No AoL Prophecies?

[LeeM.Erickson]

I had never considered this before, but the thought popped into my head. Why weren't there prophecies in the Age of Legends predicting the War of the Shadow or the drilling of the Bore? Presumably Foretelling still existed as a Talent in this Age. So, is there any mention of prophecies made during the Age of Legends?

[Sid]

There may have been prophecies or Foretellings that predicted those events, but as we can see oftentimes such predictions can be misunderstood, kept secret, or aid in their own fulfillment. During Rand's trip through the arches in Rhuidean, he witnessed part of a conversation of Aes Sedai and the Green Man, some of which involved Callandor and their frustration of being unable to clearly interpret what prophecy they had available.

 

TSR chapter 26 'The Dedicated'

He shivered, wondering if men would ever stand in a meeting such as this again. When he

saw what was on the table, the shiver became a shudder. A crystal sword - perhaps an object of

the Power, perhaps only an ornament; he had no way of telling - held down the Dragon banner of

Lews Therin Kinslayer, spread out like a tablecloth and spilling onto the floor. His heart

clenched. What was that doing here? Why had it not been destroyed, and memory of the cursed

man as well?

“What good is your Foretelling,” Oselle was almost shouting, “if you cannot tell us when?”

Her long black hair swayed as she shook with anger. “The world rests on this! The future! The

Wheel itself?”

Dark-eyed Deindre faced her with a more usual calm. “I am not the Creator. I can only tell

you what I Foretell.”

“Peace, sisters.” Solinda was the calmest of them all, her old-fashioned streith gown only a

pale blue mist. The sun-red hair falling to her waist was nearly the color of his own. His

greatfather had served her as a young man, but she looked younger than he; she was Aes Sedai.

“The time for contention among ourselves is past. Jaric and Haindar will both be here by

tomorrow.”

“Which means we cannot afford mistakes, Solinda.”

“We must know . . . .”

“Is there any chance of . . . ?”

 

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Her hand tightened painfully in his hair. “The citizens have already fled Paaren Disen, Jonai.

Besides, the Da’shain yet have a part yet to play, if Deindre could only see far enough to say

what. In any case, I mean to save something here, and that something is you.”

 

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“Can we trust Kodam and his fellows, Solinda?”

“We must, Oselle. They are young and inexperienced, but barely touched by the taint, and

. . . . And we have no choice.”

“Then we will do what we must. The sword must wait. Someshta, we have a task for the last

of the Nym, if you will do it. We have asked too much of you; now we must ask more.”

Jonai bowed his way out formally as the Nym rose, his head brushing the ceiling. Already

immersed in their plans, they were not looking at him, but he did them this last honor anyway.

He did not think he would ever see them again.

 

I would guess that any actual prophecy from the AoL is lost in the Breaking or the years after, unless Moridin has some stashed away.

[Xcorpyo001]

Since the AS were such great and peaceful people, and they didn't knew the DO existed, maybe nobody believed it.

And even those AS probably kept some secrets.

The only ones that could Foretell were AS, so if someone said "An AS will release the DO and start a great war, bringing the end of the world as we know it", their first reactions would be:

-what? A AS will release the DO? I totally want that CD. Sounds awesome. Is this AS in some rock band? The title of this album, the Dark One, has a very heavy metal sound to it.

-war?!? what's that?

-I think you need a shrink.

None will help in the long run.

[Lisa Campbell]

I think that these "writings" and I am deliberate in calling them that rather than prophecies, would have been lost during the Ages and the turning of the Wheel. In the AoL prophecies were made or foretold to assist the Dragon Reborn. There is only one Age to the next involved. Any histories written in Rand's Age are going to fade to legend then myth, until the Dark One is forgotten until the next AoL rolls around.

 

Kind of like the real world trying to find new sources of power because we know fossil fuels are running out and not good for the environment anyway. I'm talking about Mierin drilling the Bore thinking it is a new source of power.

[damandred]

I think the prophecies of the dragon are a one off doesn't greandal say in TFoH that its the first she's hear'd about a prophecey about a man being reborn ever.

[Luckers]

I theorized before that once the Dark One acts to a certain level, prophecies become invalidated. It makes sense when you consider that prophecies are an element of a closed system, and that the Dark One is placing an influence from outside that system, an influence that could not ever be read in the weaving of the Wheel.

 

We know total victory will defy prophecy, but lesser (but nonetheless direct) actions could have a similar effect--so the backlash of the drilling of the bore, the tainting, and all that came because of them could not be predicted. It would explain why there were suddenly so many foretellings about Lews Therin's rebirth after his death but not before--because the act of the taint so changed the Wheel that is wiped clean all prophecy that came before.

 

I wonder if we might not see prophecy fail in aMoL.