Lan's final battle and the Battle of Thermopylae

[Southpaw89]

As we read at the ending of ToM (and leading up to it), Lan and his Malkieri soldiers have arrived in the north to fight the trolloc invasion. It's also an almost certain defeat as they are so greatly outnumbered. Does anyone see any connections between what could happen and what happened in real life in the Battle of Thermopylae? This was the battle the movie 300 was based off when 300 or so Spartans and their few allies were outnumbered and defeated as they managed to hold off the Persians for a longer amount of time then they should've. Possibly this is what will happen with Lan? They will hold off the trollocs for a long enough time for the armies fighting for the light to get up to back then up or get into better position to fight but then they'll eventually fall (leading to Lan's death) and the remaining trollocs to pull out. What do you all think?

[Callern]

As we read at the ending of ToM (and leading up to it), Lan and his Malkieri soldiers have arrived in the north to fight the trolloc invasion. It's also an almost certain defeat as they are so greatly outnumbered. Does anyone see any connections between what could happen and what happened in real life in the Battle of Thermopylae? This was the battle the movie 300 was based off when 300 or so Spartans and their few allies were outnumbered and defeated as they managed to hold off the Persians for a longer amount of time then they should've. Possibly this is what will happen with Lan? They will hold off the trollocs for a long enough time for the armies fighting for the light to get up to back then up or get into better position to fight but then they'll eventually fall (leading to Lan's death) and the remaining trollocs to pull out. What do you all think?

 

The spartans fought men, the malkieri fights trollocs, fades and channelers. You saw what happened to Ituralde in Saldaea. Tbh, I doubt the fight will be anything like Thermopylae, except for the "goodguys" being outnumbered part of it.

[Sharaman]

Too many dissimilarities. In technical terms, the Spartans were foot-soldiers fighting a defensive battle to plug a pass. Lan's force consists of heavy cavalry, which is going to try and blast through a massively larger force to achieve the symbolic objective of reaching the seven lakes of Malkier.

Suicide mission yes, heavily outnumbered yes, nothing else fits.

[Southpaw89]

haha well obviously it isn't exactly the same. I'm not saying that it matches up exactly but it just seems similar in how it's being layed out. Idk I was just seeing what people thought. Thanks for the replies though

[chuckievi]

I partially expect Rand to show up or send channelers to assist Lan turning the tide. But we shall see.

[sfgiantsfanmike]

As we read at the ending of ToM (and leading up to it), Lan and his Malkieri soldiers have arrived in the north to fight the trolloc invasion. It's also an almost certain defeat as they are so greatly outnumbered. Does anyone see any connections between what could happen and what happened in real life in the Battle of Thermopylae? This was the battle the movie 300 was based off when 300 or so Spartans and their few allies were outnumbered and defeated as they managed to hold off the Persians for a longer amount of time then they should've. Possibly this is what will happen with Lan? They will hold off the trollocs for a long enough time for the armies fighting for the light to get up to back then up or get into better position to fight but then they'll eventually fall (leading to Lan's death) and the remaining trollocs to pull out. What do you all think?

 

I've thought of this connection myself. A small pass/valley where a much larger army will be bottle necked and unable to make use of it's vastly superior numbers. A small army that's highly trained and probably the best at what they do, calvary in this case, that needs to hold or bad stuff is going to happen behind them. Governments that have yet to send help and, by the looks of things, may wait until the small, valiant force is wiped off the face of the map in a blaze of glory for the ages to actually try and do something about this threat.

 

Many similarities there, just hope it's not a blaze of glory like the 300 because I like Lan; however, I can totally see the fall of these heroes mirroring the 300. When the 300 and their army fell in Thermopylae it triggered events where all of Greece banded together, finally, and pushed back the horde of Persian with the sacrifice these guys made as the rallying point of the city states. Thus could be the set up for our Malkeri friends.

[Southpaw89]

and if Lan had to die, I think it'd be epic to see him go out halting the trolloc advance until backup came with maybe him dying as soon as they got there. It'd be sad but I think it'd make sense as an uncrowned king going down having an effect on turning the tides in Tarmon Gaidon

[Millon]

Lan goes down and Nynaeve goes nuts. Like Aemon and his Aes Sedai in Manetherin. Burns herself to death razing the Trolloc horde. For me, epic win-win as I really don't like the characters lol.

 

I see what you're saying though Paw. There has been no attention paid to the horde and the borderlanders. It's all been south. I see Lan and his boys goin to the blight border to die and they know it's up to them to hold as long as possible. Could make for some epic battle chapters.

[Auld Manriva]

Maybe not Thermopylae so much ... But there IS

Alfred, Lord Tennysons' - The Charge of the Light Brigade.

Barring the cannon, left right and center, this R/L exercise in futility by commanders, nobility and sense of duty by the Cavalrymen themselves and only 1/3 of the force riding out still horsed; could almost be the template for Lan and his force. Although I suspect a kindly, but well written and justifiable, Deus ex Machina lurking about. DeM, is probably a trifle unkind of me, the foundations for a rescue have been well and truly poured. But it will be interesting how this small piece of the story plays out.

 

Substitute Trolloc's and Myrdraal for Cannon here and this is pretty close to how it'd play out. Take your time and savor this classic, even though it's an archaic style today... it's Very evocative; and was written weeks after the fact from a news report, not from Tennyson's (he was poet laureate of GB at the time) personally witnessing the event.

 

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

"Forward the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!" he said.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

 

Forward, the Light Brigade!"

Was there a man dismay'd?

Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blunder'd.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

 

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

Rode the six hundred.

 

Flash'd all their sabres bare,

Flash'd as they turn'd in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wonder'd.

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right thro' the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reel'd from the sabre-stroke

Shatter'd and sunder'd.

Then they rode back, but not,

Not the six hundred.

 

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came thro' the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred.

 

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder'd.

Honor the charge they made!

Honor the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

 

[Sharaman]

George MacDonald Fraser "Flashman at the Charge" has a much funnier, more historically accurate account of the same action and indeed of the entire Crimean War.

[A Rant Lord]

I think that the armies of the light will come in and see Lan´s forces fight the shadow no matter what and that the true purpose of the battle in the book is to inspire all light sided troops to fight the shadow with all they´ve got.

[Tiinker]

I think that the armies of the light will come in and see Lan´s forces fight the shadow no matter what and that the true purpose of the battle in the book is to inspire all light sided troops to fight the shadow with all they´ve got.

 

Sounds an awful lot like the Spartans and their allies.

 

If it were under regular circumstances then I'd totally agree with you! But channeling and Fades etc.. I can't imagine how the battle could go on for more than a few days. All it needs is one of the Forsaken to turn up with an angreal and there's already a huge power shift

[Auld Manriva]

George MacDonald Fraser "Flashman at the Charge" has a much funnier, more historically accurate account of the same action and indeed of the entire Crimean War.

 

Yeah, probably. I dearly love "historical fiction" and funny/absurd (which the Flashman novels are) is always better, but it's not what I was going for with the post.

[Seeker Matt]

Rand knows what Lan is about so I'm hoping he isn't going to die in a suicidal attack. Admittively this is because I don't accept the reasons for it -well the charge into the Blight, not the defence of the bottle neck, though without sufficient forces why pointlessly die... - but also because Nynaeve has become someone you can respect and perhaps even like, and is a lot more sensible/reasonable than nearly every other Aes Sedai [read: Egwene].

[Guest MattAtom]

My thoughts is that since this would be the *official* start to the Last Battle. Mat would bring the Horn to help Lan and the King of Malkier and the Heroes of the Legends (Malkier being a legend itself now pretty much) will cooperate.

[Terez]

Alan and Brandon did mention at the AMOL panel yesterday that they are researching specific battles for AMOL, though they wouldn't say which ones.

[b3arz3rg3r]

I doubt there are nearly as many six packs among Lan's Malkieri as there were among the 1800 abs which fought the persians in the movie.