Learning the "New Weaves"; Nynaeve & New Recruits Abilities.

[Jemlin]

The following are some thoughts that occurred to me this morning. I'd love y'alls opinions on them.

 

The rebel Aes Sedai seemed surprised (and a little irritated) at the quickness the "non traditional' Novices learn the new healing weaves (and I suspect, other similar complex weaves). I'm assuming most of these who are learning faster are older women, above the typical age of 14-18 that they are recruited.

 

We have also seen that Nynaeve not only masters the complex healing weaves from the start of her "training", she is also able to memorize a weave after seeing it and/or practicing it once.

 

As far as Nynaeve goes, I think most of my thoughts and others I have read have attributed her ability to learn weaves quickly to her strength in the OP and as something of a talent.

 

What I wonder, is if her ability, and similarly that of the new older recruits, to learn complex weaves quickly is more attributed to their life experiences and previous training. For example, Nynaeve was trained at an early age in Wisdom business, which would include memorizing many different herbs, their uses, combinations, and application. I imagine her teacher did not tolerate a slow learner. Her mind and talents were trained to absorbing information quickly and being able to apply it. Besides her subconscious use of One Power, her mind was already trained to learning complex things quickly.

 

Additionally, the older Novices are women who have had to live in the world a while. I suspect many of them were village wise ones, or similar, that are attempting to learn the new healing weaves. It would be a natural thing for them to be recruited by the Yellow Ajah and taught such. They have already had some training, small or great, in learning and applying complex knowledge. One Power weaves are not far off from such things.

 

Traditionally, Aes Sedai recruit naive girls who's skills and abilities are honed in the White Tower. Their ability to learn complex weaves and apply them are deliberately handled slowly, unless they push themselves.

 

 

So, long story short, I think that the ability for Nynaeve (in part) and the older Novices to learn complex weaves quicker than the current Aes Sedai can be mostly attributed to their already honed abilities of learning and application from their "real world" experiences. Aes Sedai have not previously encountered this except in the occasional Wilder, who would be shuned and hampered anyways.

 

Your thoughts?

[Goldstar]

As far as the ability to learn the new weave, they're able to do that because they don't have previous experience. Once you have learned a weave to do something, it's very hard to learn to do the same thing with a different weave.

[icspots]

^^ What Goldstar said. It's specifically pointed out multiple times in the books about how hard it is to learn a second way to weave for the same thing. The newcomers are learning Nynaeve's "new" weaves for the first time whereas the experienced Aes Sedai have been learning the same weaves over and over again basically by rote for years.

 

Now that said while both the traditional and "new" healing weaves are for Healing you'd think that they wouldn't have the issues since they're different things. I mean even Nynaeve is able to Heal via the old-style Air/Water/Spirit method without difficulty. Then again she's awesome.

 

As to the ability to learn things quickly in general I don't know if it's been specifically stated, but the common thought on that is the stronger in the power you are the easier you can learn to weave things. Granted our biggest examples for that are the super girls so it may not really apply. :P

[spoke]

As far as the ability to learn the new weave, they're able to do that because they don't have previous experience. Once you have learned a weave to do something, it's very hard to learn to do the same thing with a different weave.

 

Exactly, an example of this is Avienda having trouble making Gateways. She did it once and then forgot, so later on she had trouble doing it later in Ebou Dar. It is the same for these Novices, they don't have to overcome their previous 'different' training, and since they don't have these issues or mental blocks, they can pick it up very easily.

[Durinax]

I also think it has to do with their passions, whether they can pick up on the new healing weaves fast or not.

 

many older women become kind of like nurses in the their families, looking after the sick, etc. that it becomes a passion to see people well, I think this adds to how fast they learn the weaves

[ravenfier]

Not nessicarily disagreeing with Gold: but the way that the AS do healing pre Nyn, is a quick battle field healing. Remember after Nyn healed stilling the Yellow saw uses to improve on the Air/Water/Spirit healing that they do.

 

But to the OP: The fact that the "New type" of Novice and their ability to pick up the weaves fast, I agree with the argument of the mind training, but also that thpse who were "wilders" probily did something very similar to it unknowingly in the first place. Remember when The WG's were showing some of the weaves learned from Moggy and some AS Jumped on those weaves, very similar thing.

[Lisa Campbell]

I've always thought that they were the kin who were not in Ebou Dar when the Seanchan invaded.

 

Remember that only a few were in Ebou Dar at any one time and they hsd a kind of roster. Most of the kin who were in Ebou Dar wore the "red belt" of s healer, so it makes sense thar once the "rostered out" kin members heard about the Seanchan and also Egwene's proclamation that age was no longer a barrier to becoming a novice and the AS camp would have seemed to be a sanctuary from the Seanchan, that the "wandering" kin would join Egwene's camp and learn weaves easily and also leap at learning new healing weaves as that is their "true" vocation.

[Superhal]

Also, there's the idea of the return of lost Talents.

[Haggis]

But to the OP: The fact that the "New type" of Novice and their ability to pick up the weaves fast, I agree with the argument of the mind training, but also that thpse who were "wilders" probily did something very similar to it unknowingly in the first place. Remember when The WG's were showing some of the weaves learned from Moggy and some AS Jumped on those weaves, very similar thing.

 

I think that was more the AS already knew the weaves. They are plenty of weaves that are private to ajah's or created but never taught by individuals.

 

I think it's more the sisters have more to unlearn then anything. I believe the wise ones don't need to make a throwing motion to create fireballs, but the AS do because that the way they always done it.

[Apple13]

The "new" novices aren't really "new" at all. They've been practising those weaves for years and years. It would make sense that the Aes Sedai (who've only been using limited ways of Healing so far, using only Air, Water, and Spirit) wouldn't pick up on them as quickly or be as good at forming them. Add that to the fact that the Aes Sedai have already been taught a different way of Healing, and it's always hard to unteach something or learn to do something a different way, so it's no wonder.

 

Also, the members of the Kin have mostly done healing weaves, while the Aes Sedai seem to tend towards more general weaves, or weaves for a whole lot of different things. The Kin are probably better at Healing and stuff, because they focused on it more.