Shouldn't there be scads of 300-year-old village wisdoms everywhere?

[Thorn]

So far, this is the only "flaw" I've found in the "reality" of the wheel of time world: given that unbound channellers live for hundreds of years, and that the AS "miss" a great many wilders . . . shouldn't there be hundreds or even thousands of very, very old village wisdoms out there?  For example, it appears that Doral Barran probably could channel/was a wilder, and she was the "oldest woman in the two rivers" -- shouldn't she have been almost ridiculously old by two-rivers standards? Why don't we see anyone commenting on that kind of long life? Or do we and I've missed it?

 

Is this explained anywhere, or was it explained in a question/answer somewhere that I've missed?

[OncetheHeron]

Wisdoms may only be using the power abstractly like Nynaeve originally did with listening to the wind. Maybe this doesn't count as working with the power enough to create the longevitous effect, so they may only live a few years older than usual, ei. the case of Miss Barran. It seems like you have to actually work with the power to some degree to obtain this side effect and maybe the wilders who don't know they are touching the source are doing so in such small amounts that the effect is lessened.

It seems to be aluded to that once unoathbound channelers reach a point where their age is suspect, they dissappear (faking death/changing names). At least, that was the case with several of the Kinswomen. So the ones who are actively channeling and know what they are doing have a better chance of networking with other channelers and learning about the Kin.

[Whitering]

I agree, if you are only using the power the odd time without even knowing it then I doubt you will age much more slowly. However, look at the Kin as people who use the power probably with semi frequency and had that initial tower training. That's likely the difference right there.

[HighLordXanthus]

I may be wrong, but I thought I remembered that wilders tend to have short lives.  Even with the block they have on the power they manage something that harms themselves.  I may be wrong on this.

[tuesdae666]

They tend to lose control of their powers and burn out or kill those around them and themselves.

[The Fisher King]

Right...also, remember that, just because you have the POTENTIAL to live that old doesn't mean every single Wisdom with the Spark in every single Village WILL...

 

I mean, many of the could still die from illness, die from an accident, get killed, move, ... lots of things that may prevent every single Wisdom in that situation to end up still in that same Village being like 300 years old...

 

JMO

 

 

Fish

[Agitel]

Slowing likely has to do with how much is being channeled and how far you've grown in your ability to channel. Without proper training, you're not going to get very far with either, and most have no idea what they're doing anyway, so they can't even try to train themselves.

[Mr Ares]

Most channelers are not sparkers, only a handful. Of those, three quarters die if they are just left to their own devices. Then natural causes takes care of many of them - accidents and illness. And mishaps with the Power. Only 1% of the population could channel to begin with. There probably are a few really old Wisdoms around, but not many. Those that are that old are probably either unnoticed - no-one knows how old they are, they've just always been around - or move around so people don't ask awkward questions.

[Luckers]

In addition to what Ares said there is the simple fact that there are Wisdoms and other Wilders out there going through their normal life. Not everywhere is as provincial as the Two Rivers--Lan clearly shows wilders are known in the Borderlands, and Moiraine directly encounters one, a woman named Mistress Asher.

 

I can also think of another one directly mentioned--Nora, the toothless wilder who gives Cadsuane her ter'angreal. There are references to several others, women who have claimed to be Aes Sedai.

 

So yes... there definately will be wilders and wisdoms out there who are hundreds of years in age. Not a lot, but they will exist.

[Thorn]

Most channelers are not sparkers, only a handful. Of those, three quarters die if they are just left to their own devices. Then natural causes takes care of many of them - accidents and illness. And mishaps with the Power. Only 1% of the population could channel to begin with. There probably are a few really old Wisdoms around, but not many. Those that are that old are probably either unnoticed - no-one knows how old they are, they've just always been around - or move around so people don't ask awkward questions.

 

Ares, channeling the Power gives immunity to normal illness. That's one of the first things established in Eye of the World -- it's how Moiraine tells Nynaeve she can channel. They should be able to avoid most normal accidents, also (as you know from our debates over men who can channel being called "lucky.")

[Mr Ares]

The first I will grant you. The second, no.