Moiraine's Familial Relations

[nirve9909]

I was doing a re-read and noticed that Thom mentions Moiraine being Taringail's youngest half sister. That would of course mean that she's related to Elayne, Gawyn, and Galad. I haven't seen this brought up anywhere else in the books but it is interesting. Aside from the whole Tigraine being Rand's mother and all it's one more reason the Andoran Royal Family is important to the final battle. Also interesting is why nobody seems to have political enmity towards her. She's closely related to the Cairhienin Royal Family at the time of the Aiel War, and a very powerful family afterwards; and the Andoran line. Why haven't there been more attempts on her life or at least to take her prisoner? Unless they've been off screen. Further why doesn't Rand think of it all when he does the whole family thing (I'm talking about when he does the sums with that loud mouth and realises he's not incestual by being with Elayne). I'm sure he would have to realize that Moiraine is his cousin removed. I'm starting to ramble a bit but please give me some insight on this interesting topic.

[mb]

The last threat on Moiraine was Eliada's order to arrest her. I guess the reason for the order was Moiraine's involvement with Rand.

Moiraine became trapped in the land of Aelfinn & Eelfinn before Eliada's embassy for Rand could get to her; trapped roughly over half the series.

 

No political enmity? the enmity from various Aes Sedia could probably be close.

[David Selig]

It's one of my minor annoyances in WoT that nobody in the series acknowledges in any way that Moiraine and the Trakands are pretty closely related. Nothing major, but just something like Elayne telling Egwene when they first met in the Tower that she has an aunt who's an Aes Sedai and discovering Egwene knows her pretty well, would've been nice.

 

Rand and Moiraine aren't related by blood at all. Rand's birth parents are Tigraine and Janduin, he has no Damodred blood.

 

Moiraine distanced herself from Cairhienian politics, so there wasn't much of a reason to try to kill her for political reasons. Also nobody in Cairhien would've wanted to risk angering the Aes Sedai by attacking one of them unless they had a really good reason, better than her being related to the former King

[LeeM.Erickson]

Well, Moiraine did have that guy following her who went into her bank after she just got raised to the shawl in New Spring.

 

After Laman died and she realized the Aes Sedai wanted to put her on the throne, she pretty much booked it out of Tar Valon ASAP to avoid it. So she wasn't having anything to do with Cairhienin politics after that. She was what, sixteen when she went to the Tower, so I doubt she was TOO involved in politics back then, even knowing how much the Cairhienin play Daes Dae'mar. She had learned enough to manage her estate, but I don't think she had been around long enough to get involved in any schemes or plots.

[nirve9909]

I don't know, I can't shake the feeling that her ties could have been exploited more. And my bad for implying the blood relation to Rand, I think I was trying to suggest something along the lines of "Wait a second my mother was married to her brother." They're sort of almost related, at least enough that in real life you would acknowledge one another in some way. "Oh yeah my mother was married to Ralph's brother, so I guess I can give him a letter." Am I making sense or still just fumbling?

[joe11]

I don't know, I can't shake the feeling that her ties could have been exploited more. And my bad for implying the blood relation to Rand, I think I was trying to suggest something along the lines of "Wait a second my mother was married to her brother." They're sort of almost related, at least enough that in real life you would acknowledge one another in some way. "Oh yeah my mother was married to Ralph's brother, so I guess I can give him a letter." Am I making sense or still just fumbling?

 

No, I agree. Always thought this should've been at least mentioned - not so much the links to the throne, but the family situation re. Moiraine, Rand and the Trakands. For no reason other than it seemed odd that it never really gets flagged up even as an aside.

[Mandro]

Moiraine has a stronger claim to the throne of Carhien than Elayne, I think it would be good for the tower to leave their tower and fill their roles in life. Rand is not related to moiraine, but Elayne is her niece. Especially with the draining, Moiraine might be willing to take the thrown, just to ally, as isinuated in Avienda's future walk in the pillars. Maybe Elayne surrenders Carhien to Moiraine, who knows, though that makes no sense since elayne has next to know knowledge of Moiraine.

[Goldstar]

For the record, her being related to Galad essentially makes her related to Rand. Just saying.

[Amadine]

Rand is not related by blood to Moiraine at all and is not closely related to Elayne either.

 

Rand's mother Tigraine was previously married to Taringail Damodred whose sister is Moiraine Damodred. It's like saying you are related to your mother's ex-husband's sister.

 

Elayne's not related Rand in the everyday sense of the word. You would have to go quite far back to find a blood relationship between Tigraine Manteer and Morgase Trakand.

 

http://wot.wikia.com...hor#Family_Tree

[Goldstar]

That's why he was asking Dyelin while he had control of Andor, iirc.

[Amadine]

*nods*

[mb]

About Moiraine having a stronger claim than Elayne on Cairhien's throne; I think Elayne would have the stronger claim since Elayne is a direct decendant to a recent ruler.

 

About Moiraine being related to Rand; actually not since neither of them have a common blood relative.

[David Selig]

About Moiraine having a stronger claim than Elayne on Cairhien's throne; I think Elayne would have the stronger claim since Elayne is a direct decendant to a recent ruler.

What do you mean? Neither Elayne's father nor her grandparents on the Cairhien side of the family were reigning monarchs.

 

The Succession in Cairhien seems to be mostly about "might makes right" among the members of the top Houses instead of strict primogeniture rules or something like that. Moiraine was considered a realistic candidate for the throne in NS despite having 2 older sisters, for example.

[mb]

About Moiraine having a stronger claim than Elayne on Cairhien's throne; I think Elayne would have the stronger claim since Elayne is a direct decendant to a recent ruler.

What do you mean? Neither Elayne's father nor her grandparents on the Cairhien side of the family were reigning monarchs.

thought that Taringail was son of Laman; I was mistaken. Just checked the pages at the encyclopaedia site.