A couple of questions. Regarding ages.

[Loli lops]

Right im fairly new to the series (only up to the start of book 6 LOC) and im having a few problems understanding "Ages". This is how i understand it.

 

Each spoke of the wheel of time is an "age" and by the time the same age comes again no one recognises it. Does this mean the same events will happen etc? If so then if the dragon is being reborn again then surely the current ages would be the age of lews therin etc before the breaking of the world AKA the age of legends? but if that is so then why is everyone so crap at using the one power. OR is it a differnt age that the dragon is reborn in as if it was the age of legends again then it wouldnt be the dragon being "reborn" it would be the first dragon all over again.

Im really confused by this and probably have it all wrong so if someone can point out my stupidity it would be very helpful.

 

Next, in the books ive read so far it says that the dark one was sealed in his prison at the point of creation, And also that lews therin and the hundred companions trapped him in his prison using the one power and the seals ETC. Wich is it? or did the dark one escape and then they trapped him again?

 

Clearing this up would help me understand the world alot better lol, so thanks in advance  ;D

[GrandpaG]

I'm not the "expert" to be answering this, but like most readers I do have an opinion (you know about opinions, right?).

 

 

As far as I have been able to figure out from reading posts of the "experts" here over the past few years, yes...each spoke of the wheel represents a border line between the ages.

 

There have been countless discussions/arguments over which spoke is the first and how to tell when one age ends and a new one begins...none of them have totally convinced me one way or another...depends upon which point of view you are reading at the time...most of them have their own way of making sense.

 

There have also been a ton of discussions over what age we (the real us) are in at the present compared to the age of this series.  And how our time relates to the Age of Legends.  In general, if someone claims to know the exact truth...listen politely.

 

Like I said, I do have an opinion.  This is fiction.  It's not real.  Drawing real comparisons is not logical.  Fun?  Yes.  Sane?  No.  I can't bring myself to worry about what age I am in.  Call me old and senile.  Although...the Merc and Mosc thing does kind of haunt me some days.  :o

 

Also, as far as the series is concerned, I see the wheel turning and the ages coming and going.  There was a beginning.  According to Ishmael (the Father of Lies), there have been thousands of revolutions by the time that he and Lews Therin tangle in the Age of Legends.  In their belief system, there will be countless more revolutions after their age...unless the Dark One can somehow stop the wheel from turning (by stealing the Eye of the World, for example).  I don't believe that the Age of Legends happens exactly the same with each revolution.  Likewise, this is the only revolution of the wheel that will contain Rand, Perrin, and Matt.  Although, maybe previous revolutions and future ones had/have three ta'varens?  I guess it depends upon which "expert" you're listening to.

 

I promised myself a long time ago to stop posting because people always misinterpret my intentions.  Here I go again.  When will I learn?  Apparently not today.  :(

 

Remember when Rand was in the glass columns and he saw the Age of Legends Aes Sedai boring a hole into the Dark One's prison (I think it was Lanfear)?  That was what Lews Therin put a cork into.  In Rand's time, the cork is rotten and falling apart.  That's why the Forsaken/Chosen are oozing out into his time.

 

Hope this was helpful.

 

Love,

Gramps

[Beren]

Here is a very good site for this.

 

http://www.sevenspokes.com/chronology/creation.html

[Majsju]

Right im fairly new to the series (only up to the start of book 6 LOC) and im having a few problems understanding "Ages". This is how i understand it.

 

Each spoke of the wheel of time is an "age" and by the time the same age comes again no one recognises it. Does this mean the same events will happen etc? If so then if the dragon is being reborn again then surely the current ages would be the age of lews therin etc before the breaking of the world AKA the age of legends? but if that is so then why is everyone so crap at using the one power. OR is it a differnt age that the dragon is reborn in as if it was the age of legends again then it wouldnt be the dragon being "reborn" it would be the first dragon all over again.

Im really confused by this and probably have it all wrong so if someone can point out my stupidity it would be very helpful.

 

Next, in the books ive read so far it says that the dark one was sealed in his prison at the point of creation, And also that lews therin and the hundred companions trapped him in his prison using the one power and the seals ETC. Wich is it? or did the dark one escape and then they trapped him again?

 

Clearing this up would help me understand the world alot better lol, so thanks in advance  ;D

 

Point by point...

Yes, the same events are repeated when an Age comes again. At least the main events.

Not sure if I understood the next one. Are you asking about our world? In that case, no, we are not currently in the AOL, we are in the 1st Age, ie the Age previous to the AOL. The key thing that marks the shift from 1st to 2nd (AOL) Age is the discovery of channeling.

If you are wondering about the set up in the books, LTT was the Dragon, living in the AOL. Rand is the reincarnation of LTT, ie the Dragon Reborn, and living in the 3rd Age.

 

As for the DO, it is as GrandpaG said, a number of Aes Sedai (including Lanfear) drilled a hole into the DOs prison during the AOL, a hole we see mentioned as the Bore in the books. LTT and his 100ish male Aes Sedai created a patch that covers the Bore, preventing the DO from touching the world. The seven seals is what held the patch in place, and we are now seeing them break, one after the other, which makes the patch less and less effective.