading RJ interviews and comments and came across this

 

Erica Sadun: Did you deliberately make Rand like Tew/Chew, the god of war who loses his hand?

 

RJ: Yes.

 

Ok, this was from the LoC tour in 1994, so my question is what characters are based off of what legends, and do you think things that happened to those legends will happen to the characters?

[WWWwombat]

Mat was already hanged like Odin and will trade an eye like Odin.  There are many more parallels but I can't make any predictions about them.  Encyclopaedia WoT has a list of them iirc.

[Blackhoof]

I always thought that mat was like Loki.  ;)

[algspkr]

I always thought that mat was like Loki.  ;)

No character is based off a single historical, mythological or legendary figure.

 

[Majsju]

Tew/Chew, the god of war who loses his hand?

 

Tyr.

 

I always thought that mat was like Loki.  ;)

 

Loke was Odens adopted son. And one could argue that Mat has more or less adopted Olver, whose "education" might very well qualify him to become a Loke-like (hehe) character.

[Alternate34]

Mat's parallels to Odin:

 

(1) The wide brimmed hat.

(2) The spear.  One of Odin's weapons, the Gungnir, was a spear.

(3) Mat was hanged.  Odin was hanged.

(4) Tangentially, horses.  Odin had an awesome 8 legged horse, Sleipnir.  Mat knows about horses.

(5) Mat is almost definitely going to lose and eye.  Odin gave up an eye.

 

There are other parallels if I thought more.

[Alternate34]

Apologies for the double post, but the ravens on Mat's spear are a parallel to Odin's ravens.

[Beren]

Huh... 8-legged horses. I wonder if the Seanchan have anything like that...

[Hallow]

Tew/Chew, the god of war who loses his hand?

 

Tyr.

 

I always thought that mat was like Loki.  ;)

 

Loke was Odens adopted son. And one could argue that Mat has more or less adopted Olver, whose "education" might very well qualify him to become a Loke-like (hehe) character.

 

You could say that, still whilst Loke was an evil character (The death of Balder), I dont think Olver has that in him.

 

Also, Loke was the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, not Odin's adopted son.

[Beren]

So, maybe someone here will help me out. I was reading a great piece about the Fisher King the other day. Anyone happen to know where that is? I can't find it again for the life of me.

[Majsju]

Tew/Chew, the god of war who loses his hand?

 

Tyr.

 

I always thought that mat was like Loki.  ;)

 

Loke was Odens adopted son. And one could argue that Mat has more or less adopted Olver, whose "education" might very well qualify him to become a Loke-like (hehe) character.

 

You could say that, still whilst Loke was an evil character (The death of Balder), I dont think Olver has that in him.

 

Also, Loke was the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, not Odin's adopted son.

 

It is a bit simplifying to say that Loke is an evil character, he is a bit more complex. With Olver, I am rather thinking of Loke as the Trickster, a direction Olver could very well go into.

 

And he was very much Odens adopted son. Adopted means being raised by someone other than your real parents, and Loke was raised by Oden, having been kicked out by his real parents because despite being a giant, he was the size of the Asgards. That relation is central to why Loke is the way he is, as at least part of the not-so-nice aspects of his personality comes from him being raised as Tors stepbrother, which caused a great deal of jealousy from Loke, since he was always seen as the lesser of the two.

[Amayahoshi]

Mat was already hung like Odin

 

I totally read that the wrong way :o

 

But yeah, I had no idea about the references to characters out of myth / legend until I came here. Does anyone think its a negative thing at all? Personally I don't mind, but have seen people get annoyed as it detracts a little from the characters, making the author appear less original too.

[WWWwombat]

Yeah Loki was more of a trickster, but he kinda turns evil once Ragnarok comes around.  Also, he begot some pretty nasty monsters.

[WWWwombat]

Mat was already hung like Odin

 

I totally read that the wrong way :o

 

But yeah, I had no idea about the references to characters out of myth / legend until I came here. Does anyone think its a negative thing at all? Personally I don't mind, but have seen people get annoyed as it detracts a little from the characters, making the author appear less original too.

 

Yeah I edited for grammatical correctness although Mat could be totally hung too for all I know.  Cyndane would know xD

[TalonSpiritCat]

Mat was already hung like Odin

 

I totally read that the wrong way :o

 

But yeah, I had no idea about the references to characters out of myth / legend until I came here. Does anyone think its a negative thing at all? Personally I don't mind, but have seen people get annoyed as it detracts a little from the characters, making the author appear less original too.

 

Yeah I edited for grammatical correctness although Mat could be totally hung too for all I know.  Cyndane would know xD

 

Egwene in a Dream, Cyndane, Melindra, Tylin Mitsobar, Tuon, half the serving girls in Tear, Cairhain,...

[WWWwombat]

Mat was already hung like Odin

 

I totally read that the wrong way :o

 

But yeah, I had no idea about the references to characters out of myth / legend until I came here. Does anyone think its a negative thing at all? Personally I don't mind, but have seen people get annoyed as it detracts a little from the characters, making the author appear less original too.

 

Yeah I edited for grammatical correctness although Mat could be totally hung too for all I know.  Cyndane would know xD

 

Egwene in a Dream, Cyndane, Melindra, Tylin Mitsobar, Tuon, half the serving girls in Tear, Cairhain,...

 

Two of those are dead and all Tuon has done is kiss him.  But yeah, Mat's a player.